Ben Greenfield on drugs: what the evidence says · JRE #1069
SUBJECT: DRUGS
The short answer
Greenfield states a specific microgram dosage (10-20 micrograms) that constitutes a standard LSD microdose for most people. Greenfield presented 10-20 micrograms as the microdose amount that would apply to most people, framing it as a fixed, standardized figure.
Not a true/false call. Every claim is logged with its sources; read the exhibits below.
you're getting exactly 10 micrograms of LSD and about 10 to 20 micrograms, like one to two dropper bottles full, that would be considered a micro dose for most people.
What the evidence says 01 / RECORD
Greenfield presented 10-20 micrograms as the microdose amount that would apply to most people, framing it as a fixed, standardized figure. Peer-reviewed research does not support a single universal threshold: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial tested 5, 10, and 20 microgram LSD doses as distinct conditions and found the 10-microgram dose produced the most pronounced effect (temporal dilation of suprasecond intervals), while the 5 and 20 microgram conditions did not show the same pattern, indicating that effects vary across this range rather than converging on one interchangeable number. A separate observational study of real-world microdosers similarly found a wide range of self-selected doses and outcomes rather than a standardized protocol, and its authors explicitly called for future dose-controlled research because none yet exists. Because LSD is produced and sold illicitly, dose consistency across batches also cannot be independently verified, further undermining any claim of one fixed, universally applicable microdose amount. The 10-20 microgram range Greenfield cites falls within ranges discussed in the scientific literature, but presenting it as a single precise figure that applies uniformly to most people overstates the precision and consensus that current research supports.