Preferences, Perceptions, and Environmental Considerations of Natural and Synthetic Psychedelic Substances: Findings from the Global Psychedelic Survey
Omer A Syed, Rotem Petranker, Emily C Fewster, Valentyn Sobolenko, Zeina Beidas, M Ishrat Husain, Stephanie Lake, Philippe Lucas
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs December 24, 2024 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2024.2446445 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA strong preference for natural over synthetic sources exists among users of psilocybin (75%), DMT (56%), and mescaline (56%), based on an anonymous online survey of 6,379 consumers from 85 countries. About half of respondents (50.8%) believe the source affects a psychedelic's psychological and physiological effects, while 34.4% are neutral. Despite preferring natural sources, 67.7% would switch to synthetic alternatives if it reduced environmental harm from overharvesting. The survey's respondents came mainly from anglophone regions.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 6,379 |
| Population | Consumers of 11 different psychedelic substances from 85 countries |
| Keywords | Environmental considerations Natural sources Psychedelics Synthetic substances Environmental conservation |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key finding | Consumers prefer natural over synthetic sources for psilocybin, DMT, and mescaline, but most would switch to synthetic alternatives to lessen environmental impacts from overharvesting. |
Abstract
Although several studies have well described the characteristics of people who use psychedelics alongside their motivations and beliefs, little research has examined the preferences surrounding the source of psychedelic substances. In an anonymous online survey, we collected data from 6,379 consumers of 11 different psychedelic substances from 85 different countries, exploring their preferences and perceptions on natural and synthetic psychedelics. There was a strong preference of natural sources over synthetic alternatives for psilocybin (75%), DMT (56%), and mescaline (56%). Moreover, 50.8% of respondents believed that the source impacts the psychedelic's psychological and physiological effects, while 34.4% of respondents had a neutral stance on the topic. Despite the preference for natural sources, 67.7% of respondents agreed to switch to using synthetic alternatives to psychedelic substances if it would lessen the environmental impacts caused by the overharvesting of natural sources. This study presents novel insights into consumer preferences on the source of popular psychedelic substances. This international survey is limited to respondents primarily belonging to anglophone regions of the world.