Psychedelic Drug Microdosing Practices: A Qualitative Online Exploration

Summary & key facts

Microdosing means taking very small amounts of psychedelic drugs that do not cause full hallucinations. The researchers collected and read a large set of online materials to see what people are saying about microdosing. They found 174 unique online resources that describe which drugs people use, how they prepare doses, how often they take them, and what safety steps they follow. This study describes what is on the internet, but it does not test whether microdosing is safe or useful. The authors say more research is needed, including interviews and chemical testing of doses.

Key facts:

• Microdosing is defined as taking small, non-hallucinatory amounts of psychedelic drugs.
• There are currently no official scientific guidelines for how to prepare or take microdoses.
• Many people get information about microdosing from online sources like forums, videos, and social media.
• The team searched medical databases, video sites, forums, drug-specific websites, search engines, and social media.
• They found 174 unique online resources that gave details on the kinds of substances used, how people prepare doses, dose sizes, schedules, and safety strategies.
• This study looked at what information is available online. It did not measure real-world effects, safety, or chemical content of the doses, and the authors recommend follow-up research with interviews and sample testing.

Abstract

"Microdosing," defined as the consumption of small, sub-hallucinogenic quantities of psychedelic drugs, has gained recent popularity. Microdosing is a relatively new concept, therefore no scientific recommendations exist on how to prepare and consume microdoses. Many consumers obtain microdosing information online. Few studies have investigated the content of this information; thus, the present study aimed to do so by collecting a large set of online microdosing information. A qualitative approach was taken to compile and characterize online microdosing information. Medical databases, video websites, online forums, drug-specific websites and forums, search engines, and social media websites were searched. A total of 174 unique resources were found, detailing the types of substances, preparation methods, doses, schedules, and safety strategies used by people who microdose. Future research is recommended to further explore how people prepare microdoses through in-person interviews and sample collection.

Topics

Chemical synthesis and alkaloids Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Study Psychedelics and Drug Studies

Categories

Clinical Psychology Psychology Social Sciences

Tags

Computer science Internet privacy Medical education Medicine MicroDose Pharmacology Popularity Psychology Social psychology