There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that taking small, sub-hallucinogenic doses of the classic hallucinatory "hippy" drug psilocybin may positively impact people's mental health.
While online dispensaries have existed for some time, the likes of Microcybin Canada are finally getting some well-deserved recognition. Or rather, some well-deserved indifference- particularly by lawmakers and prosecutors.
These websites are designed to help guide individuals through the microdosing process. It's a DIY mental health trend that has truly taken hold since 2017. One has enjoyed lax enforcement of antiquated and largely outmoded laws, which may be a large part of increasing pressure for academic research regarding the practice.
Avalanches of anecdotal evidence have barraged the scientific community regarding microdosing psilocybin. The positive effects reported on the user's mood, motivation, and preexisting mental disturbances.
Microdosing: Canada Steps Forward
Earlier this year, several Canadian cancer patients undergoing end-of-life care were given the go-ahead by government officials to integrate psilocybin therapy into their medical regime formally.
They were among the first, worldwide, to be cleared to use the largely illegal substance for medicinal purposes since the 1960s. Patients were given doses of 0.3mg/kg of psilocybin during a previous landmark study.
The results were indeed promising as most participants reported an incredibly favorable experience that improved mood and outlook while reducing anxieties. A boon that lasted for months following the experiment.
But psychoactive compounds-come-party drugs are no stranger in medicine. Ketamine is widely used within the medical community and is currently undergoing research to widen its therapeutic scope of application.
Even cocaine was used as a popular analgesic for some time. However, what these two common medicines don't have is a non-synthetic analog.
The public can readily obtain substances like marijuana and psilocybin. Many have taken microdosing mushrooms far before the news of the end-of-life application hit.
Microdosing: Psilocybin, Depression, and Anxiety
Because of its availability and often less than vigorously regulated status, psilocybin became a beacon of hope for those falling through the cracks of traditional practices when it came to common mental health disorders.
The internet became rife with self-reports of improved mood and motivation. As well as fewer depressive episodes and lessened anxiety.
Some experts believe this is because of the manner of behavior of psilocybin once broken down by the body. In line with traditional antidepressants, psilocybin affects the serotonin system in the brain.
However, in stark contrast to most drugs on the modern-day market- psilocybin has few reported severe side effects, a real actively high therapeutic index, and an exceptionally low level of reported abuse potential.
Also, in opposition to traditional antidepressants, microdosing mushrooms don't just pool your existing serotonin stores but enhance them. The substance becomes a near chemical copy of serotonin itself.
Psilocybin also works on areas of the brain that have been linked to sensory perception experiences as well as ego-dissolution. Making it easier to become introspective, which can help to modulate destructive behaviors and depression.
Microdosing: Mushrooms and Cancer
Most of the studies that brought about the green light given to those with end-stage cancer have to do with large, often hallucinogenic doses of the substance. Researchers are being urged not to discount microdosing.
Many of the beneficial results of the large dose studies are being reported by those who choose to microdose and self-report. It means there is good ground to consider integrating smaller, more frequent doses into a more traditional mental health system.
While Microcybin Canada is just one online dispensary of many, all seem to suggest possible microdosing psilocybin benefits. It directly reflects those of the case studies and meta-analyses that have been done on the phenomena by scientific communities.
There is still much research that needs to be properly conducted; many believe that a softening of the unnecessarily harsh legislature could bolster access and funding for these studies.
It is a sentiment that is starting to take hold across the globe, as countries like the United Kingdom and the United States also begin to explore more favorable laws towards psilocybin, as well as possible research avenues into the purported benefits of microdosing.
We may well see even more psilocybin-based therapeutics in the future, especially as the call for better mental health services and adjuncts becomes ever more evident.
