Microdose vs Macrodose: Grams, Formats and Who Each Suits

The two words sound alike but describe very different days. A microdose is meant to stay below the level where you notice anything obvious. A macrodose is a full psychedelic experience. Here is how they compare in grams, formats, timing and planning.

The short answer

• Microdose: about 0.05 to 0.25 g of dried mushroom, usually taken on a schedule, with no trip intended.
• Macrodose: about 1 g and up, taken occasionally, with a full experience lasting four to six hours.

How many grams?

For dried Psilocybe cubensis, rough ranges are:

• Microdose: about 0.05 to 0.25 g
• Low: about 0.5 to 1 g
• Moderate: about 1 to 2.5 g
• Strong: about 2.5 to 3.5 g

These are starting points, not promises. Lab testing has found that psilocybin content can differ by a factor of two or more between batches and strains, so the same weight from two bags can feel quite different. Our dose sizes guide goes through each level.

Capsules: what the label tells you

Capsules take the scale out of it. The microdose capsules on our shelf hold 50 to 150 mg of mushroom each (0.05 to 0.15 g), and the macrodose capsules hold 350 to 500 mg each, so a macrodose is often two or more capsules. Always read the amount per capsule and per serving before anything else, because brands are not interchangeable. Our guide to reading a microdose label shows where to look.

What the day looks like

A microdose day should look like a normal day. If you clearly feel altered, see visual changes or find it hard to concentrate, that was more than a microdose, so take less next time.

A macrodose day is planned around the experience: four to six hours of altered perception and emotion, then a slow landing. It needs a calm place, a clear schedule and ideally a sober sitter. Read set and setting before your first one.

Schedules and tolerance

Microdosing usually follows a schedule with days off, such as the Fadiman schedule (one day on, two days off) or the Stamets schedule (four or five days on, then a break). Our schedules guide compares them. Tolerance to psilocybin builds quickly, which is one reason schedules include rest days and why a full dose taken the day after another usually feels weaker.

What research has and hasn't shown

Full doses have been studied in clinical trials under close supervision, with screening, preparation and trained staff. Microdosing has much less behind it. In the largest placebo-controlled study, a 2021 self-blinding project with 191 participants, people who microdosed reported changes, but so did people taking placebo when they believed they had microdosed. Our microdosing research guide covers the details. Neither is an approved treatment for anything in Canada.

Which one suits you?

• Curious about a low-key routine and want an ordinary day: a microdose, starting at the bottom of the range. Browse microdose capsules.
• Planning a full experience with a free day and a sitter: a macrodose, starting low. Browse macrodose capsules or dried mushrooms.
• Brand new to mushrooms: start with our first-time checklist.

Stay safe

Skip psilocybin if you have a personal or family history of psychosis or bipolar disorder, a heart condition, are pregnant, or take lithium, MAOIs, tramadol or antidepressants without medical advice. You must be 19 or older to shop with us. Never drive after taking mushrooms. Psilocybin is a controlled substance in Canada.

Sources

• Szigeti and others (2021), Self-blinding citizen science to explore psychedelic microdosing, eLife
• Goff and others (2024), Determination of psilocybin and psilocin content in multiple Psilocybe cubensis mushroom strains, Analytica Chimica Acta
• Johnson, Richards and Griffiths (2008), Human hallucinogen research: guidelines for safety, Journal of Psychopharmacology
• Health Canada, Psilocybin and psilocin (magic mushrooms)

This guide is general information, not medical or legal advice. If you have health questions, talk to a health professional.