Micro Dosing Psilocybin with Chronic Illness: Finding the Sacred in Normality
When I first began researching this information in 2019, Denver and Oakland were the only two cities to decriminalize psilocybin. As I write this essay almost two years later due to Covid delay, so much more has happened in regard to the acceptance of psilocybin. Not only have more cities decriminalized psilocybin, but numerous websites speak specifically about micro dosing vs. macro dosing, which was much harder to find information on two years ago. It’s mindboggling how much more information there is now. Regardless of all the opposition, support for decriminalizing psilocybin seems to be riding the wave of marijuana legalization. I spent most of my life watching what seemed like immovable opposition to the legalization of marijuana, but now that the dam broke for marijuana, the decriminalization of psilocybin seems to be happening rather quickly—especially by comparison.
In this article, I will list the locations that have decriminalized psilocybin and/or legalized psilocybin for therapeutic use. I will go over exactly what decriminalization and legalization mean, as well as the drug status of psilocybin, and the definition of Schedule 1 drugs. I will also go over what micro dosing means, how it is different from macro dosing, and what micro dosing can mean for chronically ill sufferers. Finally, I will share the experiences of six people—the majority of whom are chronic-illness sufferers—who have used psilocybin, and their questionnaire responses.
Locations that Decriminalized and/or Legalized Psilocybin in Chronological Order
· May 2019: Denver, CO (my hometown!)
· June 2019: Oakland, CA
· January 2020: Santa Cruz, CA
· September 2020: Ann Arbor, MI
· November 2020: Washington, D.C. and Oregon (Oregon Ballet Measure 109 made Oregon the first state to not only decriminalize psilocybin, but to legalize it for therapeutic use, also.)
· November 2020: Washington, D.C.
· January 2021: Somerville, MA and Washtenaw County, MI
· February 2021: Cambridge, MA
· April 2021: Northampton, MA
Wikipedia’s posting on “Psilocybin Decriminalization in the United States” seems to be a good place to check the status of psilocybin decriminalization in the US so far.
Decriminalization vs. Legalization
When psilocybin decriminalization first happened in Denver, there was confusion among the populace, as people kept announcing that psilocybin had been “legalized.” Those two words—“decriminalization” and “legalization”—are not interchangeable. To explain, legalization is “the process of making a particular action legal” (see: http://www.differencebetween.net/language/words-language/difference-between-legalization-and-decriminalization/). Decriminalizing psilocybin mushrooms does not make them legal. The decriminalization of psilocybin in Denver specifies that the “personal use and personal possession of psilocybin mushrooms by persons 21 years of age and older is the city’s lowest law-enforcement priority. Commercial distribution and possession in schools will remain illegal” (see: https://ballotpedia.org/Denver,_Colorado,_Initiated_Ordinance_301,_Psilocybin_Mushroom_Initiative_[May_2019]). In effect, selling psilocybin is still a felony.
Schedule I Drug Status
As many of you know, psilocybin is federally classified as a Schedule I controlled substance. Schedule I substances are defined as having:
1. A high potential for abuse, and
2. No currently acceptable medical use in treatment in the US (see: https://www.dea.gov/drug-scheduling).
Many advocates are working to remove psilocybin from the Schedule I drug list. For example, the earlier group Decriminalize Denver is now known as SPORE (see: https://www.thespore.org/) and is disseminating education and information to take the decriminalization effort to the national level.
Popularity of Decriminalizing Psilocybin
Why has the decriminalization of psilocybin been so popular? Studies on psilocybin have been shown to help depression, anxiety, cluster headaches, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), chronic pain, and more. The bulk of these studies have been on macro doses of psilocybin, but more are popping up on micro dosing, as well.
What Are Psilocybin Mushrooms?
“Psilocybin mushrooms are fungi that contain the psychoactive compound psilocybin” (see: https://thethirdwave.co/psychedelics/shrooms/), with psilocybin turning into psilocin upon ingestion. Psilocybin mushrooms are the most popular “magic mushrooms” or “shrooms,” with more than 116 species in the genus alone, and most people typically think about their hallucinogenic properties, but they are far more than just hallucinogens. They have been considered to be sacred medicine among indigenous tribes for millennia, and Paul Stamets has talked about how they can be psycho-spiritually transformative. Even their name does not reflect anything about their hallucinogenic properties, with psilocybe from Greek compounds, meaning “bare head,” indicative of the mushroom cap’s shape.
