Canadian singer Lights says microdosing makes her 'less angry' — but what is it?
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Contact a qualified medical professional before engaging in any physical activity, or making any changes to your diet, medication or lifestyle.
Lights is on a mission to break the stigma around microdosing.
On Wednesday, the Canadian singer, born Valerie Anne Poxleitner, took to Instagram to post a video of her opening up about the "transformative" effects of microdosing.
In the clip, the 35-year-old sat outside in a forest surrounded by trees and greenery. Her jet black hair fell past her shoulders as she smiled at the camera and showed fans the scenery around her. On the screen, the "Drive My Soul" songstress explained how she microdoses and gave fans tips for how to achieve the optimal effects.
"I’ve been microdosing and it’s been transformative for my mental health. I dose every three days so as not to develop a tolerance and mitigate the benefits," she wrote. "Dose while doing something peaceful and meditative to hack your neural growth in content or creative state. Be in nature if you can or take a walk and disconnect. Overall microdosing has helped me to be less angry and more at peace. Maybe someday our lawmakers will recognize this is something beautiful and beneficial to our mental health. Destigmatize!"
In the caption, the star revealed that she gets her products from Blum + Labs, a Canadian Psilocybin medicine company.
"Destigmatize. I talk about this more often in my stories. I get mine from Blum + Labs, they gave me a discount code for you if you want to try — lights15," she said.
Fans praised the singer for her vulnerability and shared their experiences with microdosing in the comments.
"I just started microdosing and I'm drinking less alcohol and have been more conscious about my decision making," wrote a follower.
"I absolutely love that you support microdosing! I've had so many changes in the last two years since starting my journey, a lot more peaceful and mindful!" commented another.
"It's so good for trauma healing and depression management, extensive research supports it. Really happy for you and thanks for posting a video about this," added someone else.
What is microdosing?
According to Medical News Today and the CTV News, microdosing refers to regularly taking small amounts of psychedelic substances such as psilocybin, the psychoactive ingredient in magic mushrooms. Evidence from small observational studies suggests that microdosing psilocybin can improve cognitive function and alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Most people who microdose use approximately 10 per cent of the regular dose of psilocybin between two to five times a week. This small dose does not produce hallucinogenic effects.
What are the pros and cons of microdosing?
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) recently received the first Canadian federal (CIHR) grant to study psilocybin as a potential way to treat depression. Despite the fact that research into microdosing is relatively new, there are some known pros and cons.
Generally, users can experience happier and positive effects on their microdosing days. Other pros include lower stress levels and fewer distractions and depression-like symptoms. This has the potential to improve life satisfaction and provide greater moments of creativity.
On the downside, some individuals feel limited residual effects and become unhappy when their expectations for microdosing are not met. Other people have experienced slight headaches and mood swings.
Before trying microdosing, we recommend speaking with your doctor to make sure the practice is right for you.
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