Psychedelic Drug Users: Not Who You Might Think

Once considered to be “substances with no medical value”, today psychedelic substances like psilocybin and LSD are being evaluated for their potential ability to treat a variety of different health conditions. And while the research we do have on psychedelics’ therapeutic effects is promising, the psychedelic movement has many more challenges to face.

One of the greatest challenges associated with the psychedelic movement are the negative stigmas associated with psychedelic use. 

From categorizations of psychedelic users as “hippies” to movies depicting psychedelic users as drug addicts and violent criminals, it’s easy to see how these cultural beliefs came into existence. 

But just how much truth is there to these stigmas, anyways? Are all psychedelic users pot smoking hippies? Do psychedelic users have jobs? Are they criminals? Addicts? Something more?

The real answer tells us that psychedelic drug users are far more complex—and more prevalent—than the media would like you to believe. 

Everybody’s doing it

One of the most prevalent assumptions about psychedelic use is that it’s an “underground” activity only enjoyed by young adults at raves or clubs.  

The reality is, however, that far more people are trying psychedelics than you might think. 

A 2013 research paper sought out to determine how many people across America were using psychedelics. Researchers found that there were nearly 32 million lifetime psychedelic users in the US in 2010. Authors of the paper also noted the rate of psychedelic use among baby boomers is similar to the rate at which people aged 21 to 49 years consume psychedelics. 

In 2018 the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services released the results from their National Survey on Drug Use and Health. They discovered that a whopping 22.9 million people (8.7 percent of Americans) reported prior use of psilocybin.

The number of psychedelic users across America is also rapidly expanding. A report published earlier this year in Drug and Alcohol Dependence found that use of LSD jumped 56.4% from 2015 to 2018. This was consistent across all age groups including the 26-34 group as well as ages 35-49. 

This data shows us that psychedelic use is far more prevalent than you might think. It also tells us that many different types of psychedelic users at all ages—not just millennials—exist. And since many of the people polled were lifetime users we can safely say they benefit from reoccurring psychedelic use. 

Tackling negative stigmas

Anti-drug legislators are often quick to espouse the “dangers” of psychedelics. Many of them rely on anachronistic and outdated depictions of psychedelic users across movies and TV. Others may simply speak from a more abstract place, citing deeply ingrained cultural beliefs as reasons why psychedelic use should not continue.

The best way to tackle these outdated ideas about psychedelic users is to confront them head on—with plenty of data to support our argument, of course. 

So what do psychedelic users actually look like? Who are they and what do they use psychedelics for? 

Who is the Microdoser?

One type of psychedelic user steadily growing in numbers is the Microdoser. A Microdoser is a person who microdoses, i.e. routinely ingests small amounts of psychedelics for therapeutic benefit. LSD and psilocybin are the most commonly consumed psychedelics here. 

The idea behind microdosing isn’t to “trip”, but rather is based in consuming a non perceptible dose—a dose so small you can’t consciously feel any effects from. 

There are many negative stereotypes that can come to mind when thinking of a Microdoser. Some people might assume a microdoser’s continual use means they’re a drug addict. Others might conjure images of wealthy Silicon Valley “tech bros” using LSD to enhance their productivity. And at the other end of the spectrum some people may assume Microdosers are unmotivated, lazy hippies that just don’t want to grow up.

Stereotypes associated with Microbes and treatment dose personas

Select individuals may enroll in psychedelic assisted therapies. These users, too, are also subjected to cognitive biases that Microdosers encounter. Unfamiliar groups might view these users as mentally unfit or as hopeless, lost causes. Films like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest may swim in their mind’s eye, conjuring images of wild patients and unconventional therapies. These groups may even fear microbe users, believing them to be “deranged”, violent or otherwise dangerous criminals in need of rehabilitation. Others may view psychedelic treatment facilities with the same contempt and fear they show for psychiatric facilities depicted in the media. 

Macrodosers

Macrodosers are those who consume psychedelics in larger amounts than their Microdose counterparts. This group of psychedelic users has been around a lot longer than Microdosers, which is perhaps why there are so many negative stereotypes associated with Macrodosers. 

The most common association with Macrodosers is that of indulgence and excess. Modern Macrodosers are often seen as caricatures of the Woodstock attending hippie of the 60’s. They might be viewed as lazy, irresponsible party goers that don’t consider how their actions affect others. Some might assume they are drug dealers themselves. Others may think of films like Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas, characterizing Macro users as “crazy”, manic and dangerous.

These assumptions couldn’t be farther from the truth. Let’s examine a few common misconceptions associated with these personas to reveal a new, more nuanced understanding of who psychedelic users really are. 