What is Micro Dosing?
It may be easier to begin by describing a macro dose, which is typically somewhere around 2-3.5 grams of dried psilocybin mushrooms. It is difficult to determine strength, as different varieties have different strengths. Additionally, each batch of mushrooms may have different strengths based on how it was grown, and the caps are typically stronger than the stems. So, usually, dosing is just done by weight.
Micro dosing is typically 1/10th of a macro dose. So, that would be somewhere around .2-.35 grams. However, many people—especially the chronically ill and/or people with many sensitivities—may want to start with .1 gram. Many find it easiest to do this by grinding the dried mushrooms into a powder so that the caps and stems are mixed together, and then weighing out each dose on a scale. Some also fill empty gelatin caps with their desired dose.
Micro dosing is a sub-perceptual dose, so those who take it should not trip, hallucinate, or see tracers. If this happens, then it is recommended to lower your dose. Most people report very subtle improvements in mood, focus, and physical ability, as well as a decrease in pain. I will talk more about symptoms and symptom abatement later in this article.
There are many dosing strategies. Many report Dr. Fadiman’s recommendation to dose every third day, which is how he set up his study. However, I think that to say “every third day is optimal for micro dosing” is a simple recommendation that is not based on best practices—especially for the chronically ill. Paul Stamets recommends taking a dose every day for four days, and then taking three days off. Stamets also recommends dosing with a nootropic stack which also includes lion’s mane and niacin to increase neurogenesis, which I don’t typically find beneficial for the more seriously ill or hypersensitive, as they are just two more ingredients that will need to be evaluated for tolerance.
Thirdwave.com also talks about “mini dosing,” “museum dosing,” and other names for increasing amounts of psilocybin mushrooms. Many chronically ill people I know dose based on need. Some people can feel the effect of the mushrooms within 15 minutes when micro dosing; for some, it takes 1-2 hours. The effects of micro dosing typically last around 5-8 hours. Additionally, the day after a micro dose, you can sometimes feel a bit of that good feeling still lingering, which is called the “afterglow” period.
Micro Dosing for the Chronically Ill
Micro dosing for the chronically ill can be very different than micro dosing for an able-bodied person. Chronically ill and hypersensitive people can react to anything and everything, so beware. I want to further clarify the type of chronic illness that I typically deal with in my clients and chronic-illness community, as not all chronic illnesses are the same. I will explain this in depth later.
Advocates of macro dosing psilocybin recommend not using psilocybin to micro dose, as they want to keep the experience of the macro-dose “sacred.” I know people have no ill intent when saying this, but this is a very ableist statement. My goal is to share how critically helpful micro dosing can be for the chronically ill; in particular, for a very specific group of chronically ill people. Micro dosing psilocybin may be beneficial for all types of chronic illness, but I only have information on a very specific type.
The unfortunate fact is that chronic illness can often impair the mundane, daily tasks of simply living. An example might be when you are too ill and fatigued to stand long enough to take a shower; you aren’t strong enough to lift your arms to wash your hair, and it is too difficult to pull yourself out of a bathtub. In this case, the simple act of washing our bodies and keeping clean becomes an insurmountable and monumental task that is often left undone. Furthermore, when you have an illness that is ignored and dismissed by conventional medicine, you are left ineligible for disability benefits and social services. This becomes worse when the chronically ill person’s family will not accept a diagnosis from anyone other than a doctor of conventional medicine—and this is only if the sick person has a family, as some do not. In their case, they cannot rely on their family to step in and help. So, for many chronically ill people—and more specifically, those with what we call “invisible illness,” meaning the illness is invisible to the rest of the world because the ill person “looks” normal—even performing basic tasks to function, like bathing, preparing food, using the bathroom, keeping a roof over their head, and keeping warm, becomes incredibly difficult. This doesn’t even include any higher levels of functioning, like working—even if it’s just sweeping floors in a grocery store—and the enormous battle it takes to try to secure disability benefits, which can take years, and that is only if you are lucky enough to get accepted at all.
