Marijuana just became legal and believe it or not, psilocybin is just around the corner, waiting to join the legal market. Studies are growing all over the world that argues microdosing LSD or certain types of mushrooms can directly benefit people with mental health issues. This article will explore where psychedelics are on their journey to legalization and explore some potential benefits and drawbacks to using psychedelics for personal health.
When I hear the word psychedelic user, I instantly picture a person in a tie-dye shirt with round glasses holding up the peace sign. I never thought that could use low doses of psychedelics to aid people with issues like pain, anxiety, and depression. Taking 5 to 20 micrograms of a recreational dose of LSD or psilocybin has become increasingly popular and is known as “microdosing”. This act allows users to feel subtle changes in their overall mood without the full effects of “tripping out” like regular doses of psychedelics. Recent studies have shown that microdosing can provide therapeutic relief by enhancing creativity and easing anxiety. However, despite the growing documented popularity of microdosing, there is still a lack of reliable scientific literature and research reports that describe this practice’s effectiveness.
Some documented benefits of microdosing include improved mood, improved focus, creativity, and improved energy. While some current challenges include illegality, physiological discomfort and an increase of symptoms like reduced appetite or severe headaches. However, many people see the benefits outweighing the potential challenges like being able to deal with dysfunctional attitude and negative emotions and becoming more open-minded, wiser, and creative. This is why people who suffer from issues like PTSD, depression and anxiety are very drawn to the magical effects that small doses of hallucinogens can offer.
In Canada, some doctors are able to prescribe microdoses of magic mushrooms upon permission from Health Canada. According to CBC News, there have been about 16 exemptions so far on the use of these substances without legal restrictions. Psychedelics in low doses in combination with psychotherapy have been said to be extremely effective for cancer patients suffering from depression. Though there have been movements for years to decriminalize mushrooms, the substance still remains illegal for all recreational users.
It leads me to wonder if microdosing will replace basic antidepressants in the future. It is too soon to tell if microdosing will become a norm because there is not enough research being done to prove its effectiveness. However, all of the current studies and findings point to psychedelics in small doses as highly beneficial. Just look at the confessions on the Reddit page r/microdosing condoning the practice daily. So many people struggling with mental health issues are finding benefits to using low doses of psychedelics. Though it has not yet been legalized, many websites currently produce microdoses of the substances in both pill and gummy form that you can have mailed directly to your door (where there is a niche there will always be a market).
The normalization of microdosing is still far from reality. There needs to be more scientific research and government regulation of the substance before psychedelics can be brought to the legal market. The more people that are approved to use the drug by Health Canada and have documented benefits, the more likely the drug is to become standardized for public use. As someone who suffers from anxiety and depression, I am curious to learn more about the benefits and potential risks of microdosing compared to taking a prescription drug. Overall, the decision to use small amounts of psychedelics is a personal choice, and there has been growing respect towards microdosing for the benefit of mental health.
References:
- https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00672/full
- https://harmreductionjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12954-019-0308-4
- https://theconversation.com/microdosers-of-lsd-and-magic-mushrooms-are-wiser-and-more-creative-101302
- https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/some-doctors-therapists-get-health-canada-permission-to-use-magic-mushrooms-1.5834485
- https://torontosun.com/news/national/from-pot-to-shrooms-whats-next-for-decriminalization
