In recent years, microdosing psychedelics has become increasingly popular as a way to enhance wellbeing, mental clarity and cognitive function.

Microdosing really started to take off between 2010 and 2013 in Silicon Valley as a way to increase energy and productivity, and has since gained mainstream interest.

What is Microdosing?

It's the practice of taking very low doses of psychedelic substances that won’t cause the ‘trip’ effects that higher doses will, but still provide an array of physical and mental benefits.

People microdose with psilocybin mushrooms, LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide), DMT, Cannabis, Nicotine, San Pedro, MDMA - we'll be focussing on psilocybin AKA magic mushrooms in this guide.

People turning to this practice report increases in energy levels, cognitive focus, creativity, and an improved mental health mood - without the fear of losing control or feeling out-of-body experiences often associated with other psychedelics.

Not only has microdosing been used for its medicinal and mental health improvements, but it has also been adopted by high achievers for boosting performance in certain contexts such as problem solving and team projects.

Reasons why people microdose mushrooms

There are a variety of perceived benefits of microdosing. Motivations include self-management of mental health issues, improvement of psychosocial wellbeing, and cognitive enhancement.

We compiled a full report on the reasons why people microdose, which you can find here. 

"68% of those polled both reported consistent positive feelings and experiences with each microdose as well as the sensations of the outdoors being enhanced by psilocybin."

Self-reported benefits included cognitive and creative enhancement, reduced depression and anxiety, various improvements to physical health, enhanced self-insight and mindfulness

• Enhance cognitive function
• Cognitive improvement and creative enhancement
• Mental health improvement
• Improved mood and improved habits
• Cardiovascular endurance
• Sleep quality improvement
• Reduced migraines and/or headaches and cluster headaches
• Alcohol addiction
• Help quitting coffee, pharmaceutical drugs, or other substances
• Relief from menstrual pain
• Heightened spiritual awareness

How does Microdosing work?

We wrote a full piece digging into this question here.

Microdosing Dosage

Whats the perfect dose? This depends on the drug you’re taking and whether or not you’ve eaten. The effects may be diminished on a full stomach.

As a general rule, a typical microdose is anywhere from 5 to 10 per cent of a normal dose.

With mushrooms the general range is 0.1 - 0.35 grams

If it's your first time, we recommend starting to 0.1 grams (10 micrograms). From there, you can adjust the amount accordingly.

It's important to remember that there are many variables when it comes to psychedelic drugs, so dosages and tolerances should be researched prior to consumption.

Check out this full magic mushrooms dosage guide.

How to take a microdose

There are several ways to take your microdose. The most practical way is to measure your dosages into empty capsules. This will ensure accurate doses and even distribution, whilst masking the taste.

People also mix measured mushroom powder into drinks or tea.

What strain should you use to microdose?

Does it matter? Yes, kind of.

With LSD, a synthetic chemical, it's fairly straightward, but with a natural substance like a muchroom it can be tricky to determine how much psilocybin is in a particular mushroom.

Different strains of mushrooms have different quantities of psilocybin. And different preparations of psilocybin mushrooms have different quantities of psilocybin IE are they fresh of dried?

We created a strain library in partnership with some of the top mushroom and psychedelic experts, producers and grey market suppliers in Canada.  It’s the result of hundreds of hours of labor, years of experience and the generosity of many many experts in the field.

In it, you can find a review of the over 180 different types of psilocybin mushrooms in nature. Which one is the strongest? Where can you find them? Are some strains better for  visualizations, introspection or euphoria? You can find the answers in the library.

The most popular types for microdosing are Psilocybe cubensis. But people also use Psilocybe semilanceata, Psilocybe cyanescens, Psilocybe azurecens, and Panaeolus.

Microdosing Schedules

Many people dose every day or multiple times during the week. It's best practice to take "micro-holidays" after a few days of dosing — in other words, taking one or two days off between doses to allow your body and brain time to recalibrate.

Two of the most used schedules are the Fadiman protocol and the Stamets stack.

Jim Fadiman's Protocol

The Fadiman Protocol is widely known as the most beginner-friendly model, due to the nature of its three-day cycle. On the first day of the Fadiman microdosing schedule, you’ll take your first microdose. The second day is a transition day as the psilocybin exits your system, and the third day is a normal day. At this point, you would restart the cycle with a second microdose on day four. Researchers suggest continuing this cycle for four to eight weeks, with two to four weeks in between cycles.

