Data from U.S. survey casts doubt on U.S. classification of psychedelics as ‘dangerous’

Data from a government-sponsored survey indicates that psychedelic drugs like LSD, magic mushrooms, and peyote do not increase a person’s risk of developing mental health problems.

“Everything has some potential for negative effects, but psychedelic use is overall considered to pose a very low risk to the individual and to society,” clinical psychologist Pål-Ørjan Johansen of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology said. “Psychedelics can elicit temporary feelings of anxiety and confusion, but accidents leading to serious injury are extremely rare.” 

The study, published online Tuesday in PLoS One, used data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health survey to investigate psychedelic drug use and mental health problems. The survey is administered annually by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The researchers found psychedelic use was not associated with a higher rate of mental health problems. In fact, the use of psychedelic drugs appeared to reduce the risk of mental illness, though only slightly.

“Early speculation that psychedelics might lead to mental health problems was based on a small number of case reports and did not take into account either the widespread use of psychedelics or the not infrequent rate of mental health problems in the general population,” researcher Teri Krebs added.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/20/