Nearly 24.1 million American adults have intentionally taken tiny doses of cannabis — almost twice the number who’ve tried microdosing psychedelics like psilocybin or LSD. That single figure reframes the entire conversation around microdosing, a practice often assumed to be the domain of psychedelics alone.  

The rise of cannabis microdosing leaves one question: what happens when moderation becomes the mainstream?  
Credit: American Journal of Preventive Medicine  

Microdosing means consuming about one-fifth to one-twentieth of a typical recreational dose of a psychoactive substance. The idea is to avoid the overwhelming effects while still capturing subtler shifts — improved mood, reduced anxiety, or a touch of creativity. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego wanted to know how widespread this practice really is. So in late 2023, they surveyed 1,525 U.S. adults using Ipsos KnowledgePanel, a probability-based sample designed to reflect the national population.  

The results were striking. 9.4% of adults — roughly 24.1 million people — reported microdosing cannabis at least once. By comparison, 5.3% had microdosed psilocybin, 4.8% LSD, and 2.2% MDMA. Current use was lower but still measurable: 3.3% said they were actively microdosing cannabis, versus 1.0% for psilocybin, 0.6% for LSD, and 0.3% for MDMA.  

Kevin Yang, MD, the study’s first author, admitted the team was surprised. “Microdosing is often discussed in the context of psychedelics like psilocybin or LSD, but what surprised us most was that cannabis microdosing was almost twice as common,” he explained. That observation challenges the cultural narrative that microdosing is synonymous with psychedelics.  

Eric Leas, PhD, MPH, the senior author, added another layer: “Most proponents of microdosing recommend use under specific protocols that involve taking low doses of LSD or psilocybin for specific health applications. That’s not what we found. Most people are microdosing for recreational purposes. They may just want to take less, so they don’t want to get as high.” In other words, for many, microdosing isn’t about unlocking hidden therapeutic potential — it’s about moderation.  

The motivations varied by substance. Cannabis was often microdosed for medical reasons, with users seeking relief from anxiety, depression, or chronic pain. Psychedelics, on the other hand, were more likely to be microdosed for mild psychoactive effects — a way to flirt with altered states without diving in fully. That distinction matters because it suggests cannabis microdosing may be integrated into daily routines in ways psychedelics are not.  

Another finding stood out: people reporting poorer mental health were more likely to report microdosing across substances. That correlation doesn’t prove causation, but it does hint at a population turning to small doses as a coping mechanism. Whether that’s effective or safe remains an open question, one that future research will need to address.  

The study doesn’t settle debates about microdosing’s benefits or risks. What it does is shift the frame. Cannabis, not psilocybin or LSD, is the dominant substance in this practice. That reality forces a reconsideration of how microdosing is discussed — not as a niche psychedelic experiment, but as a broader pattern of reduced dosing across multiple substances.  

And that reframing carries implications. If millions are already microdosing cannabis, then conversations about regulation, health impacts, and cultural perception need to catch up. The next frontier isn’t just whether microdosing psychedelics can treat depression. It’s whether microdosing cannabis — already happening at scale — reshapes how people think about consumption itself.