Are Mushrooms The Social Drug Of 2024? An Investigation

When Jack, a 35-year-old working in tech who asked us not to use his last name, walked into a party recently in Los Angeles, instead of a makeshift bar with ingredients to make cocktails, he found a platter of brownies infused with psychedelic mushrooms. He went over and talked to other partygoers as he chose one and let his micro-trip begin.

Jack is one of the many for whom microdosing has become the new happy hour. For the past few years, psychedelic mushrooms have been sprouting across Silicon Valley corporate culture, wellness retreats, and research labs for their therapeutic potential. But now they’re seeping into our social lives as new users, friends, and family see what the fuss is all about — whether it’s chocolate or brownies, pills or even an old-school raw stem or two.

These substances aren’t only making progress socially: Psilocybin, which is the psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms, has been decriminalized in states such as Oregon, Colorado, and Washington, D.C. for therapeutic use. Similar bills have been introduced in 19 other states, plus more than a dozen others have been introduced to study the potential health benefits of psilocybin (In the UK, though, psilocybin is still very much illegal). Microdosers who spoke with Refinery29 cited mental health benefits as reasons for partaking, such as alleged reductions in anxiety and depression — although there needs to be more research done to solidify these findings — but they also microdose for a much simpler reason: fun.

Rather than entering an alternative world for hours and hours, microdosers say they’re tweaking the world they already live in to make it brighter, softer, and funnier. The practice dovetails with the sober-curious trend, where many young people are limiting alcohol but still want to be able to have a good time with their friends. Although studies show women in general seem to be drinking more, Gen Z is drinking less. Shrooms appear to fit into the lives of those who want to cut back on the booze, but still socialize and let loose. “A microdose is a nice balance where you’re still getting a buzz,” Helena*, 31, who works in media in Los Angeles, says. “But when it’s over, you don’t have a hangover or feel groggy. It makes me feel more relaxed.”

Bennett*, 31, says he experiences euphoria, a lighter mood, and heightened senses when he microdoses. Now, he chooses shroom chocolate or a nibble on a raw mushroom cap instead of a drink because he prefers the side effects of microdosing to those associated with drinking. When he heads to the park for a picnic with friends, he double checks that he’s packed his shroom edibles. Bennett, and everyone else who Refinery29 interviewed for this story, does not live in an area where the drugs are decriminalized, so he gets his mushrooms illegally through a dealer. “You don’t have to deal with hangovers or making stupid or embarrassing decisions while you’re drunk,” Bennett says. “[If] it’s enjoyed responsibly, I feel like the harm is way less.”

Helena, who asked that her last name not be used, has stopped drinking ever since she first tried psilocybin with her roommates during the COVID-19 lockdown. They made sure the vibes were right, filling their living room with pillows and playing music videos on the TV. That first night went so well that it became part of her regular life. Now, a few years later, on nights out with her friends, Helena reminds everyone to “bring their chocolate” so they can microdose. Sometimes she’ll use cannabis, but it can leave her feeling paranoid. Instead, she bites off pieces of shroom chocolate and calls it a night.

“A lot of my friends have gotten into it,” she says, although they generally aren’t drug users. “That caught me off guard, but it was cool.” She appreciates that she doesn’t feel groggy or anxious the day after like she’s used to feeling after drinking alcohol (hello, hangovers that turn into Sunday scaries). Now, she always chooses shrooms over cocktails and many of her friends do, too. Even her 55-year-old aunt pulled her aside on a family vacation and raised the subject with her, leaving Helena surprised — and amused. “She was really interested in learning more and telling me about how she wanted to try it,” Helena says. “That was the most surprising thing. It [used to] feel very taboo, but now it’s becoming a thing.”

Ellie, 25, who works in plant medicine and healing and asked us not to use her last name, prefers to take her microdoses focusing on specific intentions, rather than socially or casually. “It’s helped me unlearn so much and return to my authenticity and confidence and alignment within myself,” she says. “The medicine is very much a teacher. It reminds people of their innate worthiness and adequacy.”

According to an article published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, a microdose is generally considered 5 to 10% of a usual psychoactive dose, although experts don’t necessarily agree on what even constitutes a full dose. Because shrooms are largely self-administered without set standards, one person’s “micro” might be another person’s “Alice in Wonderland” moment. Bryan Roth, MD, a researcher who studies psychedelics at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, says that’s the caveat that should come with microdosing. “The problem is that people don’t know the dose,” he tells Refinery29. “I would guess [people who think they’re microdosing] are doing a ‘mididose’ — not a microdose, but not a maxidose.”

