Paul Marlow was no stranger to “shrooms” or the idea of microdosing the psychedelic fungi for positive impact when he first fell into a depression in 2018. But prior to that point, he’d merely experimented with the hallucinogenic drug as a way of improving his professional creativity and stamina. It wasn’t until his mental health took a turn that he realized just how beneficial microdosing could be.
“My father had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s and I watched him waste away in just 12 months,” Marlow, a 30-something mental health advocate in British Columbia, said. “At the same time, I was working through a breakup with an ex who’d had mental health issues herself. My life really was just in shambles.”
He slipped further into a state of anxiety and depression with no real way of pulling himself out.
“There was no joy in my life,” he says. “I wasn’t getting any sleep, I was afraid of being around people and I was searching for things that could help me.”
What he finally found was something he’d used before.
Crash Course On Mushrooms And Microdosing
Even if you’ve never taken a “magic mushroom” trip yourself, you’ve likely heard about the hallucinogenic that can be found growing in the forest or can be synthetically made.
“Mushrooms have been used by humans for thousands of years, ranging from religious/spiritual, ceremonial, medical and recreational use,” Derek Du Chesne, CEO of Las Vegas based Better U Psychedelic Therapy, explains. “Historically, higher doses for a psychedelic experience are what most people are familiar with.”
Of course, not all mushrooms produce a psychedelic effect. Some just taste good on your burger or in an omelet. It’s the mushrooms that contain psilocybin or psilocin (hallucinogenic alkaloids) that lend to the hallucinations those using magic mushrooms typically seek out. But more and more lately, Du Chesne says people are beginning to embrace the benefits of microdosing.
Janine Ilsley, LMSW, an integrative holistic therapist at Cobb Psychotherapy in New York is passionate about the use of psychedelics in therapeutic spaces, particularly in the treatment of depression, anxiety and developmental trauma. She defines microdosing as taking a small amount of a hallucinogenic drug with the goal of experiencing a physiological effect without a psychoactive reaction.
“There are various ways to use mushrooms in microdosing,” she explains. “But the most common are a medicinal tea, psilocybin-infused treats such as chocolate or pre-measured capsules of the pure ground up mushroom.”
Benefits Of Microdosing
According to Ilsley, people who experiment with microdosing are most often seeking the desired effect of lifting their moods and reducing depression.
“But the benefits are incredibly comprehensive,” she says, pointing to the 50 plus studies into those benefits that have been completed in the last year alone.
The biggest pros to microdosing, Ilsley said, include the promotion of neuroplasticity in the brain, the treatment of various mental health conditions (including addiction, ADHD, depression and anxiety), and the resurfacing of latent, unconscious emotions of the body (a benefit she said helps with trauma treatment).
The fact that there is also no ‘come down,’ fuzziness or dissociation to microdosing is another reason people may be drawn to it, Ilsley explains. “I would say that what leads people into the door may not always be what keeps them sustained in this as they re-orient their mind, bodies and spirits in relation to their own psychological suffering.”
The Business Of Microdosing
As research into the area of microdosing continues to grow and word-of-mouth about the benefits spreads, more companies like Better U are cropping up to meet the demand (and address the legalities) of using psychedelics for therapeutic purposes.
David Nikzad is an entrepreneur in Miami Beach who has been leading that race. His company, Emotional Intelligence Ventures, is currently on track to its goal of raising $50 million for Psylocibin Transdermal Delivery Research.
Speaking of his cofounder, Jason Hobson, Nikzad says, “We had already been working in the cannabis space and we came to Maui and discovered psychedelics. Like, really discovered psychedelics.”
He describes a community in Maui that includes the likes of Willie Nelson, Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson — people who had come to Hawaii to escape the rigors of fame and recenter their lives. It was there, and from that community, that Nikzad and his partner began to learn more about plant medicines, and psychedelics in particular.
With that knowledge, he says, “We came to Miami. And ever since, it’s been booming.”
