Consumer Attitudes – PSYCH: The Psychedelics as Medicine Report 2nd Edition

In May 2020, Prohibition Partners conducted a national representative consumer survey… among 1,000 adults living in the US and the UK.

The survey found that younger adults (aged 18–34) regard themselves as better educated on psychedelics than are older people (54% vs 2%). This might be one reason underpinning the fact that the over 55s are more likely to say that they would like to learn more about the use of psychedelics as medicines (one in four).

There is a particularly strong appetite for the legalisation of psychedelics to treat mental illness among adults in the US, with more than one in five strongly agreeing with the statement. This may be down to public concern for the welfare of US veterans returning from conflict zones, suffering from PTSD.

Overall, 40% of adults did not think it was a good idea to treat mental health conditions using psychedelics. A similar proportion (37%) of adults believe psychedelics actually cause mental illness rather than cure it.

However, almost the same number again, nearly four out of ten adults, believe more appropriate alternatives already exist for treating mental health conditions. This suggests there is a job of work to be done to educate and inform the wider public about psychedelics and to promote their use as valid, safe and effective alternatives to conventional medications.