Hallucinogen use in the United States, 2021-2023: Diverging trends and subgroup patterns.

Jing-Jer Chen; Carla J. Berg; Y Tony Yang

doi:10.1016/j.dadr.2026.100410

Hallucinogen use in the United States, 2021-2023: Diverging trends and subgroup patterns.

Jing-Jer Chen, Carla J. Berg, Y Tony Yang

Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports March 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1016/j.dadr.2026.100410 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract

Characteristics	Observational cohort Peer reviewed
Population	US residents aged 12 and older
Duration	2021-2023
Topics	Ketamine LSD
Keywords	Epidemiology Hallucinogens Psychedelics Substance use trends
Citations	1
Key findings	Between 2021 and 2023, overall hallucinogen use prevalence remained stable at about 2.8%, but LSD use declined while ketamine use increased.

Abstract

While interest in the therapeutic and recreational use of hallucinogens has increased, national surveillance often reports use in aggregate, potentially masking shifting trends among pharmacologically distinct substances. This study assessed trends in specific hallucinogens from 2021 to 2023 and identified correlates of use, with particular attention to subgroup patterns in populations commonly prioritized for prevention and access-focused interventions. Using nationally representative NSDUH data (2021-2023; ages ≥12), we estimated annual past-year prevalence of LSD, PCP, ecstasy (MDMA), ketamine, Salvia divinorum, and tryptamines (including DMT). We fit survey-weighted logistic regression models with year (continuous) to assess trends and pooled multivariable models to examine demographic correlates. Although overall past-year hallucinogen use was stable (2.83 % [95 % CI: 2.52-3.14] in 2021; 2.82 % [2.52-3.12] in 2023), substance-specific trends diverged. LSD declined (aOR per year=0.83, 95 % CI: 0.75-0.93), from 0.88 % (0.72-1.04) in 2021-0.58 % (0.47-0.68) in 2023. Ketamine increased (aOR=1.11, 95 % CI: 1.02-1.21), from 1.61 % (1.42-1.80) to 1.91 % (1.67-2.16). Ecstasy/MDMA and tryptamines were stable, and PCP and Salvia remained rare. Use concentrated among young adults and males; adjusted models indicated higher odds among uninsured respondents and those below the federal poverty level. Despite stable overall hallucinogen prevalence, significant increases were observed for ketamine alongside declines for LSD, suggesting a shifting landscape of hallucinogen use. Substance-specific monitoring may better inform screening, prevention, and harm-reduction efforts than aggregate hallucinogen indicators, especially as ketamine's medical availability expands and disparities in access to mental health treatment persist.

Comparable studies

Other observational and cohort studies on LSD, most cited first.

Study	Year	Design	Participants
Increased Global Functional Connectivity Correlates with LSD-Induced Ego Dissolution. Human participants	2016	Observational cohort
Increased spontaneous MEG signal diversity for psychoactive doses of ketamine, LSD and psilocybin Humans	2017	Observational study
Classic psychedelic use is associated with reduced psychological distress and suicidality in the United States adult population. USA adult respondents from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2008-2012)	2015	Observational cohort	n = 190,000
Psychedelics not linked to mental health problems or suicidal behavior: A population study Randomly selected United States adults	2015	Observational cohort	n = 135,095
Whole-Brain Multimodal Neuroimaging Model Using Serotonin Receptor Maps Explains Non-linear Functional Effects of LSD. Healthy human participants	2018	Observational study with computational modeling

Citations in the library

Cited by 1

Fusing Specialized Surveys of Rare Populations to Larger Surveys for Generalized Inference: Cross-Sectional Survey Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research April 27, 2026

Cites 13

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