From James Fadiman’s book on microdosing:
To speak about “microdosing” cannabis (marijuana) is a misuse of the term. The mechanisms, biology, and effects of cannabis are unique, complex, and powerful, but it does not resemble microdosing substances nor does its use provide the same range of benefits. Microdosing specifically refers to taking very small amounts of a psychedelic on a specific schedule over a number of weeks. The same term applied to taking a little bit of cannabis has nothing to do with actual microdosing. The effects and benefits of cannabis are totally different from the effects of psychedelics. Cannabis—the whole plant and a number of its different alkaloids—has been used successfully as a medication for many conditions. Good books on “medical marijuana” are available.1 Cannabis acts on and through the endocannabinoid system and affects the brain, body, and whole being differently than substances like LSD and psilocybin. Cannabis generally impedes neuroplasticity rather than enhances it. Brumback et al. (2016) conclude that “THC appears to block synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis”—the exact opposite of microdosing’s effects. Conor Murray’s 2024 research, discussed here, showed that LSD increased neural complexity, but THC did not. Cannabis is generally not taken with any standard protocol (days on/days off). People report “microdosing” cannabis throughout the day. None of this is microdosing. Moreover, THC is fat soluble and stores in the body’s fatty tissues and is detectable weeks after one stops using it. LSD and psilocybin are gone from the body within a day or so. Effective protocols are not possible because of this persistence. Conscious use of very small amounts of cannabis can be a rewarding experience or valuable practice, but it’s not microdosing.
I was wondering what would be the use of smaller doses of THC, like 1-4mg, maybe balanced with CBD, I am completely out of the topic of medical marijuana but seeing the improvements it did on me on a casual trial, I was wondering if any of you knew more about this!
Ehy! Little update: I actually tried to do a small dose balancing with cbd, after learning that the stuff we had till the 90s was definitely not the stuff we have today (20-30% of THC) but rather something more similar to a 5%, with a ratio THC:CBD 1:3 or even higher on the cbd side. Edibles were probably usually consumed with sosages up to 5mg of THC which was well balanced by cbd as explained before.
So I simply tried to honor what the wild plant would contain and did some edibles with very low THC (2.5-3mg) and ratio 1:3 with cbd. It worked wonderfully.
The feeling is definitely different from a microdose, but you do get some of the benefits. It is physically similar, and you get some of the mind space, but it feels like less creative/less novelty seeking mechanism, but can be helpful, iI feel like for me it can work on short term but cannot do it for weeks and keep achieving good results like with psychedelics.
That makes sense to me.
Tolerance for THC builds fairly easily, so a micro dose won’t do the job for long, especially when you’re seeking that minimal high regularly.