World's first LSD microdosing study to be conducted in New Zealand

Researchers at the University of Auckland in New Zealand have just received final approval from the New Zealand government for a study on LSD microdosing, the first of its kind.

The principle of microdosing, or micro-consumption, is to take a substance in small quantities in order to benefit from its cellular effects without triggering perceptible effects, such as the intoxicating effects of LSD or cannabis.

LSD microdosing has enjoyed a meteoric rise in popularity among some of Silicon Valley's top techies in recent years. Users claim to have heightened senses, heightened awareness and an enhanced ability to solve complex problems. The only problem with these claims is that they have never been scientifically verified, due to the status of LSD in most countries.

«Users report improvements in mood, well-being, attention and cognition, so that's what we're going to measure,» a declared to Suresh Muthukumaraswamy, principal investigator of the study. «We will give microdoses via very tightly controlled prescriptions to be taken at home. This will be a more realistic assessment of what microdosing actually does.»

Letting experimental subjects take home a controlled psychedelic such as LSD is unusual. Most studies involving LSD require subjects to remain in a supervised environment while the molecule takes effect. In some countries, LSD-assisted psychotherapy follows a similar procedure, in which patients consume the drug within a clinic. Since LSD microdosing is intended to improve everyday life without interfering with people's functioning, it seems logical to let subjects evolve in their own environment.

The study will initially involve 40 male subjects.

The research team now needs funding to develop research on this psychedelic to the maximum, with the aim of conducting brain MRIs, electroencephalograms or clinical trials based on this research.