For decades, both marijuana and other psychedelic drugs, such as psilocybin (magic mushrooms) and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), were viewed as toxic hallucinogens with no medical purpose. Yet, recently, research has been uncovering this category of substances may actually have a lot to offer both the individual and society as a whole.
With that research, some of the ancient myths surrounding these drugs are starting to be discussed. One of the most notable is what happens when you mix marijuana with psychedelics?
Throughout this article, we’re going to address that very question. From there, we’ll give you some insight into how you should properly dose each substance and whether or not the combination is right for you.
Recent Study Shows Cannabis Enhances Psychedelics
In a study published by Psychopharmacology, the authors discovered that cannabis has the ability to enhance the spiritual experiences perpetuated by serotonergic psychedelics. This class of substances naturally interferes with consciousness due to its interactions with serotonin receptors.
Most users of these substances report mystical-like experiences, including an “ego death” and wild visual stimuli. In accordance with this study, when cannabis is added to the mix, these experiences are heightened.
However, this research is somewhat limiting. The study only investigated 321 individuals and asked them about previous experiences with psychedelics and cannabis.
Admittedly, the majority who had used psychedelics and cannabis noted having increased experiences thanks to cannabis consumption, with researchers even going as far as to figure out that this heightening was largely based on dosing. More notably, the researchers found that high doses of cannabis during a psychedelic experience more often led to users having a “bad trip,” whereas low doses provided a more pleasant experience.
Even more so, those who didn’t consume marijuana during a psychedelic experience were shown to rank lower scores on both the “fear” and “insanity” subscales.
According to researchers, this reveals that in most cases, marijuana doesn’t make the psychedelic experience better. But even still, this evidence is extremely limiting. Most notably, the researchers had no control over the cannabis the participants took. Therefore, it’s very likely some participants took higher levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) whereas others took higher levels of cannabidiol (CBD).
Not to mention, the exact dosage in question remains a mystery. While it’s given that lower doses of cannabis have better effects, there are no exact numbers to base this on. Even more so, participants’ previous experiences with both substances are not detailed. With that said, we cannot calculate whether or not cannabis tolerances played any role in this research (though, we’re sure they did).
Still, there’s no denying cannabis has some effect. And the researchers theorize that it “may be because cannabis itself induces subjective effects that are similar to some effects of psychedelics, such as euphoria, changes in perception of time, intensification of sensory perception and hyper-associative thinking.”
Should You Mix Cannabis with Psychedelics?
If you’re new to either substance, the simple answer is “no.” While both provide similar and unique effects, the experiences users have on each are extremely different. And if you’re not sure how one of these substances is going to make you feel, chances are both together will thrust you into an overwhelming and uncomfortable experience – at least, according to the above-mentioned survey.
If you do have experience with both substances, we recommend going into a psychedelic experience with cautiousness. As mentioned, higher doses of cannabis are more likely to provide you with a “bad trip.” Therefore, it’s in your best interest to start small (see below for details) and work your way up.
The biggest difficulty is it’s impossible to say how psychedelics and cannabis will affect you. Psychotropic substances tend to provide users with a very personal experience – one of which cannot be defined by research. This is the biggest reason we recommend starting small, but even more so, it may simply be in your interest not to mix the two in general.
Even though recent research has shown cannabis and hallucinogens to both have potential medicinal properties, the current research suggests that when taken together, these properties are no longer notable.
Psychedelics and Cannabis Dosage Recommendations
Regardless, if you do plan to experiment with both, you should be aware of the proper doses. As of this time, there is no research to suggest what’s the right dosage for mixing cannabis and psychedelics. Instead, we’ve laid out common doses for both drugs on their own:
Cannabis
| Your Weight | Low Dose | Medium Dose | High Dose |
| 100 – 130 lbs | 10mg – 17mg | 21mg – 25mg | 30mg – 37mg |
| 130 – 160 lbs | 20mg – 27mg | 27mg – 33mg | 35mg – 43mg |
| 160 – 190 lbs | 29mg – 34mg | 34mg – 40mg | 44mg – 50mg |
| 190 – 220 lbs | 35mg – 39mg | 42mg – 50mg | 52mg – 58mg |
| 220 – 250 lbs | 40mg – 44mg | 51mg – 59mg | 60mg – 72mg |
| 250 – 280 lbs | 45mg – 50mg | 60mg – 69mg | 70mg – 85mg |
| 280+ lbs | 52mg+ | 75mg+ | 90mg+ |
In terms of psychedelics, each type is measured differently. For example, the level of psilocybin is measured in milligrams (mg) whereas the level of LSD is measured in micrograms (µg). For the sake of our dosage recommendations, we’re going to look at psilocybin as it’s the widely most used psychedelic:
| Dried Mushrooms | Estimated Psilocybin | |
| Low Dose | 1 gram | 10mg |
| Medium Dose | 1.75 grams | 17.5mg |
| High Dose | 3.5 grams | 35mg |
| Very High Dose | 5 grams | 50mg |
We hope that through these numbers, you can get a more accurate idea of how much cannabis and psychedelics you should be taking. For example, if you weigh 150 lbs and are on a medium dose (17.5mg) of psilocybin, you should start with about 25mg of cannabis before diving into higher doses.
Final Word
Personally, we don’t recommend mixing psychedelics with cannabis unless you’re looking for a “far-out” experience. This combination has been proven by research to provide users with intense experiences, and we understand most users simply aren’t looking for that.
If you do plan on mixing the two, be cautioned to only take a low dose of cannabis in order to see how it makes you feel. If you’re not sure what a low dose of cannabis looks like for you, we hope our chart is able to provide you with the right information.