What is microdosing cannabis and why do it

The medical benefits of cannabis (and its active ingredients like THC and CBD) are hard to deny. So if cannabis is working well for your medical conditions, you might think that the more cannabis you take the better it will work at relieving your symptoms. But is this true? In the midst of a cannabis market with increasingly potent cannabis options, some are choosing a different route. Instead of increasing their cannabis intake they are scaling it back with something called “microdosing.”

What is Microdosing?

Microdosing is the practice of taking a much smaller dose of a medication than is normally used. It’s a practice used with all kinds of compounds, but most often discussed with psychoactive substances such as LSD. Recently people have started to apply the practice to cannabis and its popular ingredients, THC and CBD.

One recent clinical trial found that microdosing just 1 mg of THC, and even 0.5 mg, was effective at relieving chronic pain.

One reason for microdosing cannabis is that taking a small amount may help to access it’s helpful effects without engaging negative side effects like a psychoactive high. But microdosing cannabis is also helpful for those who are trying to avoid triggering the wrong side of something called a biphasic effect.

To explain this simply, when a substance (like THC) has a biphasic effect, it means that it can produce two opposing effects — depending on the dose of the substance taken. Consider, for example, alcohol, which at low doses might make someone feel a bit energized, happy and chatty — but at high doses might leave them sedated, depressed and antisocial.

For many substances, these biphasic effects are important because the dose taken can drastically impact the effect it has on the human body. And with cannabis, multiple biphasic effects have been noted.

Cannabis’ Biphasic Effects

Cannabis’ two most common and popular ingredients, THC and CBD, have been noted to have a variety of biphasic effects. One of the most commonly reported biphasic effects from cannabis is THC’s effect on anxiety. While many report cannabis can help ease their anxiety, others say that it makes them more anxious and paranoid. The science supports these claims, showing that dosing can make a big impact on how cannabis and its components affect anxiety. Studies on both animals and humans have found that while lower doses of THC tend to relieve anxiety, higher doses can spike it.

For example, in one animal study, mice given low doses of THC spent more time in open areas than controls (an indication of reduced anxiety), while those given high doses of THC spent less time in these stressful spaces (suggesting increased anxiety).

In one human study, a group of 42 patients were given a placebo, a low dose of THC (7.5mg), or a high dose of THC (12.5mg). Then they were subjected to various stress inducing tests and asked to rate their stress. Those in the low THC group showed reduced stress during these tests, but those who had the higher dose were more likely to have increased stress.

In another human study, a group of incarcerated patients with PTSD were given even lower doses (4mg) of the synthetic cannabinoid Nabilone, which mimics THC’s effects. Researchers found this low dose resulted in significant improvement in PTSD associated insomnia, nightmares, general symptoms, and even chronic pain.

Still despite success treating anxiety conditions at these lower doses, the average dosing for cannabis products is around 10mg — which might be too high for some. And it’s not just anxiety that can benefit from microdosing. Biphasic effects from THC have been noted for pain, temperature regulation, motivational processing, appetite, novelty seeking, and locomotion and exploration. Biphasic responses have also been found for CBD with effects like pain, sedation, nausea and vomiting relief, and immune responses.

For many of cannabis’ effects — a lower dose might be the most effective option.

By Emily Earlenbaugh, PhD.

Medically reviewed by Roni Sharon, MD