University Students’ Motives for Psilocybin Use: A Mixed-Methods Analysis

People use psilocybin for different reasons depending on whether they take a microdose (0.1–0.4 g) or a macrodose (1 g+), each producing distinct perceptual and mood effects. An online survey measured motives with an adapted Marijuana Motives Measure and found statistically significant differences in motives between the two doses. A thematic analysis further revealed that motives also differ for initiating versus continuing use. These results suggest that harm reduction and public policy should account for dosage-specific motivations.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Motives are a highly influential force in substance use and vary depending on the substance or dose being used. Little research has compared motives across different doses of psilocybin. Psilocybin is often ingested in microdoses (0.1–0.4 g) or macrodoses (1 g+), each producing unique perceptual and mood effects. The current study examined whether motives for microdose and macrodose psilocybin use differ. An online survey was employed to examine differences in motives using an adapted Marijuana Motives Measure. A thematic analysis was conducted to further explore motives for each dose, and to determine if motives differ for initiating and continuing psilocybin use. As hypothesized, there were statistically significant differences in motives for microdose and macrodose use ( p < .001). Qualitative results also indicated differences in motives depending on dosage, and differences in reasons for initiating and continuing use. These findings have important implications for harm reduction and public policy.