Psychedelic Microdosing among Young Adults from Southern California
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs February 10, 2024 Alyssa F. Harlow, Peter S. Hendricks, Adam M. Leventhal et al. 6 citations
Among 2,396 young adults aged 18-22 in Southern California surveyed in 2018-2019, 12% had heard of microdosing psychedelics and 3% had ever tried it. Of those aware of microdosing, 79% correctly defined it as taking a much lower than standard dose, but 15% mistakenly thought it meant a standard dose. Psilocybin was the most commonly microdosed drug (70%), followed by LSD (57%). About 18% of those who microdosed reported using doses far higher than a typical microdose. Factors associated with having ever microdosed included white race, male/masculine gender identity, bisexual identity, past 6-month other drug use, greater ADHD symptoms, mindfulness, and sensation-seeking. The findings suggest microdosing merits attention to prevent misperceptions and potential harms while exploring therapeutic uses.