What is microdosing?

Microdosing is the practice of taking a small amount of a psychedelic drug — like LSD or psilocybin — on a fixed schedule.

Psychedelics commonly used recreationally include:

LSD

Psilocybin (“magic mushrooms”)

Ayahuasca

Mescaline

MDMA (ecstasy)

Ketamine

People are experimenting with microdosing these psychedelics, and advocates say the practice helps with mood and well-being. But the research needs to catch up, and healthcare professionals and scientists aren’t convinced yet.

At this point, there’s just no clear evidence that microdosing has any mental or physical health benefits. Of course, this may change in the coming years with more research.

How much is a microdose?

Researchers generally consider a microdose to be about 5% to 10% of a normal recreational dose:

LSD: A typical hallucinogenic dose of LSD might be 100 mg to 200 mg, and a microdose would be about 5 mg to 20 mg.

Psilocybin (“magic mushrooms”): A typical hallucinogenic dose of psilocybin might be 20 mg, and a microdose would be 1 mg to 2 mg.

The goal is to take enough to have potential benefits — but without causing someone to hallucinate or feel “high.”

What is a typical microdosing schedule?

There are a few common microdosing schedules that people tend to follow. Typical microdosing schedules include:

Two days of microdoses followed by 2 days without

Every other day use

Microdoses Monday to Friday, but not on the weekend days

There’s no evidence to support any one microdosing schedule over another. Some people may choose to microdose every day, but that’s not very common. That’s because it’s believed that microdosing can have a lasting effect, and daily dosing isn’t necessary.

There’s also a risk of developing a tolerance to the substance with frequent microdosing. This means your body can get used to the frequent microdosing and may need higher doses to have an effect.

How long does microdosing last?

Many people choose to make up their own microdosing routine based on their results. On average, microdosing can last for a week up to 2 years or more. Most people stop microdosing when they feel they are no longer getting the desired effect.