Microdosing 101: THC, Psilocybin, and Your Health

The team at HempLucid is passionately committed to creating cannabinoid extracts and other products that enhance your life with wellness. We also aspire to help our supporters unlock higher levels of creativity, potential, and personal satisfaction in their own lives.

In previous blog posts, we've discussed tools and techniques like yoga, mindfulness, breathwork, and nutrition as useful methods for personal development. These practices can assist us in connecting more deeply with meaning in our lives. They can strengthen us to maintain a peaceful state even during our most difficult moments.

This article will explore the transformative value a THC microdosing routine can have for your life. We'll also look at other microdosing methods people are using to expand consciousness and connect more deeply with their own potential.

This is research for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to break the law, nor is it intended as medical advice.

What is Microdosing?

It's probable these days that you are seeing online discussions chatting favorably about psychedelics and microdosing. Psychedelics are all the buzz right now, with amazing clinical research being conducted. People everywhere are celebrating the reduction of pain, anxiety, thought loops, and post-traumatic triggers that psychedelics have provided them. Many inspiring online testimonials celebrate the significant benefits people are gaining from their personal microdosing routines.

Almost anywhere you look on the internet, people are talking about microdosing. Recently, mainstream media sources such as The New York Times, National Geographic, Forbes, and Yahoo have published comprehensive articles about microdosing. Large-scale clinical studies are underway at Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and a large number of universities and institutions nationwide. This trending topic will continue to gain momentum in the months and years ahead.

But what exactly is microdosing?

Microdosing is a method of taking small, non-hallucinogenic amounts of psychoactive substances to help make subtle improvements to your overall lifestyle. Microdosing is most commonly associated with psilocybin (“magic mushrooms”) but the definition has grown to include small amounts of any active compounds. There is clinical and anecdotal discussion about microdosing psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, ketamine, and other psychedelic substances readily available online.

Microdosing is the practice of only using tiny amounts of these substances, so that you gain the benefits, without altering consciousness. Ideally, you will not experience any substantial changes in mood, mindset, or capability. A microdose should barely be felt, if at all.

Public interest in microdosing psychedelics is higher than ever. Michael Pollan's documentary series on Netflix, How to Change Your Mind, has furthered the national conversation regarding psychedelics in 2022.

Psychedelic therapies are making their way into the mainstream conversation in the United States. In Washington D.C., high-level talks regarding the legalization of psychedelics are underway. Rumor has it that FDA approval for clinical use of drugs like psilocybin and MDMA is expected within the next two years. Many ongoing studies focus on the physiological and psychological effects of microdosing.

Microdosing THC for Personal Wellness

According to some studies, nearly 20% of people in the United States have used cannabis in the past 5 years. As cannabis legalization spreads across the country, this number continues to grow. But the days of having to visit the dispensary for your THC products are long past. Legal hemp-derived products sold at retail can now contain amounts of THC sufficient to provide a psychoactive experience, if that's what you desire.

Delta 9 THC, then, is a molecule with demonstrated use and medical value. However, a large dose of THC can be quite unpleasant for some people. This is a perfect reason for microdosing this substance.

A small serving of THC will provide your body with noticeable physical benefits, but your mind will not be overwhelmed by psychoactive effects. With a microdose, basically, you should feel no effects at all, or maybe subtle effects of THC.

There are many ways that a microdose of THC can complement your practice, elevate your routine, and increase your overall level of chill. The tremendous health benefits of a THC microdose should support your mind and body, and your mental sharpness should remain unaffected.

The Effects of a THC Microdose

When it comes to cannabis, the perceived effects can be slightly subjective, and may be experienced differently by individuals. Individual tolerance levels are unique. There are many factors that come into play when considering the effect a cannabinoid product may have on you.

Full-spectrum CBD products available now from HempLucid contain a legal microdose of THC. Of course, being full-spectrum CBD products, they will contain a wide range of cannabinoids in addition to the THC content. The presence of additional cannabinoids enhances the potency and efficacy of a product through a phenomenon known as the “entourage effect”. The health-promoting and non-intoxicating qualities of full-spectrum hemp extracts makes them a great addition to your daily wellness routine.

HempLucid CBD extracts come in various strengths, so the serving size of the THC microdose included in those products will vary. Our full-spectrum products, for example, range from about .5 mg per serving up to 2.5 mg of THC per serving.

A microdose of THC will likely help enhance creativity, provide energy, increase focus, and can help improve interpersonal relationships. Many of these benefits are due to decreases in anxiety, stress, and pain. A THC microdose also has metabolic properties to help combat obesity.

