LSD is considered one of the most well-known psychedelics among people who use drugs non-medically, but according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which conducts the largest annual national survey on drug use, its use is not at all common.
The percentage of psychedelic use is so low that several drugs are grouped under the category of “hallucinogens,” which includes LSD, PCP, peyote, mescaline, psilocybin mushrooms, and “Ecstasy” or “Molly” (MDMA).
In each year between 2002 and 2014, an annual average of 0.1% of people across all ages were considered to be current psychedelic users (meaning they reported use within 30 days of completing the survey). In 2014, 0.3% of the 16,875 adolescent respondents (12 to 17 year-olds) in the US were considered to be current users of LSD, 0.3% of the 11,643 young adult respondents (18 to 25), and 0.1% of 33,750 adult respondents aged 26 or older.
However, when considering data from people reporting lifetime use of psychedelics, rates were similar across most age ranges, meaning just as many young adults in the 21st century have used psychedelics as older adults who lived through the 1960’s and 70’s.