Ten Million U.S. Adults Microdosed Psychedelics Last Year, RAND Survey Finds

LOS ANGELES – A new survey from the RAND Corporation reveals that roughly 10 million adult Americans turned to microdosing psychedelics last year, taking sub-perceptual amounts of substances like psilocybin, LSD or MDMA to manage daily stresses or boost focus. The estimate, drawn from a nationally representative poll of 10,122 respondents, underscores an expansion in non-clinical use as federal and state regulators weigh paths forward for these compounds.

Conducted in September 2025 through the AmeriSpeak panel managed by NORC at the University of Chicago, the 2025 RAND Psychedelics Survey weighted responses to mirror the nation’s 259 million adults. It tracked self-reported consumption of 11 psychedelics over the prior 12 months, with psilocybin emerging as the clear frontrunner at 4.26% prevalence, or about 11 million users. MDMA followed at 1.81% (4.7 million), and LSD at 1.15% (3 million). Less common options, such as ketamine or DMT, hovered below 1%.

Microdosing, defined here as doses too small to induce hallucinations, accounted for a notable slice of activity. Among those who used psilocybin, 69% reported at least one microdose session; the figures dipped to 65% for MDMA and 59% for LSD. In total, the practice tallied hundreds of millions of use days nationwide: 102 million for psilocybin alone, representing 47% of its overall consumption. Adjusting for dose size, microdosing still captured about 8% of psilocybin intake, suggesting a pattern of routine, low-level engagement rather than occasional experimentation.

While the survey fills a data void [the federal National Survey on Drug Use and Health skips microdosing and many of these substances] it relies on recall, which can inflate figures for stigmatized behaviors. Demographics went unparsed in the top-line results, leaving open questions about who exactly comprises this group: urban professionals chasing productivity, or a broader cross-section grappling with mental health? Prior research hints at motivations like easing anxiety or sparking creativity, yet RAND stopped short of polling those directly, citing the need for deeper follow-ups.

In broad scope, these findings signal a market testing boundaries. With psilocybin therapies advancing in trials for depression and MDMA Phase 3 trials edging toward FDA review, the 10 million figure points to consumer demand outpacing oversight. States like Oregon and Colorado already permit supervised sessions, but federal Schedule I status keeps supply chains underground.