Tips for Coming Down From a Serious Marijuana High

Every stoner has that one moment, or couple of moments, in their lives when they got so high, they felt as if they’d never come down. It can happen to anyone, and although it can’t kill you, it’s not a pleasant experience either.

If you’ve smoked a strain that’s left you super buzzed or if you’ve ever overindulged in edibles, you’ll find the information below useful. We’ve rounded up some of the most effective strategies for coming down from a super high. 

But, first, let’s take a look at the effects of getting too high.

What Are the Results of Getting Too High?

The typical effects of smoking weed are pleasant and desirable. That’s why people like it in the first place. But, depending on how you consume cannabis, how much you use, and how strong the strain is, you might have varying experiences. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve used cannabis. The results of your next high might not be the same as your previous hit.

Before we get to how you’ll feel if you get too high, let’s check out what you’ll experience with a regular dose. The typical effects of cannabis include:

• Euphoria
• Hunger
• Increased creativity
• Hunger
• Added sensitivity to color, light, smell, taste, and touch

However, if you take too much cannabis in one sitting, here’s what you might experience:

• Anxiety
• Hallucinations and delusions
• Panic
• Confusion
• Paranoia
• Racing heartbeat
• Nausea and vomiting
• High blood pressure

That being said, the unwanted effects are not guaranteed. But, like with other intoxicating substances, taking too much weed can tip the balance in that the negative effects outweigh the good ones.

How Long Does Cannabis Stay in Your System?

If you’re just starting out, then you’re probably wondering how long your high will last. Unfortunately, there isn’t a definitive answer to this question. It all comes down to how much you consume, how strong the strain is, and how your body processes it.

That being said, here’s a rough estimate: if you smoke weed, the effects start almost immediately, and your high can last anywhere between one and three hours. However, if you take an edible or ingestible, you’ll probably start to feel its effects much later.

Sometimes, the high feeling might be delayed by up to two hours. But, when it kicks in, it kicks in hard, and it will last much longer. You may feel the buzz for up to 12 hours, with residual effects lasting up to 24 hours.

How to Know if You Are Too High

When you take too much cannabis or use a strain that’s much stronger than what you’re used to, you might get too high. At this point, you’ll start to realize that the euphoric effects you’re used to having have been replaced by unpleasant feelings like:

Dizziness

This is probably the first sign you’ll experience. The dizziness might also be accompanied by weakness and disorientation. It’s not the kind you get when you stand up too quick or take a huge bong hit. This is more of a persistent and overpowering dizziness that doesn’t seem to go away. When you feel like this, you might want to lie down until the feeling passes.

Accelerated Heartbeat

This is where most people start panicking. Once you get too high, your heart will start pounding like you just ran a mile. This is due to the fact that cannabis affects the part of your brain that controls your heartbeat. But, don’t panic; this is pretty normal. All you have to do is relax, take deep breaths, and eventually, your heartbeat will level out.

Paranoia

We’ve all experienced this at least once: that sudden, palpable fear that overwhelms you. You may feel like everyone knows that you’re high, or even worse, the cops are coming (even though it’s legal now). When you start getting too paranoid, try to relax and ground yourself so your mind doesn’t spin out. If that doesn’t work, find a dark room and curl up in a blanket. You’ll be alright eventually.

Difficulty Speaking

Have you ever gotten so high that you ‘forgot’ how to speak? You know, that moment when someone asks you a question, and you have a response, but you just can’t get your lips moving? Well, if you haven’t experienced it, don’t start celebrating just yet; getting too high does that sometimes.

All these things, and more, can happen when you get too high. Luckily, you can fix it with these simple tips.

How to Come Down From a Serious Marijuana High

1. Take Some CBD

You’ve probably heard of the therapeutic and medical benefits of CBD. But did you know it can also help you get down from a high? CBD, the non-intoxicating component of cannabis, has been proven to reduce THC-induced paranoia and anxiety.

A 1982 psychopharmacology study concluded that CBD might mitigate the effects of THC. Similarly, a more recent study conducted in 2013 revealed that when CBD is consumed alongside THC, it seems to lessen the adverse effects of THC. CBD binds to the same receptors as THC, thus blocking its effects.

Although more research is needed to confirm the relationship between THC and CBD, smoking some hemp flower or taking some CBD oil to balance the intoxicating effects of THC is a good remedy for a serious marijuana high. And if you don’t want to get high like that again, consider selecting cannabis strains and products with a high CBD content.

2. Chew Some Black Peppercorn

Apart from spicing up your food, black peppercorn can actually help tone down your high. In fact, it’s so effective that it provides near-instant relief from THC-induced anxiety and paranoia. Just chew on a whole black peppercorn, or grind it in food, and you’ll be well on your way to regaining your mellow self.

It might sound like it won’t work, but there’s actually a lot of science behind it. According to a journal published in the British Journal of Pharmacology, black peppercorns and cannabis have the same chemical traits.

