Tag: microdosing psychedelics

Person examining psilocybin mushrooms in lab.

Microdosing Under the Oregon Psilocybin Services Act: A Definite Maybe

The Petrie-Flom Center Staff Leave a comment

By Dave Kopilak

In November 2020, Oregon voters passed the Oregon Psilocybin Services Act (the “Act”), of which I was the primary drafter. This piece of legislation legalizes and regulates the manufacturing of psilocybin products and the provision of psilocybin services under Oregon law. The manufacture, sale, and use of psilocybin products under the Act will continue to be illegal under federal law.

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is the state agency that will regulate the program. The Act provides for a two-year program development period that began on January 1, 2021 and that will end on December 31, 2022. The OHA is currently engaged in the rulemaking process and will adopt final rules by no later than December 31, 2022. The OHA will begin receiving license applications on January 2, 2023, and the first licensed businesses likely will begin operating in the first half of 2023.

Read More

Woman experiencing headache lying in bed in darkened room.

Small Doses of Psychedelics for Cluster Headaches

The Petrie-Flom Center Staff Leave a comment

By Bob Wold

One understudied condition for which small doses of psychedelic substances such as psilocybin may be beneficial is cluster headache.

As founder and executive director of the advocacy group Clusterbusters, I have seen firsthand, as a patient and an activist, that, despite its modest name, cluster is far from “just” a headache. It is a chronic pain condition that lasts “on” and “off” for months or years, often with no hint as to its origin. Estimates suggest that one in 1,000 people – which equates to over 332,000 Americans – suffer from cluster headache.

Read More

A paper figure of a cat that fills the shadow of a lion. 3D illustration.

A Proportionate Response to Microdosing

The Petrie-Flom Center Staff Leave a comment

By James Fadiman

Law and policy around microdosing of psychedelic substances should reflect its proportionally low risks.

“Microdosing” refers to the practice of consuming very low doses of psychedelic substances, about 1/10th to 1/20th of a typical dose, primarily of psilocybin-containing mushrooms or lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Doses typically are taken intermittently, over several weeks, and they do not interfere with normal daily activities, unlike the powerful consciousness-altering effects of higher doses.

Read More

pieces of paper with chemical structures, micro dosing concept.

Findings from the Microdose.me Study: A Large Scale Observational Study of Psychedelic Microdosing

The Petrie-Flom Center Staff Leave a comment

By Joseph Rootman

Public uptake of psychedelic microdosing has outpaced research on the practice, which has left gaps in our understanding. In order to help fill some of these gaps in the scientific literature, our clinical psychology research team at the University of British Columbia has launched the Microdose.me study along with a team of international researchers and partners. This symposium contribution provides an overview of our findings to date, and offers suggestions for future microdosing research.

Read More

Human heart with blood vessels. 3d illustration

Safety First: Potential Heart Health Risks of Microdosing

The Petrie-Flom Center Staff Leave a comment

By Kelan Thomas

Given the current evidence for psychedelic “microdosing,” the risks may outweigh the benefits for many people.

This is because there is compelling theoretical evidence to suggest prolonged and repeated microdosing may cause valvular heart disease (VHD), and only weak survey evidence that it provides the benefits microdosers typically seek, such as enhanced cognition, or relief from depression and anxiety.

Read More

Mushrooms, capsules, and dropper bottle.

Restricting Access to Microdosing is Morally Wrong

The Petrie-Flom Center Staff Leave a comment

By Erin Sharoni

Restricting access to microdosing, a low-risk intervention that may alleviate intractable pain, depression, and anxiety — obligatory requirements for human flourishing — is morally wrong.

Psychedelic microdosing involves the administration of a psychedelic substance in sub-perceptual doses — doses small enough not to provoke any intoxicating effects, but that potentially result in favorable physiological or psychological changes. Microdosing has emerged as a promising intervention for enhancing creativity and productivity, boosting mood, alleviating pain, and treating depression and anxiety with minimal risk of harm to the participant or society.

Read More

Businessman's hands typing on laptop keyboard in morning light

Microdosing at Work: Business and Legal Implications

The Petrie-Flom Center Staff Leave a comment

By Vincent Sliwoski

In light of the widespread cultural and business culture adoption of microdosing, private sector employers should reconsider the implications of a blanket prohibition on workplace use of controlled substances.

Microdosing is the practice of ingesting subperceptual amounts of psychedelic drugs, such as psilocybin mushrooms or LSD. People microdose for a variety of reasons. These may include medical reasons, such as the treatment of anxiety, depression or attention disorders; or they may include “performance” reasons, like attempts to increase productivity, creativity or awareness.

Read More

Dried psilocybe cubensis psilocybin magic mushrooms inside a plastic prescription medicine bottle isolated on white background.

What Macrodosing Can Learn from Microdosing

Dustin Marlan Leave a comment

By Dustin Marlan

Following a recent wave of unbridled positivity culminating in a “shroom boom,” the psychedelic renaissance now finds itself under fire amidst concerns of predatory capitalism, cultural appropriation, adverse psychological effects, and sexual abuse and boundary issues by guides and therapists.

Nonetheless, the psychedelics industry is moving ahead at full speed. Oregon will begin accepting applications from businesses to run psilocybin service centers in January 2023. MDMA clinical trials are nearing completion and expected to result in FDA approval. And corporations are readying psychedelic compounds — natural and synthetic — to produce and deliver to the masses.

All of this begs the question of how psychedelics dosage should be regulated, particularly where, as journalist Shayla Love points out, “there’s reason to worry that there hasn’t been enough preparation for negative outcomes amidst the hype.”

Read More

LSD Microdosing. Small or micro doses of LSD drug cut from a tab, presented on a finger.

A Precise Definition of Microdosing Psychedelics is Needed to Promote Equitable Regulation

The Petrie-Flom Center Staff Leave a comment

By Sarah Hashkes

When we talk about microdosing psychedelics, it’s important we have a mutual understanding of its definition to be able to conduct accurate research, promote regulations, and educate the wider population. This article will look at three main questions and ambiguities regarding the term “microdosing psychedelics” and suggest a definition that would help promote coherence in the field.

Read More