In my chronic-illness community, and most of my clients belong to a constellation of illnesses, such as ME/CFS, Chronic Lyme (Post Lyme), mold illness (also known as “biotoxin illness” or “CIRS (Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome)”), MCAS (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome), POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), Ehlers Danlos, any type of autoimmunity disease, Fibromyalgia, and more.
Common symptoms within this constellation of illnesses that have been helped by micro dosing psilocybin are listed below:
· Fatigue
· Aches
· Headaches
· Vertigo
· Joint pain
· Memory issues
· Post-exertional malaise
· Confusion
· Weakness
· Focus/concentration
· Disorientation
· Mood swings
In a small study on micro dosing psilocybin (Prochazkova et al, 2018), both convergent and divergent thinking were improved. Convergent thinking involves identifying the single-best solution to a problem, while divergent thinking is the opposite and includes lots of creative ideas. In the study, fluid intelligence (i.e., how fast you can adapt and find novel solutions to a new issue) remained the same.
According to Wholecelium.com, research shows that psilocybin can help PTSD sufferers better cope with the issues they face and manage their problems easier.
Finally, according to Painreource.com, stories have been circulating that tech companies in Silicon Valley have helped popularize micro dosing psilocybin by ambitious employees using it to help increase productivity in the insanely competitive environment they work in.
The Questionnaire
I interviewed four chronically ill people, one able-bodied person, and one previously chronically ill person, all of whom have micro dosed psilocybin. I have been given their permission to share the information they provided, with all identifying characteristics left out.
Disclaimer: I also want to point out that most of the responses are from holistic practitioners, who have had severe health issues and consider themselves to be chronically ill. So, most of these people were driven to try micro dosing because they have already dramatically changed their diet, taken herbs and supplements, optimized their gut health, buttoned down their sleep hygiene, collaborated with therapists for emotional support, and saw many doctors; however, they still live with symptoms that cannot be abated.
Participant #1: 40-year-old Female Holistic Practitioner
1. Do you consider yourself to be chronically ill?
Yes.
2. How did this plant medicine help you?
After taking micro doses regularly, now 2-3 days/week for the last 4-5 months, I've noticed that I'm overall more present, less anxious, and better able to socialize with others. My desire to withdraw socially has been reduced, and I'm feeling more motivated to engage in social activities. It’s helped overall to improve my mood and reduce depression. It has been an especially helpful tool to use during my EMDR therapy. I had been doing EMDR for 4-5 months prior to starting this plant medicine, and while it was helpful in reducing my triggers for anxiety and withdrawal, I wasn't making any huge leaps of progress, and the progress I was making seemed more short-term. Since adding in this plant medicine two hours before my scheduled EMDR sessions, I'm having significantly better results with my EMDR therapy, and I am able to go much deeper into myself to get to the root of the trauma triggers. This has resulted in big shifts after each session in my mood, less brain fog, more energy, less anxiety, and significantly reduced withdrawal, and it has a more sustained result. For example, my last EMDR session was three weeks ago, and I'm still feeling very present and having less anxiety, whereas before using this plant medicine, the session would only shift my symptoms for maybe 2-4 days, and then I'd be back to my normal baseline.
3. Why and when will you continue to use this plant medicine?
I think I answered this above. I plan to continue to use this for my EMDR sessions, as well as regularly, 1-2 times per week.
4. Dosage you used for this plant medicine:
For my EMDR sessions, I've been using .2-.4 grams, and on non-EMDR days, I only use .15 grams.
5. Have you experienced any unwanted side effects?
Sometimes, I feel a bit brain foggy on it; sometimes, I feel more intense sadness on it, and sometimes I feel a little insomnia the day I take it, but these are mostly mild and short-lived and in my opinion seem to be related to its effectiveness in "moving negative/trapped/trauma-based energy" out of the body, which is what I want.
6. Is there a reason you would stop using this plant medicine?
Not that I can see at this point.
Participant #2: 48-year-old Male
1. Do you consider yourself to be chronically ill?
Not chronically ill, very healthy except that I have struggled with ADD/ADHD and some situational anxiety and OCD my whole life.
