Magic mushrooms have been used in spiritual practice, medicine and as a party enhancer for millennia. But recently, mothers in Denver have found the benefits of microdosing psilocybin mushrooms. For Lucy, a working mother of two who only wanted us to use her first name, microdosing has become a gentle way to be more present.
“You’re taking a moment out of your own head, of your to-do list, your kids’ schedule and all the things that come with motherhood,” Lucy said. “You’re taking that one snap second to be present and, in the moment.”
Microdosing psychedelics is the practice of ingesting very low, sub-hallucinogenic doses of a psychedelic substance such as lysergic acid diethylamide—better known as LSD—or psilocybin-containing mushrooms. In November 2022, Colorado voters approved Prop 122, legalizing psilocybin mushrooms and allowing individuals 21 and up to grow and use the fungi. The mushrooms are being extensively researched as effective treatments for mental health disorders.
“You take a dose that is low enough where you don’t have any perceptual effects,” said Tracey Tee, founder of Moms on Mushrooms, or MOM. “You’re not high, you’re not hallucinating, it’s more like the feeling that you get when you drink a strong cup of coffee. You know it’s there but it’s not inhibiting you in any way, if anything it’s sort of enhancing you.”
Tee founded MOM after experiencing a traumatic car accident with her family and realizing how microdosing helped her heal from the accident. She shared her experience with her community and found women wanting to learn more about the practice.
“I sort of came out of the shroom closet to our community and just said, ‘Look, I’ve been doing this, it’s been making me feel so amazing.’ Women were like, ‘Oh my gosh you’re microdosing, you’re normal. If you do it. maybe I could do it.’ So, I found myself talking to all these moms,” she said.
The MOM group is an online community that offers microdosing courses created exclusively for moms all over the world. The three-and-a-half-month course is a safe space where mothers come together and create a microdosing practice with the support of a facilitator and their peers. Members can access the private community The Grow, a Facebook-like platform exclusively for moms on mushrooms, where they will find discussion groups, microdosing information and vetted resources.
“It’s a place where moms are connecting and learning about this medicine together. No guru, no expert, no dude in a coat. Just talking about their own shared experiences and asking questions of each other,” Tee said. “We have mothers who’ve been working with this medicine for decades and moms that are still just learning or just want to learn and have no intention of trying it anytime soon, so that’s the best place to start.”
In the Zoom meetings of ten or fewer women, members can share their personal experiences with microdosing, the amount they consumed and how it benefits them. They give each other advice if they are having any issues with microdosing but overall they have created a village of moms who share motherhood wisdom.
“At one point a mom of an 18-year-old said, ‘You know, I would do anything to put my kid to bed tonight, and get that time back,’ because I was complaining about bedtime with my kid and I can never get him to go to sleep,” Lucy said. “This cohort kind of allowed me to have a village. They’re not coming and changing my kid’s diaper, but to have the village mentality that’s just a sounding board across generations was really cool.”
After having her second child, Lucy was struggling with postpartum depression and was prescribed antidepressants. But she didn’t love the idea of being on the medication long-term and decided to give microdosing a go after learning about its benefits. She completed the MOMs course, where she learned to microdose with intent. Throughout the course, the women practice journaling, moving their bodies and meditating. Lucy said microdosing is not like taking an antidepressant, where you take it and feel better. Rather, sometimes it may cause opposite side effects, like tiredness or sadness. However, the facilitator is there to help you identify these different effects and symptoms.
“I kind of went into it thinking that it’s going to be a bunch of young moms who are super tired, who are dealing with young kids and the temper tantrums, the exhaustion, no sleeping, potty training and all of that,” Lucy said. “Come to find out, it was actually moms of all ages which was really really cool because it kind of helps me understand that the journey of motherhood is never really over. If you’re a mother of a two-year-old or a 16-year-old you’re still a mother, the challenges are just different.”
One of the many things Lucy learned from the course was the amount of microdose that works best for her. She said unlike normal medication, psilocybin isn’t based on body weight because it is processed differently in the body. During their Zoom meetings, the women share their experiences with different amounts of microdose that can range from 75 mg to 250 mg. Initially, Lucy was taking 250 mg, which is considered the maximum microdose before one starts to feel the effects of the psychedelic properties. The other moms in the group suggested she drop down to 120 mg to see how that worked for her.
“It’s so incredible to have that support because now when I microdose on a work day I don’t take more than 120 [mg] because I know that it puts me in that sweet spot of being most productive,” she said.
While microdosing has recently gained popularity, medical professionals advise against self-experimentation.
“Psilocybin is generally thought to be safe in low dosages,” said Dr. Peter Grinspoon, a Harvard Medical School medical contributor. “However, if one takes too large a dose it can result in a terrifying event [or] traumatic experience.” With a variety of mushroom species, Dr. Grinspoom suggests sourcing mushrooms from a trusted source to avoid self-poisoning.
Tee doesn’t microdose every day, but when she does, she likes to put her fungi in a cup of warm cacao. As she sips on her drink, she says a prayer and thinks about her day and what she wants in life moving forward. She said mushrooms are more of a co-creation and the medicine is an ally for whatever you are trying to work on for yourself; it shouldn’t be disrespected or overused. She also says it is not a magic pill that will solve all your problems.
“You work with the medicine and you put that intention there and the medicine illuminates the toxic patterns that we have in ourselves and gives you permission to fix them without any fear around,” Tee said. “It’s really about empowering yourself with education as much as it is being intentional around your usage.”
Apart from coaching groups, MOM also works to destigmatize the use of psychedelics by framing it within the context of personal growth and healing. Tee said the public has been fed so much misinformation about psychedelics by the government and media, but it is important to learn about microdosing and safety.
Tee advises women interested in starting their microdosing journey to explore the options and empower themselves with knowledge.
“Learn about it, talk to other moms, and give yourself permission to change your mind, to change your own preconceived notions about science academics. Get clear on your why, why is this calling to you and if your heart is saying, ‘I’m tired of going through the motions, I want to be more for myself and for my family,’ come join us and we’ll support you if we can.”