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Simultaneous cannabis and psychedelic use among festival and concert attendees in Colorado: characterizing enhancement and adverse reactions using mixed methods

Summary

This study surveyed music festival and concert attendees in Colorado about their experiences using cannabis and psychedelics together. Researchers found that most people reported cannabis made their psychedelic experience better by reducing anxiety, enhancing mood, or intensifying effects. Only a small percentage experienced negative effects like increased anxiety or confusion. The study suggests cannabis may help people manage difficult psychedelic trips, though more research is needed to understand how different types and amounts of cannabis affect outcomes.

Background

Polysubstance use is common among cannabis users, with over 90% of past 30-day cannabis users also using other substances. Cannabis is frequently used with psychedelics in recreational settings, and evidence suggests combined use may intensify psychedelic experiences. However, research on cannabis-psychedelic interactions remains limited despite increasing psychedelic use in the United States.

Objective

To characterize interactions between cannabis and psychedelics through qualitative analysis of how cannabis enhances or adversely affects psychedelic experiences among festival and concert attendees. The study aimed to understand both beneficial enhancement mechanisms and negative or adverse reactions from simultaneous use.

Results

Five themes emerged regarding cannabis enhancement of psychedelics: tension reduction and balancing effects (50%), enhancement to psychological processes (20.4%), intensified psychedelic effects (22.2%), enhanced come-down experience (14.8%), and ambiguous enhancement (13%). Common psychedelics used were psilocybin (50.8%) and LSD (41.3%). Only 11.1% reported adverse reactions including increased anxiety, decreased sociability, dissociation, and confusion.

Conclusion

Cannabis may serve multiple functions in psychedelic use: reducing anxiety, enhancing positive psychological states, intensifying drug effects, and extending or mitigating come-down experiences. Additional research is needed to characterize cannabis-psychedelic interactions and inform public health recommendations, particularly examining how product type, potency, and user tolerance affect outcomes.
  • Published in:Journal of Cannabis Research,
  • Study Type:Qualitative Field Study,
  • Source: PMID: 38992787, DOI: 10.1186/s42238-024-00235-x
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