In the right doses, medical cannabis can have beneficial health effects that significantly improve your quality of life. Heally can put you in touch with a cannabis-friendly doctor who can not only provide you with a medical marijuana card but also give you advice on the right dose and strain for your needs. This can help ensure you feel symptom relief without feeling too high on weed.
What Happens When You Get Too High on Weed
Taking too much cannabis can sometimes amplify your anxiety and make you feel like you’re just too high. This can be scary, but the good news is a cannabis overdose won’t be fatal and won’t cause any permanent damage.
While there are many endocannabinoid receptors in the body, none of them are in the same place in your brain that controls your breathing.
Physiological signs that you’ve had too much cannabis include:
- Sweating
- Rapid heart rate
- Nausea and vomiting
- Headache
- Dizziness
Psychological signs that you’ve had too much cannabis include:
- Anxiety
- Paranoia
- Confusion
- Panic attacks
- Hallucinations
Ultimately, once THC is in your system, there’s not much you can do but ride out the uncomfortable experience of being too high on weed. It could take from 20 minutes to a full day for symptoms to subside. Understanding that the symptoms you’re experiencing are temporary and won’t last can help you control them until they dissipate.
Why Do You Feel Too High?
Not all cannabis is created equal, and everyone reacts differently to different strains and varying amounts. There are many reasons why you might feel too high on weed.
- You’re a new medical cannabis user: If you’re a beginner, you’re likely still experimenting with strains and doses. You might not yet understand how your body reacts to THC and what your optimal dose is to reduce your symptoms without producing undesirable effects. When you’re new to medical cannabis, the key is to start low and go slow since your tolerance level will be low.
- You’ve had edibles: Edibles are notorious for making users feel too high. Because it can take up to 2 hours for effects to kick in, many users eat too much, too soon, then feel stronger-than-expected effects all at once. Remember that it takes your body longer to absorb the THC in edibles since it needs to pass through your digestive system.
- You’ve tried a new strain: The production of medical cannabis is quite sophisticated these days. There are currently 779 named and recognized strains of cannabis. Each one has varying levels of cannabinoids and produces different effects. Your body may react differently to each one. Trying a new strain that you’re not used to, one that produces different effects than you’re used to, can make you feel too high.
- There’s a lot of THC: Some strains are higher in THC than others. Some are lower in THC and higher in CBD. If you’re used to medicating with low-THC cannabis and suddenly switch to a high-THC strain, like a potent sativa strain, you may end up feeling too high.
- You used a different type of cannabis: Different ingestion methods produce different effects. Topicals, for example, provide localized pain and inflammation relief but will not make you feel high at all since the cannabinoids don’t hit your bloodstream. Smoking or vaping cannabis flower will produce a quick onset of symptom relief. Then there are cannabis extracts, which are far more potent than flower. Taking too much can make you feel too high.
8 Tips for When You Feel Too High on Weed
Unfortunately, if you feel too high, there’s not much you can do to stop feeling that way until the effects of the THC wear off naturally. There are things you can do to manage your symptoms, though.
- Don’t Freak Out: The best thing you can do when you feel too high is to understand that what you’re feeling is temporary and that the effects will dissipate with time. It’s also important to remember that you cannot fatally overdose on cannabis alone. This can help ease your anxiety symptoms.
- Take a Shower: Taking a shower may help bring you back to normalcy a little bit faster.
- Take CBD Oil: It might seem counterproductive, but CBD oil is known as an effective home remedy for an intense high. Studies show it can reduce the anxiety often caused by the ingestion of THC.
- Drink Sugar Water: Some users suggest that drinking an 8-oz glass of water with a couple of teaspoons of sugar mixed in it can help counteract the THC in your system. Drinking slow sips of water can also help refocus your mind and solve any symptoms of thirstiness and dry mouth.
- Eat: It might be helpful to eat some food if you feel too high. This is especially true if you’re feeling anxious from having too many edibles. This can help process the THC through your system a little faster.
- Try Black Peppercorn: This spice contains caryophyllene, which is known to have anti-anxiety and relaxing properties. It may help amplify cannabis’s sedative qualities to help you calm down.
- Go for a Walk: Taking a walk somewhere close and familiar can help reset your thinking so you’re not so focused on your anxiety.
- Go to Sleep: If you can’t handle the symptoms of your high, go to sleep. You’ll feel like yourself again in the morning.
What If I Feel Too High on Psychedelics?
Psychedelics or hallucinogens like mushrooms and salvia can also make you feel too high. Their effects are intense, especially for first-time users. Symptoms of a “bad trip” on psychedelics include dizziness, weakness and tremors, blurred vision, and an increase in blood pressure and pulse. Fear, anxiety, and paranoia are common. Like cannabis, it’s not possible to simply “switch off” these symptoms and stop feeling high. The effects can last for more than 12 hours.
However, the following tips can transform a bad trip into a positive experience:
- Remember that the effects will wear off eventually
- Lie down in a safe space
- Be in the presence of a calm support person
- Listen to soothing music
- Avoid places you find upsetting
- Stay away from sources of accidental injury or death, including traffic, bodies of water, and high places
- Get medical help if needed
