Nearly One in Four Americans Support Legal Use of Psilocybin 'Magic' Mushrooms; Similar to Support for Cannabis Prior to Passage of Medical Cannabis Laws
For Release
Tuesday
February 24, 2026
Nearly one quarter of U.S. adults believe the use of psilocybin “magic” mushrooms should be legal, according to a new RAND report detailing public opinion toward the legal use of psychedelic substances.
The study draws on data from the 2025 RAND Psychedelics Survey and shows that public attitudes vary significantly depending on the substance, with 23% of U.S. adults supporting legal use of psilocybin mushrooms, compared with roughly 10% for LSD and MDMA.
“This study reveals that Americans' views on psychedelics are far from binary,” said Ben Senator, the report's lead author and a policy researcher at RAND. “Perspectives shift depending on the substance and the reason for use. Recognizing these nuances can help shape more informed research and policy discussions.”
The report also finds that while support for the legal use of psilocybin is far lower than the 65% of Americans that support legal use of cannabis, it mirrors the level of support for cannabis legalization in the mid-1990s, just before states began implementing medical cannabis laws.
People who have used these substances are far more likely to support legal use. About 62% of people who use psilocybin support making use legal, while 80% of people who use cannabis support its legal use.
“I would not be surprised to see more states changing their approach to psilocybin in the coming years,” said Beau Kilmer, co-author of the report and co-director of RAND's Drug Policy Research Center. “But whether public opinion and public policy on psilocybin will follow a similar trajectory to cannabis—that remains to be seen.”
In addition to questions about whether use should be legal, the study examines public opinion on why people should be allowed to use psychedelic substances and how they should be able to obtain them. Interestingly, among those who favor making psilocybin use legal, only 42% believe adults should be able to use it for any reason. Conversely, among those who oppose making psilocybin use legal, 62% believe it should be illegal for any reason.
The most cited reason for allowing the legal use of psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA is to address mental or physical health concerns. When asked how legal psilocybin should be obtained, 49% favor supervised use in a medical facility, 28% support dispensary sales, and 23% endorse allowing adults to grow or forage for personal use.
This report is the second in a series of reports using the 2025 RAND Psychedelics Survey, a nationally representative, probability-based survey of more than 10,000 U.S. adults. Previous RAND research using this dataset found that millions of U.S. adults reported microdosing psychedelics in 2025.
Michelle Priest also contributed to the report, Public Opinion on Legalizing Psychedelics.
The RAND Education, Employment and Infrastructure division aims to improve educational opportunity, economic prosperity, and civic life for all. Its analysis offers solutions to strengthen instructional quality in schools, improve the affordability and effectiveness of college and career training, modernize infrastructure, and improve the U.S. justice system.
RAND Health promotes healthier societies by improving health care systems in the United States and other countries.
