Culture & History

·

Study

Psychedelic Use Among Older Cancer Survivors

Psychedelic Use Among Older Cancer Survivors

Psilocybin mushrooms

What they found

Among US adults 50+, lifetime psilocybin use was 6.4% in cancer survivors versus 7.7% in people without cancer.

Among US adults 50+, lifetime psilocybin use was 6.4% in cancer survivors versus 7.7% in people without cancer.

The number

6.4% versus 7.7%

How solid is it?

Early human

Early human

Human – observational/survey

Human – observational/survey

Evidence ladder: Lab dish → Animal → Early human → Strong human. Reviews summarize earlier research.

At a glance

Latin name

Compound

psilocybin, cannabis

psilocybin, cannabis

Published in

Cancer Causes & Control

Cancer Causes & Control

Covered in Shroom Scan

Section

PSILOCYBIN & LEGISLATION

PSILOCYBIN & LEGISLATION

As it ran in Shroom Scan

Cancer Survivor Trends

Cancer Survivor Trends

Among U.S. adults 50+, lifetime psilocybin use was lower in cancer survivors from 2015–2019, at 6.4% versus 7.7% in people without cancer. Any classic psychedelic use reached 11.6% among cancer survivors, while cannabis use was nearly the same between groups at 41.6% versus 42.6%. Use varied by cancer type, with head and neck, cervical, and hepatobiliary/pancreatic cancer survivors showing the highest cannabis-and-psychedelic co-use, making this a strong real-world snapshot for aging, cancer care, and psychedelic literacy.

Among U.S. adults 50+, lifetime psilocybin use was lower in cancer survivors from 2015–2019, at 6.4% versus 7.7% in people without cancer. Any classic psychedelic use reached 11.6% among cancer survivors, while cannabis use was nearly the same between groups at 41.6% versus 42.6%. Use varied by cancer type, with head and neck, cervical, and hepatobiliary/pancreatic cancer survivors showing the highest cannabis-and-psychedelic co-use, making this a strong real-world snapshot for aging, cancer care, and psychedelic literacy.

Shroom Scan #114: Colon cancer shutdown, 8M psilocybin users, and flame-chemical cleanup

Shroom Scan · Every Friday

Get Studies Like This, Translated, Every Week

Ten new studies a week, each boiled down to what it found and why it matters to you. Free, and one click to leave.