How to Lower Your High
Every stoner’s had that occasion where they got too high or were high in a situation where they suddenly did not want to be high. How do you deal with this situation? How do you recognize when you have had too much? Most importantly, how do you get rid of a weed hangover? Read on to find out!
Why you might not want to be stoned
I know what you are probably thinking, why would I want to lower my high? If I just smoked, it’s probably because I wanted to be stoned, right?
The truth is, there might come a situation where you get high only to discover that this is not what you wanted at the time. Maybe you forgot that you had something important to do like a job interview or a teleconference with the boss. Perhaps you (God forbid) have a court date that slipped your mind until now. None of those are situations where you’d want to be baked out of your mind (that is unless your boss is cool with it).
Conversely, maybe you wanted to be high, but now you’re having a bad reaction, for instance, paranoia or anxiety. You feel your blood pressure rising and your heart rate increasing. Whatever the reason, you got too high, and now you don’t want to be.
While it is true that you cannot die from a marijuana overdose, it’s still not something that you want to experience. Some signs that you might be overdosing on weed can include:
• Severely impaired judgment and hand-eye coordination
• the above-mentioned high blood pressure and increased heart rate
• persistent headache
• paranoia, anxiety
Anyone who has been in this situation can tell you that it is no picnic. Fortunately, there are ways that you can lower your high.
5 Ways to lower your high
There are lots of tried and true methods for lowering your high. Most are pretty effective, though you may have better results with some than others. If none of these work for you and you are on the brink of a serious anxiety attack or worse, you can always go to the hospital and seek treatment. They will be able to stop your high, but you will be left with a hefty medical bill!
1. There’s no need to panic!
This is perhaps the most important one, don’t panic! You have recognized what is happening to you; now you can do something about it. Don’t let it take over your mind. Know that this too shall pass. How long the average weed high lasts can vary greatly depending on the person, how much they consume, or whether they have any underlying medical issues.
2. Eat something and stay hydrated!
You would be surprised how often people forget the importance of staying hydrated. You would think preventing cottonmouth would be enough of a warning, but sometimes being high can make us kind of forgetful, as we all know. This is why it’s important to always ensure you have some water or other fluids like juice ready whenever you sit down to smoke a bowl or do a dab. Do not pair weed with alcohol or energy drinks – alcohol further inhibits your judgment, and energy drinks will increase your heart rate. Neither of these are things you want when faced with a weed overdose.
Depending on the strain you’re smoking, snacking should come easy to you! It’s not a good idea to stuff your face with a ton of junk food in this situation. Instead, try eating some fruit or veggies. Leave the cookies and other sweets for after you come down.
3. Go Get some Fresh Air!
To get through a weed overdose, sometimes all you need is to get outside your usual four walls! When you feel that sense of impending doom, try going outside and taking a walk instead! Studies have shown that physical activity and cannabis use go hand in hand, and a good walk may help you clear your mind and calm your nerves. Don’t do this if you feel lightheaded or too disoriented; you don’t want to put yourself in a dangerous situation!
4. Take a Shower or a Bath
If taking a walk isn’t a safe option for you, you can always take a shower or hot bath. Sometimes there is nothing like the warm cocoon of your shower in those times when you are feeling like you need to hide from the world. The best news is that you can stay in there for as long as you want, as long as you are not over at a friend’s house.
5. Try Sniffing Some Peppercorns!
If you need to get over your high quickly and do not have the time for a bath or a walk, you can always sniff or chew on some peppercorns or ground pepper. While it might not sound like the most pleasant way to tackle a weed overdose, ingesting black pepper is an old stoner trick that has been relied upon for decades. Why? Because it works. This is a great solution when you’re out in public or over at a friend’s and are not able to lock yourself in a bathroom for a few hours.
Hangover vs. High
Depending on how long it has been since you smoked weed, the negative aftereffects might not be attributed to your high after all. If five or more hours have passed, you are most likely experiencing is a weed hangover. Weed hangovers are not nearly as severe as an alcohol hangover (at least compared to my alcohol hangovers).
How do you know if what you are experiencing is a weed hangover and not the lingering effects of your high? Do you know how to get rid of a weed hangover? Some of the most common symptoms of a weed hangover include, but are not limited to:
Dehydration. Remember, this is why you want to drink plenty of water when consuming cannabis
Nausea. Though marijuana can be very helpful in dealing with nausea, too much of it can also lead to nausea
Headaches or feeling lightheaded. Though the headache is not nearly as painful or persistent as a headache resulting from an alcohol hangover, they are nonetheless no fun.
Memory loss. This is often referred to colloquially as a “green out.” Again, it’s not usually as severe as getting blackout drunk, but it can happen.
You might have noticed that a lot of these are the same symptoms as an alcohol hangover. While both types of hangovers have similar symptoms, never kid yourself on which type is more dangerous.
What causes a weed hangover?
Weed hangovers are more often than not caused by ingesting too much THC in one go.
They are more common with edibles or concentrates like dabs, which is why it’s important to know your limits!
5 ways to GET RID OF a weed hangover
The most effective cure for a weed hangover is time, but sometimes time is the one thing you don’t have. No one wants to hang out and nurse a hangover all day, so sometimes you need a little extra assistance. Here’s how to get rid of a weed hangover.
1. Get out of Bed!
While it might not sound like the most inviting activity, getting out of bed, getting up, and moving around is an excellent way to get the blood flowing. Try taking a walk to clear your head or do some light exercise around the house.
2. Drink some Coffee!
Drinking some coffee or an energy drink is a great way to energize yourself when you’re feeling the aftereffects or need a way to clear up the morning after brain fog. Make sure that you supplement this with plenty of water!
3. Take a shower or bath
As with dealing with a weed overdose, sometimes all you need to deal with a weed hangover is to take a long, relaxing shower. Cold water can help you fend off the fog and wake your body up, but I highly recommend switching it over to hot once your senses have been sufficiently “awakened.”
4. Drink some water and eat something
Dehydration is a common side effect of both alcohol and weed consumption. As such, one of the best things you can do the next morning to combat a weed hangover is to get hydrated! Eat some healthy foods to give your body the nutrients it needs.
5. Know your limits!
This is more like advice for next time: the best way to combat a weed hangover is to make sure that you never get one in the first place. The best way to do this is to know your limits! If you are well aware of what you can and can’t handle with regard to cannabis consumption, then you never need to worry about a weed hangover!
There’s no reason to avoid getting high to your heart’s desire as long as you know how to get rid of a weed hangover, and, of course, know your limits.
Enjoy responsibly and stay lifted, my friends.