Misconception #1: Microdosers are rich, white males living in Silicon Valley 

The association between Silicon Valley CEOs and microdosing has been cemented thanks to TV shows like Silicon Valley. These shows often depict a group of rich white males microdosing substances like LSD as “productivity hacks”. The end result of this media portrayal is the idea that Microdose users are predominantly rich, white professionals in their 30’s living in California.

While this is one of the most prevalent stereotypes attributed to Microdosers it fails to encompass the full truth of the matter. 

Research shows us that psychedelic users, especially Microdosers, are an incredibly diverse group of people. 

A paper published in this year’s Journal of Psychoactive Drugs set out to study and explore psychedelic user profiles. Data from the paper revealed participants across all age groups (18-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59 and 60+). Geographical data showed that users weren’t just confined to the United States, either: 31% of participants hailed from Western Europe. Participants were also found in South America, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. 

Another paper published in 2019 aimed to examine how microdosing psychedelics is related to differences in personality and mental health. Participants from 29 countries responded to the survey, with a median age of 26.

One systematic study of microdosing psychedelics published in 2019 reported participants ranged in age ranges from 18-25 all the way to users aged 56 and above. Participants hailed from the US, Australia and Canada. 

Another study examining novel psychoactive drug use in Rome revealed 53% of participants were males and 47% female. 

In short: Microdosers are a much more diverse group than TV would have you believe.

Misconception #2: Microdosers are lazy hippies that don’t want to work

One of the most deeply ingrained and problematic ideas about Micro and Macro dosers is the belief that they’re “lazy hippies”. This idea is so ubiquitous that VICE even poked fun at it in a 2018 piece:

Mack Lamoureux (Interviewee):

“‘Some people, like myself, can hold stereotypes of these microdosers as like hippies or tech bros or something like that, is that a pretty bad misconception?’

Rotem Petranker (Source): 

*Sighs*

‘If the standard expectation is that the person is a hippie then yes. We asked people what they do for a living and the answers were really widespread, we had computer programmers, teachers, people from all walks of life. There were pretty diverse ages too, there were a lot of young people between 18 and 35 and a lot of people that were older doing it as well.

Anecdotally it seems that way too. People have been approaching me a lot because this got a little bit of publicity, there has been like real estate agents and fitness instructors and it just seems like anyone can be doing this.’”

For some reason this idea of the Woodstock hippie has stayed with us since it first was espoused in the 1960’s. Images of drug-fueled party goers trashing campsites quickly became associated with psychedelic use, so much so that the two would soon become inseparable in popular culture. The idea that hippies were lazy adults without jobs who regularly consumed large doses of drugs took hold in our minds—and has remained there ever since. 

The truth is Micro and Macro users don’t quite conform to these anachronistic ways of thinking. In fact there’s significant evidence to suggest the opposite is true. As Petranker notes in the VICE article Micro and Macro users work in a number of different sectors: “computer programmers, teachers, people from all walks of life.” 

One pilot study examining novel psychoactive drug use in the club scene of Rome found 27% of those surveyed to have a job. An additional 10% of those surveyed were working students. 

Another study published in this year’s Journal of Cannabis Research examined entheogen use patterns across cannabis and psychedelic users. Researchers found that the median participant surveyed was aged 32 and working a full time job. 

The microdosing study published in 2019 also noted that 76.2% of participants were working full time or part time.

The empirical evidence we do have suggests that Microdosers are typically employed, which stands in stark contrast compared to traditional ideas of unmotivated hippies.

Misconception #3: Micro (and Macro) dosers are uneducated/stupid

Contrary to popular belief that drugs “put holes in your brain”, psychedelic users aren’t dropouts, uneducated or plain stupid. In fact research shows us that psychedelic users are often college educated or have even completed secondary degrees. 

The Drug and Alcohol Dependence report published earlier this year in Drug and Alcohol Dependence showed that LSD use among individuals with a college degree or more increased from 18.2% to 31.1%.

A research paper published in last year’s Psychopharmacology examining key differences in Microdosers showed that Microdose users had comparable educational levels as non-Microdosers.  

The systematic study of microdosing psychedelics published in 2019 also revealed that the sample was, “...highly educated, with 71.4% participants having completed postgraduate education. 19% participants were students.”

Another paper published in 2019’s Harm Reduction Journal sought out to compile microdosing benefits and challenges based on qualitative reports from 278 microdosers. Researchers found participants via the online chat forum Reddit. They noted that the average Reddit user, “...tend[ed] to be younger, educated or seeking a college education compared to the general US population.”

In 2017 Johns Hopkins researchers interviewed 2,000 people about their psychedelic experiences. A whopping 51% of those surveyed had college or graduate degrees. 

Misconception #5: Micro and Macro dosers are violent criminals

This is one of the most popular misconceptions about psychedelic use. 

