Microdosing and Tripping

Microdosing and Tripping in the US.

Interest in microdosing and tripping or using psychedelic mushrooms is expanding rapidly across the United States.

Recent images out of places like Littleton, Colorado, show cultivated psilocybin mushrooms — a sign of how quickly these substances are gaining visibility and cultural attention.

Psychedelics have moved from the fringes to the center of public conversation. Major investors are pouring money into companies developing therapeutic treatments, scientific studies are multiplying, and surveys show increasing openness among the public. Despite this shift, national data on actual psychedelic consumption remains surprisingly limited, leaving researchers with an incomplete picture of how people are using these substances.

Two newly released reports attempt to close that information gap. Together, they indicate that mushrooms containing psilocybin have now become the most widely used psychedelic in the country — and a significant portion of users prefer microdosing, which involves taking very small amounts rather than experiencing a full psychedelic trip.

“We’ve known microdosing has become popular culturally, but most major drug-use surveys don’t distinguish between large doses and small ones,” explains Eric Leas, an epidemiologist at the University of California San Diego and lead author of a study published Friday in JAMA Health Forum.

His research tracked internet searches related to microdosing, using search trends as a stand-in for public interest. Since 2015, searches have increased by roughly 1,250%, and by 2019, psilocybin-related searches began surpassing those for LSD.

A separate report from the nonpartisan RAND Corporation estimates that nearly 3% of U.S. adults around 8 million people used psilocybin within the past year, making it the most commonly used hallucinogen in 2023.

Beau Kilmer, co-director of RAND’s Drug Policy Research Center and lead author of that study, says he was “surprised” to see psilocybin overtaking other psychedelics.

Following mushrooms, the next most frequently used substance was MDMA (ecstasy) at just above 1%, closely followed by LSD. RAND’s findings draw on a nationally representative survey of about 4,000 people and explore how changing attitudes toward psychedelics might shape future policy.

Microdosing’s rise and the influence of changing drug laws

About half of the surveyed psilocybin users reported microdosing instead of consuming a full dose. The trend has taken hold across varied communities, from tech workers seeking productivity boosts to parents exploring wellness options.

Although definitions vary, Kilmer says microdoses typically fall between one-tenth and one-twentieth of a standard psychedelic dose.

Most microdosers used mushrooms only once or twice in the past year. Only around 11% reported taking them more than six days across the year.

The form of psilocybin varied:
• Over half took whole mushrooms (fresh or dried).
• Nearly a quarter consumed processed products such as infused chocolate.
• Around 14% brewed their mushrooms into tea or another beverage.

The surge in online curiosity appears to align with changes in state laws related to both cannabis and psychedelics.

“There was a clear step-up effect,” Leas says. “The more progressive a state became regarding substance use, the more interest we saw in microdosing.”

Oregon and Colorado both of which have moved to decriminalize plant-based psychedelics ranked highest in microdosing-related search activity. Oregon has recently scaled back some earlier reforms, but remains one of the states experimenting most actively with psychedelic policy.

Leas notes that similar search-trend analysis has reliably predicted behaviors in other markets, such as new cannabis derivatives like Delta-8. In his experience, online interest “tends to correlate strongly with actual product sales.”

Are mushrooms becoming a new nightlife staple?

Joseph Palamar, an epidemiologist at NYU Langone Health, says evidence suggests psilocybin has become more accessible in recent years. His work has shown that law-enforcement seizures involving mushrooms have been increasing.

Although he warns against assuming that search history directly reflects real-world usage, Palamar says the new research helps fill long-standing informational gaps.

“We’re trying to connect small pieces of data to understand the bigger picture,” he says. “Ideally, all of this information could be integrated one day, but that’s a major challenge.”

Palamar studies drug-use patterns in the New York City nightlife scene, which he sees as an early indicator of broader cultural trends.

“We’ve seen psilocybin use rise sharply, more so than many other substances,” he says. “It’s striking, because I usually associate the club environment with ecstasy or ketamine mushrooms weren’t historically seen as a big party drug.”

A previous study estimated that about 5.5 million adults used hallucinogens in 2019, and LSD use has climbed from roughly 1% to 4% since 2002. Still, according to Columbia University epidemiologist Dr. Deborah Hasin, research has not kept pace with surging public interest.

“We need more comprehensive epidemiology,” she says. “We need to understand who is using these substances, how they acquired them, and what they believe they’re taking.”

Federal surveys rarely include detailed questions about psychedelics and, surprisingly, do not specifically ask about recent psilocybin consumption. Kilmer argues that this missing data is crucial.

“These are important factors for estimating the size of the market and understanding health impacts — both potential benefits and potential risks,” he says.