Young people be trippin.

Researchers at the University of Michigan report a huge spike in hard drug usage among young people in the past few years.

Young adults ages 19 to 30 nearly doubled their past 12-month use of non-LSD hallucinogens in the United States from 2018 to 2021, according to a study by the University of Michigan and Columbia University.

In 2018, the prevalence of young adults' past-year use of non-LSD hallucinogens was 3.4%. In 2021, that use increased to 6.6%.

On the one hand, 6.6% isn't a huge number. On the other hand, a doubling of prevalence in that short amount of time is huge.

Researchers aren't positive if these rising incidences are connected with therapeutic or recreational usage. Of course, the value of "therapeutic" hallucinogenic use is still hotly debated, and uncertain; in any case, the researchers concluded that the trends "are undoubtedly in nonmedical and nontherapeutic use."

And as one researcher note, one can easily lead to the other:

"With increased visibility for medical and therapeutic use, however, potentially comes diversion and unregulated product availability, as well as a lack of understanding among the public of potential risks."

Trippy.