Deepening our understanding of psychedelics by expanding psychedelic data collection in the United States National Survey on Drug Use and Health

As regulatory and financial barriers to clinical psychedelic research recede, a clearer understanding of naturalistic psychedelic use and its epidemiology is needed, since such use is growing and will likely always exceed clinical use. Psychedelics' effects vary by setting, so research findings may differ depending on context. Improving data collection on real-world psychedelic use should be a higher public health priority. Expanding data collection in the U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health could address this need, ensuring high-quality information for the public, scientists, and regulators as psychedelics' role in medicine and society is reevaluated.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Amid a reappraisal of the medicinal and societal worth of psychedelics in many countries, regulatory and financial barriers to conducting clinical research with these compounds appear to be receding. Still, there remains a strong need for a clearer understanding of naturalistic psychedelic use and its associated epidemiology, since this type of psychedelic use, which is growing in many places, will almost certainly always exceed clinical use. Furthermore, psychedelics behave differently depending on the settings in which they are used, meaning many research findings on their effects may significantly differ depending on the contexts in which they are observed. Therefore, improving the collection of data on real-world psychedelic use should be of higher priority for the public health community. Expanding data collection on psychedelic use in the United States National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an already vital tool for researchers examining naturalistic psychedelic use, could address this important public health need, helping ensure the general public, the scientific community, and regulators have access to high-quality information as peoples across the world reevaluate what psychedelics' place in medicine and society should be.