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The Relationship Between Psychedelic Use and Alcohol Use Disorder in a Nationally Representative Sample
James M Zech1, Jérémie Richard2, Grant M Jones3
1Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
|November 10, 2025
Summary
Past-year LSD use was associated with lower odds of alcohol use disorder (AUD). Other psychedelics like MDMA and ketamine showed no significant association with AUD in this large-scale study.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
- Neuroscience
- Public Health
Background:
- Psychedelic-assisted therapies show promise for substance use disorders.
- Research on naturalistic psychedelic use and alcohol consumption is limited.
- Alcohol use disorder (AUD) affects a significant portion of the population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between naturalistic psychedelic use and AUD.
- To examine the impact of LSD, MDMA, and ketamine use on problematic alcohol consumption.
- To analyze data from a nationally representative sample to understand these relationships.
Main Methods:
- Utilized logistic regression and quasi-Poisson regression analyses.
- Examined past-year use of LSD, MDMA, and ketamine in a sample of 139,524 individuals.
- Controlled for demographic factors and comorbid substance use.
Main Results:
- Past-year LSD use was significantly associated with lower odds of AUD (aOR=0.70, p=0.006).
- LSD use was linked to 15.7% fewer AUD symptoms (IRR=0.84, p=0.033).
- MDMA and ketamine use did not show significant associations with AUD or its symptoms.
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest differential associations between specific psychedelics and AUD.
- LSD use appears to be linked to a reduced risk of alcohol use disorder.
- Further research is needed to explore the mechanisms underlying LSD's potential effects on alcohol use.
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