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Let’s continue our look at what you need to know about microdosing. You can find the first part of this 2 part series here where we covered things like the definition of microdosing, the benefits of microdosing and of course the dangers:
Microdosing: The Supposed Benefits and Potential Risks–Part 1
“Today I took my first microdose. My senses are ever-so-slightly-heightened, a feeling all but unappreciable, so perhaps it’s psychosomatic…”
~ Ayelet Waldman, A Really Good Day: How Microdosing Made a Mega Difference in My Mood, My Marriage, and My Life
LSD, or acid, is the psychedelic substance most commonly-used during microdosing. In fact, it has become a kind of “life hack” for Silicon Valley tech workers wanting to increase their productivity.
While a typical dose of LSD is about 100 µg, a microdose is approximately 10 µg.
Users self-report several positives:
LSD molecules are metabolized within a couple of hours, so it is somewhat surprising to discover how long the effects and aftereffects continue to linger after a microdose – up to 72 hours.
This means that a person wanting to microdose LSD may need to experiment quite a bit to determine their proper amount and schedule. Otherwise, they run the risk of complications such as tolerance or a “bad trip”.
A 2017 study conducted by the University of North Carolina discovered that LSD’s psychedelic longevity is due to how its molecules fit into the brain’s receptors. Interestingly, the receptor protein folds over the LSD like a tight-fitting lid, thereby trapping the drug inside.
“What you get is the best parts of Adderall with none of the side effects. You function better physically and mentally. You find the office jerk bearable and you’re more compassionate about the flaws of others. You feel you’ve had a pretty good day.”
~ Dr. James Fadiman
Because the normal effective dose of psilocybin magic mushrooms is 2.5 g, a microdose of dry “shrooms” would be between .2 and .5 g. This range is necessary, because there is a significant variance between different strains of mushrooms and truffles.
Besides different strains, another important factor that can influence a safe and effective psilocybin microdose is the need to properly process the mushrooms.
First, they must be dried.
Then, because their size and shape is not uniform, it is recommended that the dried mushrooms be ground into a fine powder, for easier weighing and measuring. Some tutorials even suggest encapsulating the powder for convenience and consistency.
This process can be time-consuming, but if it is skipped altogether, it becomes far too easy to misjudge the dosage amount.
Anecdotal reports of magic mushroom microdosing rave about the effects. One subject said, “Psilocybin makes me feel exactly how I felt when I was a kid in school. It is happiness, because you realize that you have all you need. During my test days, I feel more love for myself, and I can give that to others.”
“Our bodies are already working to prevent dementia, reduce inflammation, and respond to any pathological process. If we can enhance the functioning of that system with a little bit of extra THC, we can benefit.”
~ Dr. Dustin Sulak, D.O.
People who microdose marijuana prefer to do so with edibles rather than by smoking because they can achieve predictable results. Because of a variety of factors—amount and potency of the marijuana in the joint or device, depth of the inhale, etc.—smoking is the most imprecise method of microdosing marijuana.
However, with commercially-sold cannabis edibles, it is easier to microdose marijuana, because the amount of THC in the product is regulated and printed right on the package. For example, a regular “serving size” in Colorado contains 10mg of THC.
In fact, microdosable edibles are one of the fastest-growing sectors of the marijuana industry.
A marijuana microdose is 5 mg. Typically, effects are felt within 45 minutes after ingestion, reaching peak effect in two to three hours.
“There’s much greater connectivity — parts of the brain that rarely talk to each other … talk to each other.”
~ Dr. David Nutt, President, European Brain Council
Theoretically, any psychedelic drug can be used while microdosing. Some other common psychedelics include:
“Someone might be expecting a kind of sparkly day, just a really productive day at work—and next thing you know, they’re grasping hold to their office chair wondering why the world is dissolving.”
~ Dr. Matthew Johnson, PhD, Johns Hopkins Hospital
Despite all of these compelling—yet unscientific—subjective reports about the supposed benefits, the risks of microdosing cannot be ignored:
In addition, specific psychedelics have their own hazards:
“If you’re connected to an academic research institution, a research hospital, are a physician in a clinic or have a solo practice, it is easier and easier to get government approval to do research. However, it is equally obvious that 99% of psychedelic users do not sign up for research projects and are very, very unlikely ever to do so.”
~ Dr. James Fadiman
LSD was introduced for psychiatric use in 1947, eventually being prescribed to over 40,000 patients. In 1965, however, after governmental concerns regarding illicit use within the general population, production of LSD was halted.
From that point forward, LSD was distributed only for approved scientific research, on an extremely limited basis. But by the early 1980’s, even that declined sharply, and by the turn of the century, there was very little legitimate research still being conducted.
Even today, most of the research involving psychedelics focus on “full dose” treatments and the resultant effect on the brain.
“The scientific basis is pretty shaky right now. Its benefits are plausible and very interesting, but the claims of ‘everything fits together and goes right and you’re in a good mood and in the flow,’ well, we all have those types of days regardless of any pharmacological intervention.”
~ Dr. Matthew Johnson
It cannot be stressed enough that self-medicating with potent – and often illegal – psychedelic drugs in an attempt to treat mental health disorders is extremely risky.
This is especially true since there are no peer-reviewed scientific studies supporting this practice. Microdosers run the risk of accidentally ingesting an unknown substance or taking too much of a powerful psychedelic and subsequently causing themselves serious psychological or physical harm.
Despite the personal accounts, the best way to move forward is via the same route taken whenever ANY new drug is developed. It is a process, and there are no safe shortcuts.
There is also the possibility that microdosing does nothing, that any “benefits” experienced are the result of a placebo effect.
Dr. Johnson says that the sub-perceptual effects of microdosing are so subtle that they “fall within the range of barely perceptible, and it’s right in the range where people can so easily fool themselves.”
Chapman House Inc. is a California residential substance abuse treatment facility, certified by the State Department of Health Care Services.
License number 300105IP, expires 10/31/2023.
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