As laws and regulations continually change, more people are using cannabis. The substance may seem tame compared to substances like meth, crack, or heroin. But cannabis has the power to create unpleasant effects and serious consequences in the short and long term.
Depending on your situation, you may want to sober up and get unhigh from cannabis quickly. But doing so safely can be confusing.
How to sober up from weed and get unhigh
You may use cannabis to experience the euphoric effects caused by the drug. But in some situations, you may want to end the feeling as quickly as possible and stop being high.
Here are eight ways to help you sober up safely.
1. Watch your dose and potency
High doses and high potency of cannabis really increase your risk of unwanted effects, so one of the best ways to avoid feeling too high is to not get too high in the first place. Start by checking in on how much you are smoking and how strong your cannabis is. If you aren’t sure, go slowly in the beginning.
If you are using legally purchased products, look for ones with a lower percentage (10% or less) of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active part of the plant that produces a high feeling. Take a single hit or puff and wait 15 minutes before the next to better observe the effects.
The same is true for edibles. These products take a bit longer to produce their results. So, stay patient and wait for them to produce their results before you start eating or drinking more. Be sure to follow the dosing recommendations for the products you plan to consume and stick to just a few milligrams of THC to note the influence.
2. Give it time
There’s no magical way to sober up fast, and you could only create more stress, anxiety, and frustration by trying to force yourself into getting unhigh. Rather than fighting against yourself, the best approach is to give it time.
Symptoms of being too high almost always end with time. It’s very unlikely that you’ll stay trapped in a bad high forever, so reminding yourself of this truth is invaluable.
If you have inhaled cannabis, you can expect to be feeling more normal within 3 hours. If you have used a cannabis beverage or edible, the effects will peak within 2 to 3 hours. But you can expect to feel quite fuzzy for 6 to 10 hours.
3. Stay calm and use relaxation
If you are having bad side effects of cannabis use like paranoia, anxiety, or panic, you may want the high to end as quickly as possible so the distressing symptoms can fade. Rapidly ending the high may not be possible. Still, you can help to reduce the unwanted effects by staying calm and using relaxation techniques.
Relaxation techniques are nearly endless, so experiment with some options that seem to meet your needs and give you the kind of stress reduction you hope to seek. Relaxation skills work best after some practice, so consider spending some time building up your experience before you need them.
4. Find a distraction
You need time to pass for the high to wear off. But if you only focus on your symptoms and side effects of cannabis use, you could feel more uncomfortable. Instead, you need to find a distraction.
Distractions come in unlimited varieties, so experiment with options. Consider:
- Listening to music
- Chatting with a friend
- Watching a favorite movie, show, or documentary
- Taking a walk
5. Drink water, but avoid coffee and beer
When you want to sober up quickly from alcohol, you may reach for a cup of coffee to boost your alertness. And when you want to sober up from cannabis, you may reach for a coffee or a beer. Both coffee and alcohol could be poor beverage options when you are high, though.
There is evidence to suggest alcohol actually increases the amount of THC in your bloodstream, which would only boost the high feeling. Caffeine may not help either. Instead, grab a bottle of water to stay hydrated and allow your body to process the cannabis from your system.
6. Avoid other substance use and folk remedies
Like with alcohol, other substances may not help you sober up the way you’d like. If you are feeling too sleepy and lethargic, you may think that you can improve the situation by taking a stimulating drug like cocaine or prescription stimulants used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, you should avoid adding new substances.
Stimulants like cocaine and meth can create delusional thinking and hallucinations on their own. Combining them with cannabis could increase the risk of paranoia.
Along these lines, avoid any and all folk remedies for sobering up quickly. Solutions like black peppercorns and lemon water have no proven benefit related to reducing the symptoms of cannabis intoxication.
7. Use a safety plan
If you find yourself needing to sober up often, you could benefit from a safety plan. Your sober safety plan can outline:
- The problems you experienced during the last unwanted high
- What helped
- What didn’t
- What caused the problems in the first place
These safety plans are helpful because staying calm is a major challenge while you are in the middle of a stressful or unexpected situation. Create your safety plan while you are sober and share the plan with your friends. That way, they will know what to do when you’re feeling too high.
8. Seek out professional assistance
At times, people may have a scary reaction to cannabis and may require professional care to manage symptoms and help them sober up. If you ever find yourself or a loved one extremely agitated, panicking, or behaving in odd ways, emergency department care can help.
If the high is from edibles, emergency room staff could help you throw up or provide activated charcoal to control symptoms. If you are showing signs of aggression, confusion, or high anxiety, staff could offer a sedative to help keep you calm and safe until the high passes.
How long does a weed high last?
It’s hard to say. Smoking cannabis will create a high that starts almost immediately and can last between 1 and 3 hours. If you consume cannabis by eating or drinking it, the high feeling is delayed. You may not feel high for up to 2 hours after eating, and the high will last for many hours.
But the truth is: The answer isn’t always so clear. It all depends on how you consume the drug, how strong the drug is, and how your body usually processes the THC. And if you’re a regular user, the signs of cannabis use can stay in your body for weeks.
What are the typical symptoms of being high?
The typical effects of cannabis intoxication are generally pleasant and desirable. But how much you use and the strength of the cannabis will affect the outcomes. Even if you have been high many times, there is always the possibility that the next high will feel different.
The most common signs and symptoms of cannabis intoxication include:
- Feeling really happy
- Feeling very relaxed and calm
- Increased hunger
- Changed perception of time by feeling that time is going very slowly or very quickly
- Enhanced perceptions of sounds, colors, or touch
These effects are not guaranteed, though. Like many other substances, using too much cannabis or using cannabis that is too strong can tip the balance, so that the negative effects outnumber the good ones. By using too much, you could have a negative experience with cannabis and feel its unwanted effects.
How will you know if you’re too high?
When you consume too much cannabis, or the cannabis you consume is much stronger than you are used to, you could get too high. When you are too high, you’ll find that the unpleasant feelings far outweigh the typical mood and emotions produced by cannabis.
Some distressing effects of being high include:
- Anxiety, panic, and paranoia
- Impaired judgment and coordination
- Fear and distrust
- Hallucinations where you see, hear, or feel things that are not really there
- Delusions where you think things that are not true
- Feeling like you are going crazy or do not recognize yourself
These negative side effects may emerge when you only use cannabis. But combining cannabis with other substances like alcohol or opioids can also impact the effects. Mixing substances can create more dangerous outcomes and should be avoided when possible.
The bottom line
There is no true way to sober up quickly after using too much cannabis. The effects simply have to go away with time. However, there are many strategies you can use to feel more comfortable while you wait it out — like using relaxation techniques, finding a distraction, and drinking water.
Remember: Most of the time, all of your symptoms will go away once the high wears off. But if you’re experiencing chest pain, trouble breathing, extreme anxiety, psychosis, or are in any physical danger, you should call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
Keep in mind that cannabis is legal in some states for recreational and/or medicinal use, but not in others. Cannabis is still illegal under federal law. Before you use cannabis products, find out the laws in your state.
References
American Association for Clinical Chemistry. (2015). Any dose of alcohol combined with cannabis significantly increases levels of THC in blood. ScienceDaily.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Poisoning.
