Newswise — Loosening local, state and federal regulations on cannabis and psychedelics has increased Americans' interest in microdosing, according to a study from researchers at the University of California San Diego. Published in JAMA Health Forum , the study found that the rate of microdosing-related Google searches grew by 1250% from 2015 to 2023, with over three million searches in 2023 alone. This surge in interest correlates with recent legislative changes decriminalizing or authorizing the use of psychedelic substances in therapy and permitting recreational cannabis use.
The research fills a gap in understanding how policy changes affect substance use patterns. Microdosing involves taking "sub-perceptual" doses of psychedelics, often over prolonged periods, with users claiming it improves cognition, mood and overall health without causing the intense hallucinogenic effects of higher doses. Despite the lack of clinical evidence supporting these health claims, interest in the practice appears to have grown over the past decade.
Current survey data on microdosing are inadequate, prompting the study's authors to analyze Google search behaviors as a proxy for public interest and to understand how policy reforms have influenced this interest. The study period coincided with significant policy reforms on substance use. In 2012, Colorado became the first U.
S. state to permit recreational cannabis use, and by 2023, 24 states had followed suit, encompassing half of the U.S.
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