> A "microdose" is enough to alleviate symptoms of depression without risking one's psychological stability.

Not only the body weight of the person is going to matter, yields of active substance varies heavily and there is no consensus on what a microdose is. Cut-off can be as low as 0.2 grams.

Psychedelic use is correlated with an increase in neuroticism though, and not as a function of the badness of the trip. Plus in a susceptible person even 0.5g can trigger a first psychotic episode.

I find such claims of safety unfoundedly bold and honestly irresponsible.

One of the problems is that most people don't know they are susceptible and only find out after. It's a dice roll without some kind of ability to do a screening.

But no studies have proven so far that microdosing is even effective at all.

Are you under the impression that it isn't primarily a recreational substance?

If you plot out all usage globally, recreational use is probably going to be the most common case. However, being recreational is not a property of the substance itself, so the term you both were using is misleading in that sense.

Are you under the impression that a substances effects are somehow mediated by their legality?

Not at all. I just realize that these are primarily used for recreation. It could change - I mean, look at cocaine - and it can be both (opiates, for example).

Fair enough.

Cocaine is both too, by the way, stops intra-nasal bleeding post-op.