• Posted April 24, 2026

New Survey Estimates 8 Million Americans Used Psilocybin in 2024

Psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, is moving into the mainstream.

As states move toward decriminalization and the public grows more curious about its medicinal potential, a landmark study reports that an estimated 8 million Americans used the psychoactive drug in 2024.

Psilocybin is a hallucinogen that changes a person’s thoughts, feelings and awareness of their environment. One might feel extreme emotions, out-of-body sensations and relive memories, among other effects when taking it.

The research, led by the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and New York University, analyzed the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. 

This survey is one of the few to track psilocybin use in the previous 12 months, rather than just lifetime use.

The study found that 2.8% of the U.S. population — about 8 million people — had used psilocybin during the study period. 

Use was most common among young adults. Survey respondents between 18 and 25 were 1.4 times more likely to use it than those in their late 30s or 40s. 

Additionally, men and white respondents reported higher rates of use than other groups.

Use of cannabis and other hallucinogens such as LSD, MDMA and ketamine was strongly linked to use of psilocybin over the period.

Alcohol use disorder and prescription stimulant misuse were also correlated with psilocybin use.

Further, researchers noted a strong link between psilocybin and mental health. People who experienced a major depressive episode in the past year were significantly more likely to seek out the drug.

“Prior surveys only captured lifetime use, which tells us little about current use patterns; someone who tried psilocybin once in college a decade ago and someone using it regularly today look identical in that data,” said first author Dr. Kevin Yang, a psychiatry resident at UC San Diego. 

“Past-year gives us a much more clinically relevant picture of who is using psilocybin right now,” Yang added a news release.

Researchers said studies have shown psilocybin can be a powerful tool for treating depression, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has marked it as a breakthrough therapy for treatment-resistant and major depression. 

But experts are concerned about people using it at home without medical supervision. 

In a lab, patients are screened for heart issues or underlying psychosis and are guided by a therapist. At home, those safeguards don't exist.

“When psilocybin is used outside of a clinical setting, the risks look very different,” Yang warned. “We’ve seen reports of anxiety, paranoia and prolonged psychological distress, and there are also potential interactions with antidepressants that clinicians need to look out for.”

Because so many people are turning to psilocybin for self-medication, researchers said it is vital for doctors to start having open, non-judgmental conversations with their patients about it. 

Understanding why patients are using it can help doctors provide better advice on harm reduction and monitor patients for dangerous drug interactions.

The findings were published April 21 in The American Journal of Psychiatry.

More information

Visit the National Institute on Drug Abuse for more on the risks and effects of hallucinogens.

SOURCES: University of California San Diego, news release, April 22, 2026; The American Journal of Psychiatry, April 21, 2026