The Canadian Psychedelic Survey: Characteristics, Patterns of Use, and Access in a Large Sample of People Who Use Psychedelic Drugs.

A survey of 2045 Canadian adults (average age 38, 56% female) found that psilocybin, MDMA, and LSD are the most used psychedelic drugs. Top reasons for use are fun, self-exploration, mental well-being, and personal growth. 82% reported a lifetime intense positive psychedelic experience, and 52% reported an intense challenging experience; of those, 56% said some good came from the challenging experience afterward. Correlates of intense positive experiences include higher perceived psychedelic experience and motivations of fun and self-exploration. Correlates of intense challenging experiences include higher perceived psychedelic experience and motivations of trauma management, fun, and boredom.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Recent years have seen a resurgence in clinical interest in, and increased public acceptance of, psychedelic drugs in Canada. However, our understanding of how psychedelic drugs are currently used in Canada remains limited. We developed the Canadian Psychedelic Survey (CPS) to gather real-world evidence about psychedelic drug use in Canada. This study aimed to characterize CPS respondents; identify access sources; explore psychedelic-specific patterns, purposes, and contexts of use; and contextualize intense positive and challenging psychedelic experiences. The CPS was administered in January 2022. We used descriptive statistics to characterize the sample and understand access to psychedelic drugs and detailed patterns and contexts of use. We built separate logistic regression models to identify sociodemographic and psychedelic-related correlates of reporting an intense positive and challenging experience with psychedelic drugs. We analyzed data from 2045 respondents (mean age = 38.4 years; 56% female). Psilocybin, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) were the most used psychedelic drugs. Top motivations for psychedelic drug use were fun, self-exploration, general mental well-being, and personal growth. Lifetime intense positive and challenging psychedelic experiences were reported by 82% and 52%, respectively. Over half (56%) of those who had an intense challenging experience reported that "some good" came from the experience after-the-fact. In multivariable analysis, significant correlates of intense positive experiences included higher perceived psychedelic experience and fun and self-exploration as motivations for use (p < 0.05). Significant correlates of intense challenging experiences included higher perceived psychedelic experience and trauma management, fun, and boredom as motivations for use (p < 0.05). The CPS is the most comprehensive survey of psychedelic drug use to date. Detailing the range of therapeutic and nontherapeutic experiences of psychedelic drug consumers in Canada, these findings add important nuances that can inform evolving clinical research and policy discussions impacting safe access to and use of psychedelic drugs.