How to Microdose THC

THC is a cannabinoid that can be consumed in a number of ways. The method you choose for ingesting your microdose will affect the speed of onset as well as the duration of effects. Learning a bit about how the body metabolizes THC can be helpful.

There are several methods for ingesting cannabis:

Inhalation

Full-spectrum Water Soluble CBD from HempLucid can be vaporized and is a great way to administer the microdose of THC you seek.

Either smoking cannabis or vaping cannabis can be a fast-acting way of microdosing THC, although there are some drawbacks to this method.

Inhaling smoke or vapor from high-THC cannabis strains, a draw will typically provide between 5 - 50 mg of THC. This amount is higher than a microdose. Even with a vaporizer, it's not really possible to know exactly how many MG you are inhaling per puff. This makes it difficult to track your microdosing progress and adjust your dosage accordingly.

Oral Ingestion

The benefits of microdosing THC orally come through the metabolism of THC in the stomach and small intestine. Oral ingestion of THC can be accomplished by eating edibles, soft gel caps, or by using tinctures. It can take up to 2 hours to feel the effects of edibles. Of course, you should barely notice the effects of a THC microdose from a full-spectrum hemp product.

Oral ingestion is an especially attractive microdosing method since dosages from reputable cannabis products will be labeled accurately. You can know with certainty and precision the amount of milligrams of THC that you are consuming.

Sublingual

The sublingual use of cannabinoid products in the form of tinctures is a great way to get the benefits of a THC microdose. This delivery method provides a slower onset of effects, but the duration tends to last longer. Furthermore, sublingual absorption of cannabinoids allows you to administer a precise serving for yourself.

Establishing Your Personal Microdose Routine

For the average person, the more THC you take, the more you're going to feel it. There are many factors at play that may affect the potency of cannabinoid products you're using. Your size, metabolism, and sensitivity to cannabis will all factor into your overall perception of effects.

Potency also depends on what type of product you take and the strain (cannabinoid and terpene content). Your sensitivity to THC may vary depending on the time of day that you use a product. Even the amount of food you've eaten can have an impact on the effectiveness of cannabinoids. Individual opinions about potency are generally based on all of these factors, and more.

Any serious microdoser will tell you that a tremendously important part of a microdosing routine is keeping track of your intake.

As you analyze the data regarding your personal use, it becomes much easier to determine whether or not your protocol is working. As you adjust your routine according to the facts, you gain the personal empowerment that a microdosing routine can unlock. Learning to operate in harmony with our own rhythms and flows can help us cultivate a more peaceful balance in life. Tracking your microdosing routine can be a viable path for accomplishing your goals.

But effects are not necessarily the point of a microdose. The purpose of microdosing is to get the health benefits of THC without the negative effects. THC has a number of studied benefits. It's known to be anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiolytic, and tremendously relaxing for some people.

Some of the perceived negative side effects of THC are things like paranoia, increased anxiety, and feelings of panic. The allure of a microdose, for most people, is that negative symptoms are decreased as the serving size of THC is decreased. The health benefits are still gained.

The sensations produced by THC can be overwhelming for some people, especially beginners. Starting with a smaller serving is a wise approach. It's a good idea to wait until the effects have “kicked in” before taking more. It can take up to 2 hours before effects are felt.

For newcomers to cannabis, feeling like you've taken too much THC can be an unnerving experience. Take care to work with dosage until you find the serving size that works for you.

Microdosing Psilocybin

Perhaps the most popular microdosing substance of all is psilocybin, the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms”. Over 200 species of wild mushrooms from around the world contain the psychedelic compound, the most well-known being Psilocybe cubensis. Psilocybin-containing mushrooms have been outlawed in most countries in the world. In the U.S. they are a Schedule 1 controlled substance, which means they are considered an illicit, illegal drug.

As with cannabis, the goal of microdosing psilocybin is to gain the health benefits of the substance without experiencing the psychoactive, psychedelic side effects.

Psilocybin can be intense and extreme at a high dose. At a low dose, the mushrooms can offer a creative boost, relieve stress and anxiety, improve focus, and even help you with personal relationships. People have also used psilocybin microdosing as a method for overcoming pain, migraines and cluster headaches, as well as symptoms of chronic disease. Working through a microdosing protocol can have life-changing impacts for some people.

