A new longitudinal study involving more than 240,000 individuals in the United Kingdom suggests that people who used both psychedelics and cannabis during the COVID-19 pandemic experienced average improvements in symptoms of anxiety and depression over time. Unlike other groups of drug users—who tended to report persistently worse mental health—this group’s mental health scores became comparable to those of individuals who had never used illicit drugs. The findings have been published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.
Psychedelics are a class of substances that alter perception, mood, and cognitive processes. Classic psychedelics include psilocybin (the active compound in magic mushrooms), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and dimethyltryptamine (DMT). These substances are known for producing intense alterations in consciousness, including visual and auditory hallucinations, shifts in thought patterns, and changes in self-perception. Unlike more commonly used substances such as alcohol or cannabis, psychedelics are often used less frequently and in settings intended to foster introspection or emotional insight.
New study links psychedelic use to mental health recovery in times of crisis
American Buddhist Net 