It all comes down to terpenes; beta-caryophyllene, a terpene in black peppercorn, can help tame the psychoactive effects of THC. This terpene binds to the same receptors as CBD, thus effectively blocking THC from latching onto the receptors.

 

3. Squeeze a Lemon

Like peppercorn, lemons also contain terpenes that have calming effects. Just as THC and CBD combine to give you a euphoric effect, various terpenes found in other plants seem to have a synergistic relationship with cannabis compounds.

The terpene limonene, which is found in certain strains of cannabis and rinds of citrus fruits, has demonstrated the ability to reduce anxiety tremendously. So, if you have a lemon in hand, try giving it a hard squeeze, then inhale the scent.

4. Get a Drink, Just Not Coffee or Beer

Coffee does wonders in boosting your alertness. You might have even tried it a couple of times to get you sober from alcohol. But, just because it works on alcohol doesn’t mean it’s going to work on marijuana.

There is compelling evidence that suggests that alcohol actually increases the amount of THC in your bloodstream, which wouldn’t be so good if you’re trying to come down. And caffeine doesn’t do any good either. So, instead of your regular go-to beverages, grab a bottle of water instead. Staying hydrated helps your body process the cannabis out of your system faster. 

5. Relax

Have you ever tripped so hard that everyone kept telling you to relax? Well, maybe they had a point after all. All the panic, paranoia, and anxiety that comes with being too high makes you want only one thing – for that serious marijuana high to end as soon as possible. At this time, you’re not relaxed, and your rapid pulse is working against you.

So, try to relax. There are several relaxation techniques out there that could help you by giving you the kind of stress reduction you hope to achieve. On the flip side, relaxation techniques require a bit of practice and patience. So, take your time, and just let the anxiety fade away.

6. Find a Distraction

When you’re trying to come down from a marijuana high, time doesn’t seem to move. As such, thinking about it doesn’t help. As a matter of fact, it might even make you more anxious.

 Lucky for you, there are tons of distractions you can indulge in. It all comes down to what you like. But, since you might be too high to think about ways to distract yourself, here are a few suggestions:

• Listening to music
• Taking a walk
• Watching your favorite movie or documentary
•  Chatting with a friend 

There’s no limit to the things you can do. If you keep yourself distracted long enough, you won’t even notice the high fading away.

7. Don’t Use Any Other Substances

Have you ever heard of the phrase “fight fire with fire?” Well, when it comes to reducing the psychoactive effects of weed, that doesn’t work. Take alcohol, for example. On a regular day, alcohol gets you hyped up and eliminates any traces of anxiety, but combine it with too much weed, and you’ve got double the anxiety. 

The same goes for prescription stimulants, like those used to treat ADHD or stimulating drugs like cocaine. These stimulants can create hallucinations and delusional thinking on their own. Now imagine having all that combined with THC-induced anxiety and paranoia.

Apart from these substances, you should also avoid any folk remedies rumored to sober you up quickly. Instead, go for non-intoxicating remedies like water and black peppercorn.

8. Give it Time

When you get too high, remind yourself that no high lasts forever. Fighting it will just create more stress. Think of it this way; if you smoked weed, the feeling should be gone in about two to three hours. 

Likewise, if you ate edibles, then the feeling should subside in the next four to five hours. The bottom line is – give it time to wear off without agitating yourself.

9. Get a Safety Plan

You need to have a safety plan in place for the next time you get too high and want to come down from it. Your safety plan needs to outline the following:

• Which problems did you experience the last time you got too high?
• What helped?
• What made the high feel worse?
• What caused the problems in the first place?

Having a safety plan in place comes in handy since it’s quite hard to focus when you’re dealing with all the panic and anxiety from a serious marijuana high. So, before you get high, create a safety plan. You can also share it with your friends so that they know how to help you the next time you need to sober up.

 

10. Call a Friend

Sometimes, all you need is little motivation and encouragement to convince yourself that everything is going to be fine is. So, if you feel like you’re about to die from your “overdose,” call a friend and let them talk you down from that serious marijuana high. A small conversation could just change your whole mindset. 

11. Take a Shower

Do you want to turn your bad high into a good one? Then take a shower or bath. The sensation of water flowing down your body can do wonders in elevating your mood. Think of it as a form of mental hydration; even splashing a bit of cold water on your face eases your mind and makes you feel calmer.

12. Eat, Then Take a Nap

If none of the tips above is working out for you, eat something then hit the pillows. It may not sound like much, but these are the essentials of self-care. Maybe a little self-care is what you need to turn up that downward spiral so you can go back to being your regular not-so-high self.

The Bottom Line

You can’t just zap your way out of a serious marijuana high. You have to give it time before you can finally feel like yourself again. But, with the tips above, you can keep yourself more comfortable while you’re at it. You might even make it go away faster. So chill out, don’t panic, and most importantly, know your limits.