How to Control a Marijuana High: Tips for Coming Back Down
- Excessive amounts of THC in your system can cause feelings of extreme paranoia and high anxiety accompanied by physical effects such as increased heart rate, sweating, shaking, dizziness, etc.
- This situation can be avoided by carefully considering your consumption choices.
- The best way to deal with this situation depends on your current circumstances such as where you happen to be and what resources are available to you.
- There are some actions you can take and a few things you can consume that might help bring you back to earth more quickly.
Wouldn’t it be great if we all had a dial we could just turn up or down to adjust how high we feel? Unfortunately, we don’t. Our influence on the dial only goes in one direction. If you consume too much THC — either through smoking, or vaping, or edibles, or what have you — there’s no magic pill to suddenly back off the throttle and bring you back down to Earth.
Worse is the fact that once you realize you’re too high you’re probably still on the way up rather than on your way down. Ideally, you just don’t let this happen. You do your homework and learn about THC dosages and effects and act responsibly.
But let’s say you failed to do your homework, and you end up in this position. Although you can’t just switch off a scary buzz, there are some things you can do to help you come back down to earth.
Before we move on, two rules:
- If you’re not driving, then don’t. Don’t drive home or to the hospital or anywhere else for that matter. If you absolutely need to relocate, call a friend or an Uber or a cab or whatever.
- If you are driving, STOP. Find a nice place to park and chillax. Put your seat back and meditate or hop in the back seat and snooze it off.
That out of the way, there are some things you can do to help mitigate the negative effects of have excessive THC coursing through your veins and brains.
1st Things 1st: You’re not going to die
No matter how much THC you consumed, you are in all probability not going to die. There will be no long-term psychological effects (unless you overdose regularly). The safest thing to do is exactly nothing. As long as you don’t do anything stupid, just like a hot air balloon, you’ll eventually chill out and come back down.
So start by telling yourself, “that article told me I’m not going to die. I’m going to be okay. Work your way up from there to repeating to yourself, “this, too, shall pass.”
Try To Relax
There are all kinds of “remedies” for this situation — and we’ll go through them in a moment — but the best thing you can do is just go lie down and hopefully get some sleep. Before you try anything else, just go lie down — in a dark room if you can. Even if you don’t fall asleep, you’ll be avoiding stressful situations (like staring at yourself in a mirror or having to talk to people).
Focus on your breath
Try to focus on your breathing. Breathing is the only thing you can consciously do while you’re not doing anything else. You can’t be thinking scary thoughts about what could happen in the future at the same time you’re focusing on your breathing here and now.
Focus on how your body feels
Think of being too high as a bodily feeling, not a state of mind. Focus on how your body feels. Are you shaking? Are you hyperventilating? Heart pounding? Feeling woozy? Although those feelings are unpleasant, they are bodily feelings and if you focus on them, A) they’ll begin to subside, and B) it will take your mind off of mental feelings such as paranoia and fear.
Get away from (most) people
If you’re having trouble dealing with your buzz, it’s best to avoid other people. Don’t worry about answering the phone or the door. The only exception to this is if you have someone you trust who you can go to for comfort. A bit of cuddling (or coddling) can go a long way toward relieving anxiety. Otherwise, just chill alone.
Try taking some Benedryl
This isn’t a commonly-advised remedy for being too high, but it has a couple of benefits. The first is that you may be having an allergic reaction to some of the terpenes in the weed you just smoked. The second is that Benedryl is famous for making people drowsy and it might help you sleep. Use only as recommended!
Get some freh air
A bit of fresh air will do you good. Don’t go wandering off into the woods, however. Find a secluded area such as a park and just kick back on the grass under a shady tree or let the sun shine on your face. Even rain can help.
Put on your happy music
This is a highly underrated remedy for being too high. What’s happening is, your brain is producing chemicals and acting on areas responsible for our fight or flight response. That gets us all amped up. Listening to your happy music can help to produce chemicals that counteract feelings of fear and paranoia. You might be able to turn things around and get into a nice groove.
Take a cold shower
A cold shower (or bath) can feel unpleasant for a few seconds, but again it’s a bodily feeling rather than a mental feeling. Breathe through it. Stand there as long as you can. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by how nicely it brings you into the present moment. Then go lie down.
Watch your favorite comedy
This is a similar suggestion to listening on your favorite music. Laughter is a great way to reduce fear. Whatever you do, don’t put on a scary movie!
Natural remedies for being too high
There are a few common natural remedies that you could try. Frankly, sleeping is a better idea, but perhaps you can try one of these before you get horizontal.
- Make Lemonade: No. Seriously. Squeezing a few lemons can help. This is because lemons contain a terpene called limonene that’s known to reduce the effects of THC.
Smell Some Pepper: Another natural remedy is to sniff some pepper. Pepper has another terpene called beta-caryophyllene that might help reduce feelings of paranoia.
Drink Water: Every other article on this topic will tell you to drink water, so we will too. Frankly, though, it’s never a bad idea to drink more water. Especially if you have a bad case of dry mouth this will certainly help.
Take CBD or CBG, etc.
Cannabidiol, the non-intoxicating cannabinoid in cannabis has the benefit of mitigating the intoxicating effects of THC. Additionally, it can help to reduce anxiety. Also, other non-intoxicating cannabinoids such as CBG, CBD, and CBN might help. It’s a good idea to keep some CBD edibles around for just such an occasion.
Have a nice cup of kratom tea
Kratom tea can be super relaxing. In a high enough dose, you’ll sleep like a baby.
Have a little wine or beer
If you’re a wine or beer drinker, one or two might help you relax a bit. But don’t get drunk or you’ll just be compounding your problems.
Don’t drink caffeinated beverages
Don’t drink caffeinated beverages such as soda, coffee, or tea! They are likely to add to your anxiety.
So there you go. There are a few tips for getting back down to Earth when you’ve had a wee but too much of the THC.
If you’ve got some other suggestions, we’d love to hear them!
Sources And Additional Reading:
- Recreational marijuana legalization and admission to the foster‐care system – Gardner – – Economic Inquiry – Wiley Online Library
- The Drug War’s Hidden Foster Care Crisis
- 117th Congress (2021-2022): Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act
- Alcohol Facts and Statistics
- Recreational cannabis legalization and alcohol purchasing: a difference-in-differences analysis
- Is marijuana safe and effective as medicine? | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
- War on drugs – Wikipedia
