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Since parts of the US decriminalised magic mushrooms, many more Americans are taking a trip

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Peer-reviewed: This work was reviewed and scrutinised by relevant independent experts.

Observational study: A study in which the subject is observed to see if there is a relationship between two or more things (eg: the consumption of diet drinks and obesity). Observational studies cannot prove that one thing causes another, only that they are linked.

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Since magic mushrooms were first decriminalised in Denver, Colorado in 2019, which was followed by similar moves in other parts of the country, many more Americans are taking a trip, according to US scientists. The team looked at five American drug use datasets, and say use of psilocybin - the 'trippy' part of the mushroom - has increased dramatically following decriminalisation, especially among older adults. Reports of use in the past year rocketed by 188% among older adults, by 44% in young adults, and by 53% among Year 12 students, meaning 2.5% of Year 12 kids had tried mushrooms in 2023. Adults with mental illnesses and those struggling with ongoing pain were the most likely to try psilocybin, the experts add. These increases meant that, in 2023, psilocybin was more popular than cocaine, LSD, methamphetamine or opioids, they say. Meanwhile, reports of psilocybin poisoning increased by 201% in adults, 317% in adolescents, and 723% in children between 2019 and 2023.

Journal/conference: Annals of Internal Medicine

Research: Paper

Organisation/s: Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Safety (RMPDS), USA

Funder: This work was a collaboration between coauthors from Rocky Mountain Poison andDrugSafety (RMPDS) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). RMPDS is funded for other work related to psychedelic surveillance through SAMHSA contract (#SAM318573). RMPDS is a division of nonprofit Denver Health and Hospital Authority, a political subdivision of the State of Colorado, USA. Outside of this work, RMPDS is supported by subscriptions from pharmaceutical manufacturers, government, and non-government agencies for surveillance, research, and reporting services.

Media release

From: American College of Physicians

Psilocybin, or “magic mushroom,” use increased among all age groups since decriminalization in 2019

A multisource observational study aimed to quantify the change in prevalence and health care utilization of psilocybin users between 2014 and 2023. The study found that the prevalence of psilocybin use increased across all age groups, with those with mental or physical comorbidities among the most common users. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Researchers from Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Safety in Denver, CO and colleagues studied five nationally representative data sets - the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), the Survey of Non-Medical Use of Prescription Drugs (NMURx), Monitoring the Future (MTF), the National Poison Data System (NPDS), and the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) - to calculate annual estimations of the prevalence of psilocybin use in the United States. Psilocybin is the first hallucinogenic substance to be decriminalized in some states. The researchers found that before 2019 (the first year psilocybin was decriminalized anywhere in the US), psilocybin use remained relatively stable. Since 2019, lifetime use among adults and adolescents increased. Additionally, past year use increased by 44% among young adults (age 18 – 29) and 188% among older adults. Past year use among 12th graders increased 53% since 2019, and prevalence in 2023 was 2.5%. Adults with mental health or chronic pain comorbidities were more likely to use psilocybin. The rate of psilocybin exposures reported to U.S. poison centers increased 201% in adults, 317% in adolescents, and 723% in children. In 2023, past year adult psilocybin use was higher than estimates for cocaine, LSD, methamphetamine, or illicit opioid use. The results emphasize the need for public health and health care professionals to consider the elevated rates of psilocybin use in future policy and intervention development.

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