Posted by pinksharkmark (64.32.117.9) on September 07, 2001 at 15:37:48:
In Reply to: Pill weight... posted by Paul on September 07, 2001 at 09:03:39:
You are, of course, correct when you say that pills weigh more than the amount of the active ingredient contained in them. That is why I recommended vitamin C pills (not the chewable kind) as a first choice, since the amount of binders is minimal. A 500 mg vitamin C pill will normally weigh around 550 mg or so.
The fact that the pills are ALWAYS heavier than 500 mg gives a bit of a built-in safety factor, too, in that it means you will not be weighing out 2.5 grams thinking that is actually 2.0 grams. In the case of a neophyte taking his first ever dose of mushrooms, it is better to consume a little less than a little more, if absolute accuracy is not possible.
However, I still strongly urge people to invest in a set of fairly accurate scales. There are many places selling scales capable of weighing small quantities to an accuracy of 0.1 grams for as little as $15.
pinky