Brought into the public’s eye thanks to anti-drug propaganda in the 70’s, sensationalized images depicting, “...psychoactive substances that produced hyperbolic monsters in scenes of reefer madness or super-powerful African American men on cocaine” across the media gripped Americans with terror. LSD and psychedelics were utilized as weapons in the war on drugs, and were used to drive public hysteria and fear.

The Controlled Substances Act was passed by President Nixon shortly thereafter in 1970, resulting in a deep stigma against LSD and psychedelics.

The image of a drug-crazed user as a criminal didn’t end there, either. Films like Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas continued to perpetuate the stereotype of the insane, debaucherous psychedelic user as a criminal long after Nixon’s reign ended.

But the data to support the idea of Micro and Macro users as violent criminals just isn’t there. In fact Johns Hopkins researchers found that a mere 2.6% of the 2,000 participants surveyed said they acted aggressively or violently during a ‘bad’ trip. 

Other research tentatively suggests psychedelic use may actually inhibit criminal behavior. A 2018 paper published in the Psychopharmacology journal aimed to explore the link between psychedelic use and criminal behavior. Researchers examined data from over 480,000 United States adult respondents gathered from the last 13 years of  the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2002 through 2014).

Their results did, in fact, confirm the idea that psychedelic use was linked to lower rates of criminal behavior. Data revealed that lifetime “classic psychedelic” use was associated with, “...a reduced odds of past year larceny/theft, past year assault, past year arrest for a property crime and past year arrest for a violent crime.” Researchers noted that results, “...were consistent with a protective effect of psilocybin for antisocial criminal behavior.”

Misconception #6: Microdosers are drug addicts (motivation)

Misconceptions about Microdosers aren’t limited to outdated beliefs. In fact one of the most damaging stereotypes about Microdosers is the idea that they’re drug addicts. 

It’s easy to see why this belief has spread among those unfamiliar with psychedelics. The idea of taking drugs that will make you “trip balls” on a daily basis seems incongruous with the values modern society espouses, i.e. the ability to produce and go to work. 

Microdosers, however, take small doses of psychedelics. And while Microdosing does have a timely component to it many psychedelic proponents advise taking a small dose every few days rather than everyday. 

Available research on Microdosers highlights key distinctions between Microdosers and drug addicts: namely, motivation for use and frequency of use.

Addiction entails using drugs at levels exceeding recommended and safe values on a daily basis, so much so that it begins to impede function. Drug addicts also typically have distinct motivations for using drugs. They’re typically motivated by a need to escape external circumstances, which research shows us is a factor that predicts ‘bad’ trips. 

When Microdosers were asked about possible negative consequences of use “interviewees emphasized the dangers of overuse.” Many of them even commented that they felt repeated and excessive psychedelic use diminished its therapeutic effect. 

Microdosers also have different motivations than drug addicts for use. Rather than taking drugs to “cope”, many psychedelic users surveyed reported using entheogens for personal enhancement and expansion. Enhancement refers to, “a wish for pleasant feelings and excitement.” Expansion is used to connote a, “...desire[s] to know oneself better, be creative and original, expand one’s awareness, and understand things differently.” 

The final key difference between Microdosers and drug addicts? Microdosing has been shown to consistently improve the lives of users who report lessened feelings of depression and increased creativity. Drug addiction is defined by negative consequences and the loss of function. 

Misconception #7: Psychedelic therapy users will have a “bad” or terrifying experience

Believe it or not scientists once administered high doses of LSD to research subjects who didn’t know what they were receiving, then strapped them to hospital beds and recorded their reactions.

Is anyone surprised those experiences didn’t go well? Films like One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest deepened our cultural fear of psychiatric facilities thanks to depictions of patients undergoing treatments with intense fear and terror. Characters like Nurse Ratched personified our fear of “the system” even further, and thus the fear of institutionalized psychiatric treatment was born.

Modern day facilities that offer psychedelic therapies, however, are a far cry from the mental institutions shown on film and TV. Many of these facilities actually put significant effort into making sure treatment rooms are designed to be pleasant and comfortable. They also have additional protocols established such as having a therapist or psychiatrist present during the time of therapy. Some even offer counseling sessions directly after therapy so the patient can better integrate their experience. 

Final thoughts

We have all sorts of cultural ideas about what psychedelic users can be like. Many of these negative stigmas we’ve cultivated, however, can be traced back to outdated, anti-drug propaganda promoted across television and movies. 

Psychedelic users aren’t lazy hippies, violent criminals or drug addicts. Research shows us that Micro, Macro and those receiving psychedelic assisted therapies often demonstrate the opposite qualities. They’re typically educated, use psychedelics responsibly and for personal growth, and don’t engage in violence. 

Psychedelic users report feeling happier, more focused and less anxious than their non-psychedelic counterparts. Understanding and dismantling outdated stigmas, then, is the best way to ensure psychedelic research (and its subsequent benefits) continues to grow.