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There is no standard agreed dose of psilocybin that defines a microdose. However, the general consensus in research settings is that a microdose should be sub-perceptual, meaning that the psychoactive effects shouldn’t be noticeable. However, others might consider a microdose to be lightly psychoactive. The popular book The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide defines a microdose as one tenth to one sixteenth of a regular dose¹. Recent studies exploring the effects of microdosing psilocybin have used dosages in the range of .15g²  all the way up to .5g³.

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Sources

1. The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide
2. Effects of psilocybin microdosing on awe and aesthetic experiences: a preregistered field and lab-based study
3. Microdosing with psilocybin mushrooms: a double-blind placebo-controlled study

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Psilocybin containing mushrooms can vary in their potency, making standardization of dosing imprecise. Additionally, some people are more sensitive to the psychoactive effects of psilocybin than others, so it’s generally a good idea to “start low and go slow.”

For Psilocybe cubensis, one of the most commonly used species, dose ranges for dried mushrooms are generally the following:

• Low Dose: 0.5 to 1.5 grams
• Moderate Dose: 1.5 to 3 grams
• High Dose: 3 to 5 grams or more

Clinical trials often use synthetic psilocybin which can be dosed very precisely. Some of the largest trials to date, which have explored psilocybin for the treatment of depression, have established a standard high dose of 25mg^1,2. Dried psilocybin mushrooms roughly contain around 10-15mg of psilocybin per gram.

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Sources

1. Single-Dose Psilocybin Treatment for Major Depressive Disorder A Randomized Clinical Trial
2. Single-Dose Psilocybin for a Treatment-Resistant Episode of Major Depression

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Yes. Tolerance to psilocybin, the active compound in psychedelic mushrooms, can develop relatively quickly if you use it repeatedly. Therefore if you take mushrooms multiple times over the course of a few days you may need to increase your dose to get the same effects. Animal studies have shown that tolerance and cross-tolerance can also occur with other psychedelics including LSD^1,2. A human study involving microdosers also suggested that tolerance can occur, suggesting that pauses in microdosing regimens might be useful³.

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Sources

1. Tolerance and Cross-Tolerance among Psychedelic and Nonpsychedelic 5-HT_2A Receptor Agonists in Mice
2. Behavioral Tolerance to Lysergic Acid Diethylamide is Associated with Reduced Serotonin-2A Receptor Signaling in Rat Cortex
3. Evidence for Tolerance in Psychedelic Microdosing from the Self-Blinding Microdose Trial

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No. There are well over 100 species of psilocybin containing mushrooms, which grow in many different regions of the world. The most common species is Psilocybe cubensis, due to the fact that they are relatively easy to cultivate. Within Psilocybe cubensis there are many different strains of mushrooms, each with different names, appearances, growing conditions and potencies.

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Learn more

An Overview on the Taxonomy, Phylogenetics and Ecology of the Psychedelic Genera Psilocybe, Panaeolus, Pluteus and Gymnopilus

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While psilocybin mushrooms are not considered to be toxic to ingest, they can sometimes cause significant psychological distress. Furthermore, certain individuals are at higher risk for adverse events associated with psychedelics:

Individuals with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are at an elevated risk for psychotic or manic episodes.

Individuals with family members who have schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Having an immediate family member with either of these psychiatric conditions increases your risk of having a psychotic or manic episode as a result of psychedelic use including psilocybin.

Individuals with cardiovascular issues: Psychedelics including psilocybin can increase heart rate and blood pressure, which could be harmful to individuals with heart conditions.

Individuals currently taking certain medications: Psilocybin acts directly on serotonin receptors, therefore combining it with other serotonergic drugs should be done with caution. For example, MAOI medications (Marplan, Nardil etc..) may increase duration or intensity of psychedelic effects and could possibly result in serotonin toxicity¹. Other serotonergic drugs like SSRIs (Prozac, Lexapro, Zoloft etc..)and SNRIs (Effexor, Cymbalta etc..) may decrease psychedelic intensity². ‍

For the most updated evidence on interaction risk levels with your specific medications and health conditions, check out psychedelicinteraction.com which features hundreds of drug search options and considers both micro- and macro-doses in the interaction.

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Sources:

1. Serotonin Toxicity of Serotonergic Psychedelics
2. Attenuation of psilocybin mushroom effects during and after SSRI/SNRI antidepressant use

Learn More:

www.psychedelicinteraction.com

Therapeutic use of psilocybin: Practical considerations for dosing and administration

Drug-drug interactions between psychiatric medications and MDMA or psilocybin: a systematic review

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