MICRODOSING
Disclaimer: Although research has suggested high doses of psychedelics are relatively safe, there has been no specific published research to date on the long-term effects on health and safety of microdosing (1).
What is microdosing and why microdose?
Microdosing is consuming a small amount of a psychedelic drug (usually one-tenth to one-twentieth of a standard dose). Unlike with a full psychedelic dose where there is a marked alteration in cognition and perception, taking a microdose elicits a minimal identifiable effect.
The motives for microdosing are commonly to stimulate productivity, increase focus, energy levels and creativity and induce positive mood. Some microdosers also use microdosing as a way to help combat symptoms of nervous system problems including depression, anxiety and pain (2).
Deciding whether or not to microdose
Microdosing may not suit everybody, and the positive benefits some people may report may not be felt by other individuals. Although many of the anecdotal reports for microdosing published suggest positive effects, there have also been reports where microdosing has had an unpleasant effect on the individual’s life (3). It is important to weigh up the pros and cons of microdosing before making a decision.
This chart from the Harm Reduction Journal identified benefits and challenged generated through a wide-scale participant survey of microdosers: (4)
Before deciding whether or not to microdose, doing well-rounded research into microdosing and the subjective effects of microdosing will help make an informed decision. Forum sites like Reddit and Erowid contain a rich source of information for personal reports of microdosing psychedelics.
As with all psychedelic experiences, intention plays an important role. Deciding why you would like to microdose and what you hope to achieve from microdosing will help tailor your experience and increase the likelihood of you being able to use microdosing to an advantage.
Choosing which drug to microdose
The most commonly microdosed psychedelics are LSD and psilocybin (1). However, other microdosed drugs include DMT, marijuana, mescaline, 4-ACO-DMT, ibogaine, 2-CB and 1P-LSD (4). Microdosing different drugs will elicit different effects so reading personal experiences for different drugs, for example on Reddit, will help inform which the best drug to microdose is for you. The author of this article investigates microdosing four different types of psychedelics and gives his review on each: https://www.wweek.com/culture/2017/04/18/i-tried-microdosing-with-four-different-psychedelic-drugs-heres-what-happened/.
Although researching how different drugs may have different effects, all anecdotal reports will be influenced by personality and individual differences and so effects in one person may not translate into another. Experimenting trying different drugs for microdosing and journaling the experience yourself is the best way to work out which drug is right for you.
Weighing up microdoses
Generally microdoses are between one-tenth to one-twentieth of a regular dose. For example, a recreational dosage of LSD is between 100-200ug, therefore a microdose is commonly 10-20ug. When dosing drugs it is always better to start off with a smaller amount and then decide to increase the dose by a small increment if desired. For example, taking 5ug of LSD to begin and then increasing the amount to 10ug if you would like to experience a larger effect.
If microdosing LSD, 1P-LSD or any drug that comes in form of a tab which has been blotted, it is recommended to first dissolve the tab in a known amount of distilled water or alcohol then having a measured volume at a time. For example, if dissolving a 100ug tab of LSD in 100ml of distilled water will mean having a 1ml drop will equate to 10ug. There may be an uneven distribution when drugs are blotted onto tabs so using this volumetric method gives a much more precise way of measuring microdoses and not accidentally consuming too much unintentionally.
If microdosing psilocybin mushrooms, as there is an uneven distribution of the psychoactive material throughout the fungal structure, it is recommended to first grind the mushrooms into a powder and then weigh up the doses. It is important to be aware that different species of mushrooms have different potencies, a guide to the estimated percentage psychoactive constituents for different psilocybin mushroom species can be found here.
Microdosing protocol
The most common protocol for scheduling microdosing is by having one day “on” (taking the microdose) followed by three days “off” (5). The idea behind this method is that the microdose will have residual effects for up to two days afterwards and by spacing out the doses this helps prevent tolerance occuring (where desensitisation to the drug means more of the substance is required to elicit the same effect). Although this is a common protocol, there are no set rules about how to best microdose and experiences are different for different individuals. For example, Paul Staments the famous mycologist, recommends a protocol of five days on, two days off when microdosing psilocybin mushrooms. The best way to find out what protocol works for you is to try different methods and keep a journal to record your experience.
As psychedelics have stimulant effects, it is recommended to take the microdose in the morning as this decreases likelihood of sleep disruption as a result.
Potential risks
As no research has been carried out looking at long-term health consequences of microdosing, potential risks are unknown.
A chart showing interactions of psychoactive drugs with various psychedelics and other psychoactive drugs with prescription medications can be found here. Although this applies to large doses of psychedelics, similar contraindications may apply for long-term use of microdosing.
One study found that microdosing caused an increase in neuroticism (1). As neuroticism is a trait in psychiatric disorders, there is potential that people diagnosed with things like bipolar and schizophrenia disorder may find that microdosing worsens their symptoms. Furthermore, those with a rich family history of mental health problems or suffering from mental health problems are advised not to take psychedelics as the drugs may act as an environmental stressor and trigger symptoms. Although this guidance is for large doses of psychedelics, an accumulative effect of small doses may have a similar effect.
Credit to Dr Andrew Gibson for contributing his medical expertise and background in harm-reduction to the process of making this content.