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Federal survey: 9.1 million people used hallucinogens in 2025

About 9.1 million people ages 12 and older, 3.1% of that population, used a hallucinogen in the past year, according to the federal government's 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, released in July 2026. That's up from 2.7% (7.6 million) in 2021, with use rising among adults 26 and older and falling among those 18 to 25.

By the Magic Mushrooms San Diego desk.

What did the survey find?

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced the 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health on July 27, 20262. Its highlights report says 3.1% of people ages 12 and older, or 9.1 million people, used hallucinogens in the past year1.

Age groupPast-year hallucinogen use, 2025Change since 2021
12 and older3.1% (9.1 million)Up from 2.7% (7.6 million)
18 to 256.0% (2.2 million)Down
26 and older2.9% (6.6 million)Up
12 to 171.4% (360,000)No change

Use was highest among young adults 18 to 25, but the growth came from adults 26 and older: use among people 26 and older rose from 2021 to 2025, while use among 18- to 25-year-olds fell and use among adolescents didn't change1. In raw numbers, adults 26 and older made up 6.6 million of the 9.1 million.

Is this a count of psilocybin users?

No. The highlights report doesn't break the 9.1 million down by drug, so the figure covers hallucinogens as a group, not psilocybin alone1. SAMHSA's 2025 detailed tables do include estimates for "the use of LSD, psilocybin, or Ecstasy in the lifetime, past year, and past month," along with first use in the past year3. We haven't pulled those values into this story.

SAMHSA published four 2025 products: an annual national report on key substance use and mental health indicators covering 2021 to 2025, a companion infographic report, the highlights and the detailed tables3. The age-group figures above come from the highlights; anyone after drug-by-drug estimates should go to the detailed tables.

Don't combine this number with other studies' estimates of psychedelic or psilocybin use. Those draw on different survey years, age ranges and definitions, so adding them together or lining them up as a trend would mislead. The comparison that holds is the one SAMHSA makes itself, 2025 against 2021 within the same survey.

What does it mean for San Diego?

This release is national; it has no California or San Diego County figure. SAMHSA says state estimates using combined 2024 and 2025 data "are expected to be released by early 2027," and substate estimates using 2023 to 2025 data are expected around summer 20273. Until then, the newest federal hallucinogen figures are the national ones above.

For local readers, the pattern is the useful part: past-year use among adults 26 and older has grown since 2021 while use among 18- to 25-year-olds has fallen1.

Rising use doesn't change the law. Psilocybin remains illegal to possess in California outside approved research, as our California access map explains. For what's known about how common microdosing is in the state, see our microdosing numbers guide, and if a trip goes wrong, our bad trip help page lists what to do and who to call.

What happens next

  1. Out now SAMHSA's 2025 detailed tables, with LSD, psilocybin and Ecstasy estimates3.
  2. Early 2027 State estimates from combined 2024 and 2025 data.
  3. Summer 2027 Substate estimates from combined 2023 to 2025 data.

Sources

  1. Highlights for the 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, July 2026 (accessed October 21, 2026).
  2. SAMHSA Releases Annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, July 27, 2026.
  3. 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: national releases. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (accessed October 21, 2026).

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