Complicating the matter is the new school of thought around imbibers that microdosing is great for your mental health, a point of view that some experts say is prevalent among many young women users. According to a 2019 survey run by Global Drug Survey, an independent research organization based in London, women use psychedelic mushrooms slightly more often than men.

“I was surprised [by women using shrooms more than men],” says Jennifer Chesak, author of The Psilocybin Handbook for Women. “But then I dove deeper and found that while men tend to use psychedelics more recreationally, women are using psychedelics to self-treat for conditions such as PTSD, other forms of trauma, depression, anxiety, and chronic pain. My opinion is that women are turning to psychedelics because doctors aren’t taking their symptoms seriously or aren’t offering them adequate treatment.”

Though more researchers are studying the effects of psilocybin on conditions such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance use disorders, it’s not yet medically approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. “My expectation is that psilocybin will ultimately be approved for treating depression,” says Dr. Roth. “We’ll probably see more use of it, but under medical guidance rather than self-administration.” (Experts like Dr. Roth warn against self-treatment with shrooms.)

Outside of mental health, another welcomed side effect for many users is what they see as the aftermath of microdosing — some say they experience a sustained euphoric mood, especially when microdosing regularly. “It basically just makes life seem a little bit cooler,” says Jack. “You feel like trees are more interesting and you’re not as worried about stupid stuff. It’s a great counterbalance to our current world of social media being like ‘Trump may be in office again,’ climate change… The world is going to shit. When you microdose, you’re like the world is still a nasty place but it’s okay.” Although there are potential benefits, the long-term effects of using psilocybin are not completely understood and need to be more thoroughly researched.

And still, it’s hard not to ignore the placebo effect of it all. One study published in 2021 found that participants who were given a placebo and those who actually ingested psilocybin both experienced better moods and feelings of heightened wellbeing, while another placebo-focused study confirmed “the anecdotal benefits of microdosing (improvements in a broad range of psychological measures); however, the results also suggest that the improvements are not due to the pharmacological action of microdosing, but are rather explained by the placebo effect (lack of significant between-groups effect).”

For now, the popularity of microdosing psychedelics appears to be outpacing the scientific evidence, which is spotty and, compared with higher-dose therapeutic trials, especially difficult to gather. Scientific evidence for the alleged benefits of microdosing is “scarce and has been mixed in its efficacy,” according to The Washington Post, and much of the data that does exist is self-reported. A recent study even showed increased anxiety in microdosers and the possibility of other risks, and many doctors studying psilocybin worry that patients are largely self-administering the drug with little or no oversight. “I don’t recommend that anyone take [psilocybin] unless they’re part of a clinical trial and doing it under medical supervision,” Dr. Roth warns. “There’s the risk of inducing psychotic episodes [or exacerbating] heart disease.”

Research on psilocybin was halted due to the Controlled Substance Act of 1970 categorizing it as a Substance I drug, but the public has become increasingly accepting of exploring the potential uses of psilocybin as more clinical trials are showing allegedly promising results. Earlier this year, the FDA published a draft guidance that presents considerations for clinical trials surrounding these psychedelic drugs. “Psychedelic drugs show initial promise as potential treatments for mood, anxiety and substance use disorders. However, these are still investigational products,” Tiffany Farchione, MD, director of the Division of Psychiatry in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, says in a press release. “By publishing this draft guidance, the FDA hopes to outline the challenges inherent in designing psychedelic drug development programs and provide information on how to address these challenges.”

Despite the lack of current evidence and guidance on dosages, Panagis Galiatsatos, MD, associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University, is excited about the therapeutic and medical benefits that possibly come with psilocybin — especially to patients experiencing stress, as studies have shown that psilocybin has the potential to reduce feelings of anxiety. He says the drug seems promising, but from his point of view as a physician, there are questions that need to be answered. “One of the things I always practice is do no harm,” Dr. Galiatsatos says. “Could you imagine if I were to [prescribe] a medication without a dose? We’ve got to figure out what this means and how much of it to give, what the best benefit-to-risk ratio is.”

The lack of evidence doesn’t seem to be changing the minds of those who are microdosing. “It works for me,” says Helena. Even if the research doesn’t reflect what she feels, she’s not stopping — at least, not anytime soon.

*Names have been changed to protect anonymity.