Too High? How to Stop Being High and Feel Like Yourself Again
Halloween weekend is here, and for a lot of people that means costume parties, scary movie marathons and a few cannabis treats. It also means plenty of people will be searching for how to stop being high at 11 p.m. on a Saturday. Maybe the edible kicked in all at once. Maybe a friend’s joint was a lot stronger than you expected. Getting too high is uncomfortable, but it isn’t dangerous for most healthy adults and it always passes. The feeling usually fades within a few hours as your body works through the THC.
You have more control than it feels like in the moment. A racing heart, dry mouth and a mind that won’t slow down are all common signs of taking more THC than your body was ready for. People call this greening out, and almost every cannabis consumer has a story about it. Knowing why it happens makes it a lot less scary. Once you understand the timing, it becomes much easier to avoid next time. That’s the real trick to a good Halloween weekend.
Why Edibles Take So Long to Kick In
Edibles are the most common reason people end up too high, and it comes down to how your body handles them. When you smoke or vape, THC moves from your lungs into your bloodstream and you feel it within minutes. When you eat it, THC has to pass through your stomach and liver first. Your liver turns it into a compound called 11-hydroxy-THC, which reaches the brain easily and tends to feel stronger and last longer. Most people start feeling an edible somewhere between 30 minutes and 2 hours after eating it. The peak can land even later, and the effects can stick around for 6 hours or more.
That delay is where most rough nights start. Someone eats a gummy, feels nothing after 45 minutes and decides to take another one. Then both kick in around the same time. A full stomach can slow things down even more, which makes waiting feel pointless when it really isn’t. Tolerance matters too, since someone who smokes daily may feel a 10mg gummy very differently than someone who hasn’t had cannabis in months. Drinking at a party can also make a high feel stronger than you planned. The safest rule is to start low and wait at least two hours before taking more.
How to Stop Being High When It Hits Too Hard
First, stop taking any more cannabis. It sounds obvious, but a lot of people keep hitting the pen out of habit. Move somewhere quiet with low light, away from the loud music and party crowd. Sit or lie down somewhere comfortable and remind yourself that this feeling is temporary. Slow breathing helps a lot of people feel steadier, so try breathing in for four counts and out for six. Putting on a familiar show or a playlist you know by heart can also pull your attention away from a racing mind.
Water and a light snack come next. Neither one cancels out THC, but staying hydrated helps with dry mouth and eating something can help you feel more grounded. Some people swear by sniffing a few black peppercorns or squeezing fresh lemon into their water. There’s a little science behind the lemon idea. Limonene is a citrus terpene also found in cannabis, and in early research people who inhaled limonene with THC reported feeling less anxious and paranoid than people who had THC alone. The black pepper tip is mostly word of mouth, and the research on CBD is mixed. One controlled study found that CBD at the ratios in most products didn’t ease the unpleasant side of THC, so time is still the one thing that works every single time.
Plan Ahead for a Better Halloween Weekend
The easiest way to avoid greening out is to plan before the party starts. Eat a real meal and pick a product you already know, or choose a low dose if you’re trying something new. Keep your edibles in their child-resistant packaging and far away from the trick-or-treat candy bowl. Gummies and chocolates can look a lot like regular candy to kids and pets. Line up a ride home or plan to stay put, since driving high is never safe. Call 911 for chest pain, trouble breathing, fainting or vomiting that won’t stop. You can also reach Poison Control any time at 1-800-222-1222.
Getting too high is something almost everyone goes through once, and it makes a better story the next day than it feels in the moment. Most of the time it comes down to dose and timing. Our budtenders are happy to help you find a lower dose edible, a limonene-rich strain or a pre-roll that fits your plans for the weekend. Before you stock up, check out our daily deals to see what’s on special this week. Then find your nearest NatureMed and browse the online menu to order ahead for a quick pickup. Here’s to a Halloween that’s scary in all the right ways.
