Microdosing is a popular way to use psychedelics. It involves taking small doses of a psychedelic drug (usually either psilocybin or LSD) for purported mental benefits. A lot of people are microdosing psychedelics—but is everyday microdosing too much? What’s the ideal microdosing schedule?
Proponents of microdosing say that it improves mood, mental clarity, creativity, and more. Research, however, is mixed. While people report feeling benefits from microdosing, most well-controlled studies have found that microdosing is no different from placebo—in other words, any benefits you feel are all in your head.
Regardless, a lot of people microdose on a regular basis. Microdosing schedules vary; some people microdose once a week, while others do it every day. Here’s a look at what the research says about safety and effectiveness of microdosing daily.
What is Microdosing?
Microdosing involves taking a small amount of a psychedelic drug—usually about 10-20% of a full dose—and then go about your day as you normally would, but with supposed mental benefits brought on by the drug. A microdose isn’t enough to hallucinate, so it typically doesn’t disrupt normal routines.
In a recent survey, 525 people reported that they microdose for three primary reasons: 1
- Mental health (40% of people)
- Personal development (31%)
- Cognitive enhancement (18%)
In the same survey, participants reported a close to 50-50 split between microdosing psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) and LSD (acid). Psilocybin and LSD seem to be the two most common psychedelics people use to microdose.
How Much is a Psilocybin Mushroom Microdose?
A full dose of dried psilocybin mushrooms is about 3.5 grams.
Generally speaking, a microdose is 10-20% of a full dose, meaning a mushroom microdose is about 0.35 to 0.7 grams of dried mushrooms.
Keep in mind that mushrooms are a natural product and their potency varies. Also keep in mind that mushroom stems contain more psilocybin than mushroom caps do. If you’re taking mostly stems, you may want to stay on the lower end of the dosing range.
How Does a Mushroom Microdose Make You Feel?
A full dose of mushrooms causes significant changes to your perception. Effects include auditory and visual hallucinations, loss of your concept of self-identity, feelings of oneness with the world around you, and the sense that your experience has great spiritual or personal significance.
Usually, the goal with microdosing is to avoid those effects. Most people want to take a subperceptual dose—a dose that provides subtle benefits without any major changes in your perception.
In self-report surveys, people say that microdosing improves mood, decreases anxiety, increases connection with others and the environment, and enhances focus. 1 Some well-controlled studies also suggest that microdosing can cause modest improvements in creative thinking 2 and mood. 3
However, several double-blind, placebo-controlled studies have found that microdosing causes no measurable effects, and that perceived benefits are likely due to placebo. 4,5,6
In short, it’s difficult to say how a psilocybin microdose makes you feel—it may cause subtle shifts in mood, focus, and creativity, or it may have no effect at all. Until more definitive research comes out, we can’t reach a definitive conclusion about the effects of microdosing, if there are any.
Long-term side effects of psilocybin mushrooms
There are currently no known side effects of microdosing mushrooms long-term. However, research in the area is scarce.
If you want to microdose on a regular basis for an extended amount of time, be aware that there may be unknown risks to doing so.
Should You Microdose Every Day?
You build tolerance to both psilocybin and LSD, which means that if you take the same dose repeatedly, the drug’s effects will diminish over time. 7
Microdosing every day will likely cause tolerance. After a few days, you’ll stop feeling effects unless you increase the dose.
For that reason, most people follow a microdosing schedule that includes days off.
Common Microdosing Schedules
Because microdosing is still fairly new (and because psychedelic drugs are still illegal in the United States), there are no established, well-studied microdosing protocols.
However, a number of informal microdosing schedules exist. If you decide you want to microdose, one of the following schedules may work for you:
- One day on, two days off
- One day on, three days off
- Two days on, three days off
- Every other day
- Three times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
If you’re going to microdose regularly, you may want to try different schedules and find the one that suits you best.
Frequently Asked Questions about Everyday Microdosing
Here are some frequently asked questions about microdosing daily.
Is microdosing legal?
Any amount of an illegal drug, even a microdose, can have legal consequences. Check this map for information about the legal status of psychedelic drugs in your state.
Can you microdose mushrooms every day?
If you microdose a psychedelic every day, you may build tolerance to the drug. Over time, you may stop feeling its effects. For that reason, most people recommend microdosing every other day, or every third day. Another common microdosing pattern is two days on, three days off.
How much is an LSD microdose?
A full dose of LSD is 100 micrograms. A microdose is 10-20% of a full dose, meaning an LSD microdose is about 10-20 micrograms of LSD. Make sure you dose your LSD carefully. Because LSD is so potent, it can be difficult to accurately portion out microdoses.
Final Thoughts
Microdosing is still fairly new. There’s still a lot to learn about how it works, whether it offers meaningful benefits, and the best microdosing schedule to follow.
However, research is fairly clear on psychedelics and tolerance. Taking psilocybin or LSD every day will cause diminishing effects over time, so if you choose to microdose, you may want to follow a schedule that includes breaks from the drug.
Because there’s no formal, agreed-upon microdosing protocol, your best bet is to experiment with different dosing schedules and find one that works for you. Keep in mind that psychedelics are illegal in most places, and that we are not recommending that you take psychedelic drugs.
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