Rural-urban divide in risk perception of LSD: Implications for psychedelic-assisted therapy

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Psychedelic Research
• Sociology

Background:

• Legislative changes in the US are shifting the medical and legal landscape for psychedelics.
• Understanding public risk perception is crucial amid these policy shifts.
• This study examines geographic disparities in perceived risks of LSD and cannabis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate rural-urban differences in the perception of risks associated with LSD and cannabis.
• To inform policy development concerning psychedelic substances and therapies.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) spanning 2015-2021.
• Utilized logistic regression models to compare risk perceptions between rural and urban populations.
• Adjusted for key demographic and behavioral factors.

Main Results:

• Rural residents showed a 1.2-1.4 times higher likelihood of perceiving occasional LSD use as a great risk compared to urban residents.
• Perception of monthly cannabis use as high risk was marginally greater in rural areas until 2019.
• No significant rural-urban differences in cannabis risk perception were found in 2020-2021.

Conclusions:

• A notable rural-urban disparity exists in the perceived risks of LSD.
• These differing perceptions could significantly influence the development of policies related to psychedelic therapies.
• Addressing these geographic differences is vital for equitable policy-making on psychedelic substances.