Two Strategies for Microdosing Psilocybin

Two prevalent microdosing programs are the Stamets Protocol, and the Fadiman Protocol. These protocols each take a slightly different approach to microdosing.

The Stamets Protocol is named for Paul Stamets, perhaps the world's preeminent mushroom expert.

Stamets recommends a capsule containing psilocybin, supplemented with lion's mane mushroom, and niacin. It's come to be known as the Stamets Stack. Dr. Stamets recommends about 0.1 mg of psilocybin, about 5 grams of lion's mane mushroom, and 100 mg of niacin per serving. This combination has amazing intelligence-boosting benefits, and the niacin flush helps active ingredients cross the blood-brain barrier.

Stamets recommends using this stack the first four days of the week, and then giving your body a break for the remainder. This allows time for the metabolism of the active ingredients, and gives your body time to recover. Rinse and repeat weekly for best results, according to Stamets.

The Fadiman protocol was created by Dr. James Fadiman, who designed his protocol to maximize the measurability and trackability of a microdosing routine. The Fadiman protocol takes place over a set period of time, usually four to eight weeks.

Dr. Fadiman recommends taking a microdose once every three days. Day one is a microdose, day two is a day of integration, and day three is a normal day. This routine is to be repeated and carefully tracked over those four to eight weeks.

Progress should be evaluated at the end of the protocol. Usually, you will want to take two weeks to a month off after the protocol for the sake of reflection and adjustment.

Keep track of your other daily goals too!

How much time did you spend working out? How many steps did you take during the day? How many calories did you consume? Paying close attention can give you even clear and valuable insights into the progress you are making.

Pro-tip: Keeping a daily journal, monitoring your growth, and meditating on personal improvement during the whole process can be an extremely rewarding practice. Microdosing can help unearth complex emotions, and the process of exploring these emotions can have significant rewards.

How Often Should I Be Microdosing?

The frequency at which you take microdoses of substances will determine the overall effectiveness of your routine. And it certainly depends on the substance. It's a typical physiological response to develop a tolerance to substances, meaning that the effectiveness of the product is impacted by repeat use.

We recommend microdosing THC every single day, although it can be beneficial to give yourself a modest tolerance break. A tolerance break may be a good method for helping to reset the body. Plus, a period of abstinence makes a cannabis microdosing regimen more trackable.

The most effective method of getting a THC microdose is ingesting a full-spectrum hemp extract. We strongly believe that CBD should be used daily.

To more effectively microdose psilocybin, it's wise to give yourself a break. The body grows accustomed to the mushrooms, and will only metabolize a certain amount of the psilocybin in a period of time. Taking a few days off gives the body time to rest and fully metabolize and integrate the active ingredients. Given time, the body will regain its sensitivity and the health benefits of each serving can be optimized.

Conclusion

Microdosing psilocybin has been researched in a clinical setting over the past five years with unbelievably promising results. Improvements in mood, enhanced cognitive function, heightened attention span, and many more benefits have been demonstrated in double-blind randomized controlled trials. As clinical studies continue to validate the benefits of microdosing, we believe serious mainstream adoption of these natural remedies is inevitable.

As your microdosing journey continues, one begins recognizing the value of healthy daily habits and the impact your habits have on your life. Microdosing often inspires people to develop better daily practices like exercise, meditation, good sleep, improved nutrition, and more. Conversely, one may also find themselves less drawn towards alcohol or other problematic drugs.

This does not mean that microdosing is a silver bullet of some kind. The foundations of our life must be correct in order truly overcome the mental health issues that can debilitate us. By way of gaining deeper insight and developing beneficial habits, microdosing can be a life changing practice.

Research Sources:

Microdosing Psilocybin for Beginners in 5 Easy Steps; James Hallifax; Psyhedelic Spotlight; accessed September 2022

The Ultimate Guide to Microdosing Cannabis; The Third Wave; accessed September 2022

Psilocybin: Society and Culture; Wikipedia; accessed September 2022

Benefits of Microdosing; Microdosing Institute; accessed September 2022

How to Microdose Psilocybin According to Paul Stamets: The Stamets Stack; James Hallifax; Psychedelic Spotlight; accessed September 2022

Psilocybin Mushrooms; EROWID.org; accessed September 2022

Biden Administration Plans for Legal Psychedelic Therapies Withing Two Years; Mattha Busby; The Intercept; accessed September 2022

Microdosing: Apps To Help You Track Your Dosage; Sam Woolfe; Healing Maps; accessed September 2022

Microdosing Protocols; Microdosing Institute; accessed September 2022