Background: There is renewed interest in the therapeutic applications of psychedelics. Australia was the first country to permit authorized psychiatrist-prescribed psilocybin and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) from July 1st, 2023. Canada permits use via a Special Access Program and the U.S. FDA has permitted use in clinical trial settings since 2017 as “breakthrough therapies”.
Aims: To assess the difference in levels and purpose of use of psychedelics across countries with different policy approaches.
Methods: Data are from the 2023 International Cannabis Policy Study (ICPS): cross-sectional data from national surveys conducted among 16-65 year-olds in Canada (n=19,984), the U.S. (n=39,778), and Australia (n=3,054). The survey examined the prevalence of past year and lifetime use for psychedelics, including use for therapeutic reasons, sources, and perceived benefits.
Results: Despite jurisdictional policy variance, across the three countries approximately one-fifth of respondents reported using a psychedelic in the past 12-months. North American participants who reported using psychedelics were most likely to report using psilocybin containing-substances, followed by LSD, and MDMA. Australian participants were most likely to use MDMA. While there is heightened interest in therapeutic applications, most respondents used psychedelics for recreational purposes or overlapping therapeutic purposes across all countries. There was a large degree of variance in the frequency of use by substance and country.
Conclusions: Our study provides global insights into the potential impact of drug policy changes on psychedelic use patterns for recreational and therapeutic purposes.