Regulations surrounding the use of psychedelics for medicinal purposes are complicated, however, and can vary from state to state.
“You need to have a lot of lawyers,” he says. “My cofounder of 20 years is a lawyer. We have about 10 lawyers that work this program consistently. And we have some of the top consultants in the FDA space. Because it’s all about balancing compliance regulations.”
In clinical spaces, only synthetic psilocybin may be used. The magic mushrooms you might have seen at parties, on the other hand, are still considered illegal.
“Some places have decriminalized possession of psilocybin and do have dispensaries where you can purchase products,” explains clinical psychiatrist Sam Zand, D.O. and chief medical officer of Better U. But he adds, “Decriminalized does not mean legal. While possessing it may not get you into trouble, manufacturing/distribution is still very illegal.”
Clinics trying to treat with psychedelics must contend with that reality, especially as more and more people learn about microdosing and attempt to treat themselves outside of clinical settings.
“The longer access to mushrooms remains in the shadows, the higher the health risks to our communities,” Zand says.
Potential Drawbacks
It’s those grey areas that could prove dangerous for some people, Zand explains. For those attempting to dose themselves, he says, “Dosages are often labeled incorrectly and there aren’t any manufacturing standards.”
Procuring mushrooms on your own, he says, could mean putting your health at risk as a result of not knowing exactly what you are getting or what the proper dosages might be.
“Fentanyl-laced drugs have flooded our communities and are frequently causing accidental overdoses,” Zand explains. “This makes it scary purchasing any substances that are illegal and unregulated.”
Even if you could guarantee you are getting exactly what you are paying for, he says that finding the right dosage for each individual can also be tricky, with some users needing barely any to feel a positive impact, and others needing much more.
“The physiological drawbacks that have been reported are stomachaches, headaches, anxiety and fatigue,” Zand says.
There is also the risk of overdosing and experiencing a hallucinogenic event you aren’t prepared for, something Ilsley warns could produce emotionality as well as erratic and chaotic behavior. For all these reasons, Zand says he can’t condone the use of any illegal substances.
“If you would like to try legal, clinician-prescribed psychedelic therapy for depression, anxiety, chronic pain, alcoholism or PTSD, explore ketamine therapy,” he suggests. “It is safe, effective, affordable and can be done virtually in the comfort of your own home.”
With ketamine therapy, he explains, the medication comes from a licensed pharmacy in the United States, and success can be monitored under the care of a practicing mental health expert.
“The future of psychiatry and mental health is psychedelic medicine,” Zand says. “We are looking forward to the future legalization of psychedelics where we will be able to treat patients with MDMA for PTSD, Ibogaine for substance abuse, psilocybin for depression and weight loss and derivatives of LSD for Alzheimer’s/dementia.”
Until then, he says, it’s important to work with clinics and psychiatrists who can walk you through the options that are currently available, and how to utilize them safely.
Making His Own Way
Marlow forged a different path, experimenting on his own and creating a treatment plan that worked for him, in addition to doing MDMA therapy with a practicing physician.
“I am definitely open about this. We’ll see if it will kick me in the ass someday,” he jokes.
For now, he chooses openness specifically because of the difference microdosing has made in his life.
“I’m in a very good state with my mental health personally, I’m in a good spot,” he says. “I’ve accepted therapy and I’ve also accepted that being able to speak openly helps me and it helps others. And so far, people haven’t judged me, which I thought they would. And it’s a relief, because in that openness, I’ve also inspired others.”
It was this journey that ultimately led to Marlow founding his website, “Never Alone,” in 2019. He uses the mental health advocacy platform to connect with and help others who may be struggling.
Today, Marlow is still microdosing on his own as well as preparing to do five psylocibin sessions with the same professional he completed his MDMA therapy with.
“I’m not doing this because I’m really struggling with anything anymore,” he explains. “Just to break down walls and build back.”
It’s a path toward healing and bettering himself that he can’t imagine getting off anytime soon. O