Paul Stamets’ Stack

The second most famous microdosing schedule is the Stamets’ Stack, renowned for its combination of various psychedelic mushrooms like lion’s mane, psilocybin, and niacin (also known as vitamin B3).

If you’re following the Paul Stamets microdosing schedule, you’ll microdose for four consecutive days before taking days five, six, and seven as off days. The cycle repeats with four days on, three days off for four weeks, with two to four weeks rest in between microdosing as a way to rest, reset, reflect, and integrate.

We wrote a full piece digging into this question here.

Note: Different compounds may require specific dosages and frequency.

How to Microdose for the first time

1. Acquire the substance. If you're in Canada, it's pretty easy to buy pre-made microdoses online.
2. Take the first dose. On the morning of a day without any major obligations or work, and without any children present that you have to tend to. We recommend drying a batch of mushrooms, grinding them into a powder, and measuring out around 0.1g of as your starter microdose. Or, simply buy pre made capsules from a quality vendor.
3. Pay attention. Sit back and observe the experience. How do you feel? Keep a log of the day to track the effects. Most people notice the psychedelic mushrooms kicking in between 30 minutes to 60 minutes once they’ve consumed the shrooms.
4. Adjust (if needed). Did the first time create the desired result? If so, this is the ideal dose. If not, adjust accordingly. When you take a dose that makes you feel some changes (for example, drowsiness), take slightly less next time. That’s your microdose sweet spot. A microdose should just be on the verge of being perceptual
5. Proceed with regular use. To start a regimen and follow one of the schedules above.

What tools do you need to microdose? 

You will need a sensitive scale, able to measure out small gram- and microgram-level amounts of substances. 

If you're making capsules, you need to buy the Gel capsules - you can easily find these on Amazon.

Is there evidence microdosing works?

More research is needed to understand the long-term effects of periodic microdosing on people, but emerging evidence suggests its potential for aiding sleep issues, anxiety relief, increasing productivity and even reducing stress levels too.

Anecdotally there is mountains of evidence that microdosing helps people, and microdosing research in therapeutic settings is gaining ground and multiple studies are on in process.

Some further Further reading:

These findings highlight the need for further research into the full range of microdosing effects (positive and negative) and also for investigations into subtypes of individuals who may particularly benefit from or be adverse to the practice:

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0211023

Identified lower levels of anxiety and depression among microdosers relative to controls:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-01811-4

These findings provide promising initial evidence that warrants controlled experimental research to directly test safety and clinical efficacy:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30604183/

Microdosing Risks

Clinical research is still ongoing and continues to suggest both medical benefits and potential harm from prolonged use, so care must always be taken when considering any sort of drug ingestion.

It must be stated that there is current a lack of definitive data with placebo controlled trials, abut we're optimistic about future research.

Through responsible experimentation and quality dosing, however, microdosing psilocybin mushrooms seems to have very little downside or adverse physical effects.

Some people have reported feeling a little more anxious while microdosing. This may have more to do with any preexisting mental health conditions than the drug itself.

Magic mushrooms are one of the least dangerous drugs, so drug related risks seem to be low. The most serious of these risks is that due to the fact that microdosing generally involves taking illegal substances such as psilocybin mushrooms or LSD, which can lead to legal repercussions.

Generally speaking, you should avoid microdosing if you..

• Are caring for children
• Have a preexisting mental health condition, like schizophrenia or severe anxiety.
• Have a family history of psychosis
• Are on the autism spectrum.

Can microdosing build up a tolerance to mushrooms?

The short answer is yes, microdosing mushrooms can affect your tolerance for psilocybin. Thats why it's recommended that you cycle between on days and off days, with regular breaks.

Microdosing every day is not recommended - you will see diminishing returns after a few days if they are taken every day.

Don't think of microdosing like coffee - think of it more like an occasional power boost in your nootropic arsenal.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, you’re the only person who can decide if microdosing is for you. It goes without saying that anyone looking into trying microdosing should approach it with a clear intention and understanding.

For beginners, it’s important to microdose in a comfortable and safe setting. And have a positive frame of mind; your intentions go a long way toward determining your experience. 

Further Reading

How to Grow Psychedelic Mushrooms

How long does shrooms stay in your system?

Ayahuasca retreats in the USA

How to pass a drug test