Does Perception Alter Upon Contact? The Relationship Between Psychedelic Experience and Perceived Risks and Benefits and Attitudes Toward Legal Regulation

• In Event: Altered perceptions: Attitudes towards illicit drugs

Abstract

The psychedelic renaissance, a renewed scientific and public interest in psychedelics and their therapeutic potential, has been driven by emerging research and growing debates on the cultural, medical, and legal implications of psychedelics. Public attitudes toward psychedelics are shaped by a complex interplay of factors, including personal experience, media portrayals, prevailing societal narratives on substance use, and deeply ingrained stigmas. In the long term, shifts in public attitudes towards psychoactive substances can generate social and regulative transformations. This paper presents the results of a survey that was conducted on more than 500 participants to assess general attitudes, perceived risks and benefits, and opinions on potential policy changes regarding psychedelics in Slovenia. In Slovenia, psychedelic substances like LSD, DMT, and psilocybin are classified as the strictest Group I controlled substances, and their use in research or medicine is prohibited. Despite strict legal restrictions, there is a growing interest in the use of psychedelics intended to address various aspects of mental well-being, promote personal growth, and increase productivity. We examine differences in perceptions of psychedelics and attitudes towards their regulation between individuals with and without personal experience with these substances, taking into account the nature of these experiences - whether non-therapeutic, therapeutic, shamanic, or of another kind - and the perceived positive and/or negative impacts they report. A sizeable part of survey participants (40%) have had at least one psychedelic experience, enabling us to make a robust comparison with the group without such experiences. By comparing responses between these two groups, the paper seeks to provide insights into how direct experience with psychedelics is related to individual perceptions and the broader social conceptualisation of psychedelics.

Authors

• Kristina Cufar, Institute of Criminology at the Faculty of Law Ljubljana

• Dean Lipovac, Institute of Criminology at the Faculty of Law Ljubljana