Drug and Alcohol Review
February 26, 2026
Katherine M Keyes, Yvonne Terry-Mcelrath, Megan E Patrick
About 1 in 15 young adults in the United States reported microdosing hallucinogens in the past year, with 73% of those who used hallucinogens engaging in microdosing. Microdosing was strongly linked to other substance use: among microdosers, 72% reported 10 or more occasions of past-year alcohol use and 86% reported 3 or more occasions of past-year cannabis use. Odds ratios for other substance use among microdosers ranged from 2.53 for past-month cigarette use to 37.73 for heavy cannabis use. Few demographic differences emerged, though Black respondents were less likely to microdose than White respondents.
Research Square
February 23, 2026
Rotem Petranker, Norman Farb, Omer A. Syed et al.
Repeated low doses of psilocybin were safe and well tolerated in adults with major depressive disorder but did not show greater antidepressant effects than placebo. In a randomized, double-blind trial, 39 participants received either 2 mg psilocybin or placebo weekly for four weeks. Both groups reported similar reductions in depression scores on the PHQ-9 (psilocybin: -5.4; placebo: -6.0) and other measures. The microdose-first group showed slightly more improvement on a dysfunctional attitudes scale than the placebo-first group. No serious adverse events occurred, and symptom reductions continued during an open-label phase. Trial participation itself contributed to clinically meaningful improvement.
Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry
February 18, 2026
Dimitri Henriques Daldegan-Bueno, C Donegan, Rachael L. Sumner et al.
1 citation
Taking very low doses of LSD (8 micrograms) repeatedly over a short period may temporarily improve mood in people with depression, though the effect needs confirmation in controlled experiments. The drug's behavior in the body was measured in this group, and no evidence of tolerance or increased sensitivity appeared, even when the dose was gradually increased.
BJPsych Open
February 16, 2026
1 citation
This is a protocol for a phase II trial testing whether very low doses of psilocybin (2 mg, a microdose) can safely and effectively treat major depressive disorder. Forty adults with MDD will receive either psilocybin or a placebo once weekly for four weeks, then all will receive psilocybin for another four weeks. The trial will measure changes in depression symptoms, mood, well-being, attention, creativity, mindfulness, and pro-sociality. Results will be published regardless of outcome. The findings are expected to guide future research on dose regimens, effect sizes, and the role of expectancy bias, and to inform debates about sub-threshold versus threshold doses of psilocybin.
Deviant Behavior
February 9, 2026
Blake Beaton
2 citations
Microdosing involves taking very small amounts of classic psychedelics like LSD or psilocybin to enhance well-being rather than to get high. This review of 14 qualitative studies from the past decade finds that people microdose to manage anxiety, depression, and stress, and that the practice is distinct from traditional illicit drug use because it avoids euphoria. The findings help explain why microdosing has become a rapidly growing trend, while also identifying gaps for future research.
Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy
February 4, 2026
Shreya Shiju, Rohan Tirumala, Elliot Marseille
People are increasingly using psychedelics like psilocybin and LSD without medical supervision to treat health conditions, a practice called self-medication. A review of existing reviews found that individuals most often use these substances for cluster headache and chronic pain, frequently in microdosed regimens. About 40% of users achieved full remission of symptoms, and 70% reported preventive benefit. Adverse effects were rare and brief. Motivations for self-use included coping, desperation, and dissatisfaction with conventional care. The evidence remains limited by scarce and heterogeneous data, and more rigorous research is needed.
European neuropsychopharmacology : the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology
February 1, 2026
Isabel Werle, Francisco S Guimarães, Rafael G Dos Santos et al.
Ayahuasca, a brew containing the psychedelic DMT, helps rodents overcome persistent and generalized fear memories by boosting brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling in the infralimbic (IL) region of the medial prefrontal cortex. In rats exposed to stress or high-intensity fear conditioning, repeated ayahuasca (0.3 mg/kg DMT) enhanced extinction learning and its retention, and reduced fear generalization. These effects were blocked by infusing an anti-BDNF antibody or a TrkB receptor antagonist into the IL cortex. The reduction in fear generalization depended on BDNF in females but not males. The findings suggest psychedelics may aid in treating difficult-to-extinguish trauma memories, such as those in PTSD.
Journal of physiology and pharmacology : an official journal of the Polish Physiological Society
February 1, 2026
K Kala, D Bederska-Lojewska, J Lazur et al.
Chronic microdosing with in vitro cultured Psilocybe cubensis mycelium reduced anxious behavior in male C57BL/6J mice on day 22, but did not affect locomotor activity, depressive, anxiety-related, or anhedonic behaviors at later stages. Psilocybin was present only in the Cambodian strain mycelium at 20.78 mg per 100 g dry weight. The results suggest potential for anxiety prevention, but further studies with higher doses or alternative models are needed to confirm these findings.