How To Weigh And Dose Psychedelics Safely

Miguel Antonio Ordoñez

Freelance Cannabis Journalist

Miguel Antonio Ordoñez

Last updated: September 14, 2020

Psychoactive substances such as LSD and magic mushrooms can induce an awesome, sometimes even life-changing experience. However, being the powerful tools they are, you want to treat these substances with respect and take them responsibly. Among the most important issues is knowing how much of a psychedelic you are taking. Not only can this increase your chances of a good trip, but it can clue you in to the specifics of a given substance. For those reasons and more, let’s walk through how to weigh and dose psychedelics safely.

TEST ANY SUBSTANCE FIRST BEFORE CONSUMING

Wouldn’t it be something if you could just go to a dispensary or pharmacy and pick up some shrooms or LSD? Well, bummer, we are not there yet. Instead, we get blotters, pills, and shrooms from "that guy on the corner”. As a side effect of obtaining these substances from the black market, you never know for sure what you’re actually getting.

EZ Test Ecstasy

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Some time ago, the folks over at Vice tested drugs they obtained at a UK music festival and found that almost all contained some kind of impurity. For example, "MDMA” sold for £20 a pop turned out to be half a heartburn pill mixed with who knows what, and (not surprisingly) didn’t have any effect. But this wasn’t even the most worrying thing they found. In some capsules they found DMX, a dangerous substance that can lead to heatstroke, and the even more dangerous PMA (para-methoxyamphetamine), a chemical responsible for the deaths of British party-goers in 2015.

TEST IT OUT

In other words, before you even start measuring your magic powders and pills, it is very important to do your best to identify exactly what it is you have. The good thing is, you don’t need a lab for that. At Zamnesia, you can get kits to test LSD, ecstasy, ketamine, cocaine, and other substances. With the EZ Test LSD, you can test your sample for LSD, DMT, psilocybin, psilocin, 5-MeO-DMT, or 5-MeO-MiPT, among other indoles.

Only when you know what you actually got, and how pure it is, can you safely weigh and dose.

DON’T RELY ON GUESSWORK

Some psychedelics, a good example here is LSD, are so potent that we measure them in micrograms. A microgram is 1 millionth of a gram, or 1/1000th of a milligram. A beginner dose of LSD is around 50µg, which is 0.05mg—a ridiculously tiny amount. As such, you can't “eyeball” such potent, concentrated substances if you want to dose properly and safely. So don't go by "scoops" or use other unreliable methods like graph paper. Even for measuring shrooms and similar substances, all these methods are very inaccurate. You’ll more than likely end up with a dose that’s too low or too high, and neither is ideal.

KNOW HOW MUCH YOU WANT TO TAKE

Obviously, measuring only makes sense if you know how much you want to take. It’s always better to start with a low dose, gradually increasing if need be. This way, you can become familiar with the effects and how they progress by dose. Hardly ever is there a point in going for a “heroic dose”, unless you are a very experienced psychonaut. Taking too much can in fact be detrimental to your psychedelic experience, increasing the chances of a bad trip.

RECOMMENDED DOSE — LSD

A low beginner dose of LSD starts out at 20–40µg. 90–110µg of LSD makes for a decent hit where you’re tripping with visuals. Anything over 200µg is considered a very powerful dose.

RECOMMENDED DOSE — MAGIC MUSHROOMS

For shrooms, a low dose starts at 0.5–2.0g, with 2–4g considered a full dose. Everything above is considered a “heroic dose”, only recommended for very experienced psychonauts. Choose accordingly depending on your experience with psychedelics.

MAGIC MUSHROOMS DOSAGE CALCULATOR

HOW TO WEIGH CORRECTLY

You need a good scale that can measure accurately. A lot of cannabis smokers already have a scale at home that can measure down to a tenth or hundredth of a gram. Good for weed, sure, but still not accurate enough for our purposes. For psychedelics and similarly potent stuff, what we want is a milligram scale like the CT-250 Digital Scale by On Balance.

This scale doesn’t just measure down to the third place after the decimal (milligrams), which makes it ideal for weighing all kinds of magical powders, shrooms, and similar substances; it can also hold a decent 50g of whatever it is you want to measure.

HOW TO MEASURE WITH A MILLIGRAM SCALE

1. Find an undisturbed space with as little air movement as possible, as milligram scales are very sensitive. Set your scale on a flat and level surface and turn it on.

2. To get the most accurate results, you want to calibrate the scale. A good scale like the CT-250 often comes with calibration weights included. Place them on the tray and calibrate the scale according to the instructions.

3. When your scale is properly calibrated, place just the tray on the weighing surface of the scale and press the “Tare” or “Zero” button. This will set the scale (with tray) to zero, as you don’t want the scale to factor in the weight of the tray when you measure.

4. Your scale is now ready to use! When taking measurements, only add tiny bits of your substance gradually onto the tray. A small spatula, toothpick, or something similar can be helpful here. Continue adding slowly until the scale shows the desired dose. If you added too much, use your tool of choice to take some of the substance off until you hit the sweet spot.

PREPARATION AND BEYOND

Knowing what you’re going to consume, and how much of it, is the first—yet most important—step to having a safe and positive psychedelic experience. But there are other things you need to consider that are also of great importance.

With psychedelics, the trajectory of your trip will largely depend on “set and setting”, an expression that stands for your mindset and mood (set) as well as your surroundings and the people you're with when taking a drug (setting).

Your set is important as psychedelics amplify your feelings. If you go tripping when you’re anxious or depressed, the psychedelic will only make these negative emotions more apparent, and your trip is likely to turn sour.

The same is true of setting. You don’t want to trip somewhere unfamiliar or uncomfortable, and you definitely don’t want to trip around people you don’t trust or who give you bad vibes. If it’s your first time, a familiar place, like your home, is best for staging your psychedelic journey.

Only experienced psychonauts should consider taking psychedelics in more social or public atmospheres like events, festivals, or when walking around the city. For the inexperienced, tripping in places with tons of people around and all kinds of action going on can turn into an unsettling experience.

THE IMPORTANCE OF A TRIP-SITTER

When taking any psychedelic, it is recommended to do so in the presence of a trip-sitter. A trip-sitter can be helpful in establishing your ideal dose, and can lend you some wisdom and encouragement should you encounter moments of anxiety or fear. These instances are totally natural, and are often fleeting if you don’t give in to them. A trip-sitter can remind you of this and keep you on track. Make sure that your trip-sitter is a trusted friend who understands what you’re experiencing, and is sober.