Are psychedelics safe enough for recreational use?

In this article for the Regulatory Review, Joshua Siegel writes: "As the “psychedelic renaissance” grows to a crescendo, the number of prominent voices weighing in on the dissenting side has also increased. In the headwind of accelerating momentum towards decriminalization, dissenters point to increased confiscation of psychedelics by law enforcement, increased emergency room visits for problems related to psychedelic use, and some recent high-profile cases highlighting the potential dangers of recreational psychedelics.  One influential academic researcher compared the rise of psychedelics to the rise of opioids in the early 2000s. Given their importance, let us consider this comparison as we explore some key questions related to psychedelic drug policy.  How safe are psychedelics? When psychopharmacologists talk about drug safety, they typically talk about two dimensions—how addictive the drug is, and how easily it can kill you. Psilocybin and LSD are among the least addictive and least lethal of any drug of abuse.  The lethality of heroin and morphine, as defined by active dose and lethal dose, is roughly 100 times higher than the lethality of LSD or psilocybin. Although the addictiveness of heroin and morphine, which can be defined in a variety of different ways that typically relate in animal or human craving, misuse, and chemical dependence, is high, the addictiveness of psychedelics is low. By these standard measures of drug safety, psychedelics are less dangerous than caffeine.  So, the risks must lie elsewhere."

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