Microdosing: The Newest Creation of Quack Science
What could be worse than the mainstream use and acceptance of hardcore psychedelic drugs? The only thing that comes to mind is the sudden popularity of “mircrodosing” LSD. In a world where drug use is off the charts and people are dying every day from overdoses, it’s crazy to me that there’s actually thought leaders out there who are advocating for the use of these drugs. We’re not in any position to be pro any drug, nevermind advocating for drugs that have caused people a range of problems from their use. But it’s 2017 and the United States has plunged itself head-first into the mass consumption of drugs. There’s a drug for this and a drug for that and a drug for just about everything else in between. I need to stop being surprised by American’s thirst for a daily escape from reality and this new trend of “microdosing” has me contemplating the overall sanity of our society.
“Microdosing” is taking small, minuscule amounts of psychedelic drugs to gain some “benefit,” but not enough to have a full-blown trip. According to the Huffington Post, microdosing is taking a dose 1/50 of the normal dose of a drug. Almost using it homeopathically, if you will (which is ridiculous). Apparently, taking such a small dose won’t send someone into nirvana, but supporters believe it to have some beneficial effects on the mind. However, there is still the potential for awful side effects from microdosing. The long-term effects are still completely unknown since it’s such a new thing and if a person takes the wrong dose, it can seriously mess them up. The fact of the matter is, you can still have bad trips from microdosing LSD. You’re never sure what you’re getting or who made it, therefore accurate dosing is problematic.
Lately, as part of the trend, tech industry workers in Silicon Valley have been experimenting with microdosing as a way to harness their creativity. The main drug being used in microdosing is LSD, which is an unregulated, illegal substance. You can go to jail for possessing even “microdosed” LSD and its effects are still mostly not understood. That’s one of the biggest things I don’t understand. You’ve got major social thought leaders blatantly promoting an illegal activity, like GQ Magazine who wrote the article “Microdosing. The Drug Habit Your Boss is Going to Love,” and the New York Times who wrote an article how LSD saved a woman’s marriage. Basically, these organizations are advocating for illegal drug use! Even Steve Jobs has been quoted proclaiming the benefits of using LSD!
I don’t understand how any public organization can be pro-drug use in today’s society. Drugs have been causing the U.S. problems for a while now and too many families have lost loved ones to addiction. This is a pretty sensitive subject and it’s beyond me how we’ve now created another way to take drugs as a means of being creative and helping to make our days easier.
When are we going to learn from our mistakes? What’s it going to take for us to take the drug problem seriously?
For those of us who work in drug rehabilitation and see the wreckage caused by drugs on a daily basis, this is just a huge slap in the face.
Sources Used:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/psychedelic-microdosing-research_us_569525afe4b09dbb4bac9db8
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