2. How did this plant medicine help you?
It has helped reduce ADD/ADHD symptoms on the days the medicine is taken, and the 1-2 days following a dose. I’m able to focus better, multi-task, be more productive, and creativity has increased, as well. It allows me to feel more present and not worry about things as much as before. I have a way of catastrophizing certain situations and obsessing on them and when feeling this way, I just pop a capsule of this medicine, and things get dramatically better, as it allows me to focus on the present and not obsess about the unknown in the future. I feel calmer and less anxious overall.
3. Why and when will you continue to use this plant medicine?
I think I answered that above.
4. Dosage you used for this plant medicine:
Anywhere from .15-.4 gram is a typical dose; typically, in the .15-.3 range. Taking it an average of 3-4 days a week in a row, and then taking a break for 3-4 days and repeating weekly.
5. Have you experienced any unwanted side effects?
Sometimes, I experience some brain fog/spaciness as it initially hits my system, but that seems to go away pretty fast. If taking a higher dose or taking a dose too late in the day, it also can sometimes give me a bit of insomnia.
6. Is there a reason you would stop using this particular plant medicine?
No way!
Participant #3: 44-year-old Female Holistic Practitioner
1. Do you consider yourself to be chronically ill?
No, but I was previously chronically ill.
2. How did this plant medicine to help you?
I felt more grounded and centered, more capable of responding instead of reacting to things.
3. Why and when will you continue to use this particular plant medicine?
As needed, either in the form of macro dose for ceremony to drop in and explore my consciousness, or as micro dose as a tonic/adaptogen.
4. Dosage you used for this plant medicine:
Micro: 0.1-0.2 gram; Macro: 1-3 grams
5. Have you experienced any unwanted side effects?
No.
6. Is there a reason you would stop using this particular plant medicine?
No, I just take breaks from time to time.
Participant #4: 47-year-old Female Holistic Practitioner
1. Do you consider yourself to be chronically ill?
Yes.
2. How did this plant medicine to help you?
I felt primarily pain reduction. I have non-acute and non-localized pain, often severe enough to need to be in bed. I just often “feel” bad, sore, and sick most days, which can inhibit my ability to do much of anything in life. This medicine takes away that pain. I also feel more joyful, and I experience increased physical ability. So, when not using it, I may need much more sitting time, but with mushrooms, I can be more active and move about, occasionally dance, stand, and walk longer. I also feel much more excited about life.
3. Why and when will you continue to use this particular plant medicine?
Answered above.
4. Dosage you used for this plant medicine:
Micro: .07-.5 gram dosed per pain days of the week, which are anywhere between 1-4 days a week.
5. Have you experienced any unwanted side effects?
Initially, after three days of daily use, I developed aching pains in my legs, but I no longer experience that symptom—even if using this medicine three days in a row.
6. Is there a reason you would stop using this particular plant medicine?
No, it has enabled me to expand my life and joy.
Participant #5: 70-year-old Female Holistic Practitioner
1. Do you consider yourself to be chronically ill?
Yes.
2. How did this plant medicine help you?
It helped with pain at night, possibly a 95% decrease of nighttime pain. I experienced memory benefits, and it seemed very soothing for the nervous system. I also experienced increased focus.
3. Why and when will you continue to use this particular plant medicine?
I discontinued use of this medicine, due to nausea and upset-tummy issues.
4. Dosage you used for this plant medicine:
.5 gram, three times a day.
5. Have you experienced any unwanted side effects?
Yes, nausea and upset-tummy issues.
6. Is there a reason you would stop using this particular plant medicine?
Yes, nausea and upset-tummy issues.
Participant #6: 33-year-old Female Holistic Practitioner
1. Do you consider yourself to be chronically ill?
2. How did this plant medicine help you?
It helped me to get off Prozac.
3. Why and when will you continue to use this particular plant medicine?
4. Dosage you used for this plant medicine:
5. Have you experienced any unwanted side effects?
Nausea and GI upset.
6. Is there a reason you would stop using this particular plant medicine?
Money and GI issues.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I hope you have learned how beneficial it can be for the chronically ill to use psilocybin mushrooms. Able-bodied people often do not realize how sacred and special it is to participate in normal life, and how little moments can greatly affect our quality of life. When daily mundane tasks feel like torture, instead of just living, psilocybin mushrooms can help sufferers find the sacred in normality.