Psychedelic Drug Microdosing Practices: A Qualitative Online Exploration
Estelle Miller, Vida Bojovic, Olivia Maddren, Prashant Rao, Dami Adesina, A. Petrenko, Rhys Ponton
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs January 22, 2024 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2024.2304554 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 174 |
| Population | Online resources about microdosing |
| Topics | Microdosing |
| Key findings | Online sources provide diverse information on microdosing substances, preparation, doses, schedules, and safety strategies, but no scientific recommendations exist. |
Abstract
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.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on microdosing, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychedelic microdosing benefits and challenges: an empirical codebook Active microdosing community | 2019 | Mixed-methods study | |
| Narrative identity, rationality, and microdosing classic psychedelics People who had microdosed classic psychedelics | 2019 | Qualitative study | n = 30 |
| Twenty percent better with 20 micrograms? A qualitative study of psychedelic microdosing self-rapports and discussions on YouTube YouTube videos and comments about psychedelic microdosing | 2019 | Qualitative study | |
| Accounting for Microdosing Classic Psychedelics People who had microdosed classic psychedelics | 2019 | Qualitative study | n = 30 |
| Experiences of microdosing psychedelics in an attempt to support wellbeing and mental health. People who microdose psychedelic drugs | 2023 | Qualitative study | n = 13 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Side effects of microdosing lysergic acid diethylamide and psilocybin: A systematic review of potential physiological and psychiatric outcomes Neuropharmacology March 7, 2025
- Exploring a Decade of Microdosing Research: A Qualitative Meta-synthesis of Microdosing Literature Deviant Behavior February 9, 2026
- The use of drug checking legislation to facilitate illicit drug consumption research: psychedelic microdosing as a case example Drugs, Habits and Social Policy May 27, 2026
- Participant Experiences of Microdosed Lysergic Acid Diethylamide in a 6-Week Randomised Controlled Trial Journal of Humanistic Psychology November 10, 2025
- How small is a microdose, how big is a macrodose? Clarifying the lexicon of psychedelic research and treatment Drug Science, Policy and Law August 1, 2026
Cites 31
- The Therapeutic Potential of Psychedelic Drugs: Past, Present, and Future. Neuropsychopharmacology April 26, 2017
- Self-blinding citizen science to explore psychedelic microdosing. Elife March 2, 2021
- Microdosing psychedelics: personality, mental health, and creativity differences in microdosers Psychopharmacology January 2, 2019
- Powerful substances in tiny amounts Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs February 1, 2018
- Motives and Side-Effects of Microdosing With Psychedelics Among Users The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology May 30, 2019
and 26 more in the library