And this all stems from how Americans view and use cannabis themselves. Overall, it’s hard for most people to accept the idea of medical marijuana use. Despite the decades of research done on it, in the US, it’s still used largely independently, in unsupervised conditions. It’s consumed in ways that aren’t really conducive to medical use (smoking mainly, which is the most common yet unhealthiest way to use it). It’s purchased in dispensaries which, more often than not, have a vibe that’s chill, fun, stoner, and recreational.  

Data from a past National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) found that 17% of adults who used cannabis in the past year used cannabis medically. There were no significant differences between those who used medically versus recreationally in race, education, past year depression and prevalence of cannabis use disorders. Adults who use medical and recreational cannabis shared some characteristics, but those who used medical cannabis had higher prevalence of poor health and daily cannabis use. 

Of course, there are some benefits to using cannabis, regardless of how you choose to do so. It certainly helps with things like sleep, nausea and pain, and it can be useful for treating mental disorders as well. But it’s still not quite what I would consider a medical substance. Therapeutic, yes; but the potential for major life changes is far less with cannabis than psychedelics. For me personally, pot helps immensely with my anxiety and depression, but I still view myself as a recreational user overall.  

Psychedelics: A breakthrough for mental health  

While the cannabis movement hit many roadblocks on its way to gaining wider acceptance, it’s been mostly smooth sailing for psychedelics reform. And even though this article is mainly about the US, we’re seeing the same trends in other countries as well; like Australia for instance, which became the first country to officially legalize MDMA and psilocybin for medical use, but adult-use cannabis is still illegal.  

And not only are American citizens in support of psychedelic-assisted therapy, but there’s bipartisan support in congress, a growing body of scientific research, a booming industry with products and trade shows, high profile endorsers, and dedicated activist and patient groups like mental health advocates and veterans suffering from PTSD. This is because the discussion around hallucinogens has been primarily focused on supervised, controlled therapeutic use, rather than recreational use for anyone over a certain age.  

 “One of the biggest differences is that the cannabis movement went through state governments to first decriminalize the plant, then medicalize it, and then … recreational use came after that. Psychedelics are primarily going through the FDA and medical research”, said Jason Ortiz, executive director of the advocacy group Students for Sensible Drug Policy.