What to do when you're too high on cannabis

Cannabis can offer a relaxing and enjoyable experience for many, but sometimes, whether due to overconsumption or inexperience, the effects can become overwhelming. If you find yourself too high, don’t panic—there are several effective ways to calm down and regain control.

In this guide, we’ll explore the reasons why people feel too high, common symptoms, and practical strategies to reduce the effects of cannabis when they become too intense.

Understanding the effects of cannabis

Below, we’re looking at how cannabis can sometimes cause people to feel too high, and what the symptoms might look like. The good news is that, whilst you might subjectively feel “too high”, there is no way to overdose from weed, so you will always recover and feel okay, even if the journey there is a little uncomfortable!

Why do some people feel too high?

Several factors can contribute to an overwhelming cannabis experience:

• High THC content: Consuming cannabis with high tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels increases the likelihood of an intense high, especially for those with a low tolerance.
• Lack of tolerance: New or occasional users may be more sensitive to THC’s effects, making them feel too high even after a small dose.
• Trying a new strain: Some strains of cannabis contain cannabinoid and terpene ratios that make their effects more intense — sometimes even more so than those of strains with a higher THC content. Smoking novel strains, therefore, might be more likely to make people feel too high.
• Edibles take longer to kick in: Unlike smoking or vaping, edibles take 30 minutes to 2 hours to take effect. This delay often leads to overconsumption as users mistakenly believe they need more. Edibles are also stronger than the equivalent amount of inhaled cannabis, and so their effects will be more intense.
• Consuming weed on an empty stomach: Ingested THC is absorbed more rapidly when consumed on an empty stomach, leading to a stronger and quicker onset of effects.
• Mixing cannabis with alcohol or other substances: Combining cannabis with alcohol or other psychoactive substances can intensify its effects, making the high more overwhelming. Many people have experienced indescribable nausea when they smoke after drinking—it’s almost a rite of passage!

Common symptoms of being too high

Feeling too high can be an unsettling experience, and symptoms vary between individuals. Some common signs include:

• Anxiety or paranoia: Excess THC can overstimulate the brain, leading to feelings of fear, unease, or suspicion.
• Dizziness or light-headedness: A sudden drop in blood pressure can make users feel dizzy or faint.
• Nausea or vomiting: Some people experience stomach discomfort when consuming too much cannabis, especially edibles.
• Increased heart rate: THC can cause temporary spikes in heart rate, which may contribute to feelings of panic.
• Disorientation and confusion: Users may feel disconnected from reality or experience time distortion.
• Dry mouth and red eyes: Common side effects that may exacerbate discomfort when feeling too high.

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What to do when you’re too high on cannabis

If you’re too high from weed, rest assured the feeling will pass. And what’s more, no lasting harm will come to you! It might be deeply unpleasant, but it’s certainly transient. Here’s what you can do to make the wait less painful.

Stay calm and breathe deeply

First off, try to stay calm. It’s always very annoying to be told to stay calm when you’re not feeling that way, so don’t try to force it. Rather, accept you’re not calm and try to find peace with this. Resistance is futile, but peace can come through a lack of trying.

Next up, breathe. If you can, breathe deeply and slowly. If you can’t manage this, just try to be aware of your breath from top to bottom, and back again. Don’t become fixated on controlling your breath as this too is a form of fighting and can make anxiety worse. Instead, just observe it. In time, this observation will itself have a soothing effect. The practice of calm breathing have been shown to have important physiological effects (Russo 2019).

Hydrate

Hydration is a very easy way to calm down when you're too high. Dehydration, whether it takes the form of dry mouth or a pounding head, can exacerbate the symptoms of too much weed. So have a drink of water!

You can also try other drinks, such as coconut water, juice, herbal tea, or something sweeter. However, soft drinks are less hydrating and won’t make your body feel as calm as something healthier. Furthermore, avoid caffeinated drinks. Caffeine is a stimulant and will enhance feelings of anxiety, so keep away from it!

Use black pepper to calm down

Black pepper contains caryophyllene, a terpene known to interact with THC and reduce its psychoactive effects (Klauke 2014). To put it to use in combatting the effects of THC, you can sniff or chew it!

Sniffing or chewing a few black peppercorns can provide almost immediate relief from some of the effects of too much weed. Even if the terpenes don’t do their job, you’ll be so busy dealing with the sensory overload of sniffing pepper that you’ll soon forget about your anxiety.

Eat something

Food can help regulate THC absorption, and it can also just have a soothing effect. The experience of eating is pleasurable, and a full stomach can slow the nervous system down and make you feel more relaxed.

Certain foods are better than others for this purpose. Fatty foods are the ultimate for relaxation. While any fatty food will do, healthy options will keep you more clear-headed. Consider avocado, nuts, olive oil or cheeses.

Alternatively, a small piece of chocolate or fruit can help stabilise blood sugar levels. However, stick to small amounts as if you introduce too much sugar into your blood, this can feel destabilising.

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Exercise

Mild movement can help process THC faster and it will also get you out of your head and into your body and breath. Light activities like stretching, walking, or gentle yoga may assist in metabolising THC. When animals exert themselves, their body's create their own endocannabinoids, and these might be able to positively affect a person's high (Fuss, Steinle, Bindila 2015).

However, avoid intense workouts as strenuous exercise may cause dizziness or worsen feelings of discomfort by increasing the heartbeat and amplifying feelings of anxiety.

Additional tips to mitigate cannabis effects

The above tips should be your go-to if you find yourself feeling too high and you want to combat it immediately with minimal effort. But there are other ways to do it too. Below, find further tips for negating the effects of too much THC.

Try CBD to counteract THC

CBD partially mitigates the effects of THC by binding to the same receptors in the brain. Moreover, the effects of CBD are thought to counteract the more negative effects of THC, such as anxiety and paranoia. Therefore, CBD can be a useful way to recover from too much THC.

There are many ways to consume CBD, and the best option is whatever you have on hand! You can smoke it, vape it, take it sublingually, eat it as a gummy bear, make CBD oil and so on. The choice is yours.

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Use limonene to tame THC

Limonene is a terpene found in citrus fruits that may help counteract THC’s effects (Bigdeli 2019). It’s not going to stop you feeling high, but it might take the edge off a little bit. To try and utilise its effects you can sniff or eat lemon zest, orange peels, or citrus fruits.

Take a cold shower

A cold shower or splashing cold water on your face can help you feel more alert and grounded. It’s something of a reset. By shocking the nervous system, you can shake off ingrained feelings and go back to some sort of neutrality.

If you’re not up for a full-on cold shower, then even a quick face rinse can help. You could even try a cold compress on the forehead or wrists.

Find a safe, comfortable space

When you’re too high, it’s important to find a comfortable space to wait in. Feeling safe and secure takes most of the stress away, as a huge amount of anxiety often arises from feeling as though you have to keep up appearances.

So, find somewhere quiet and dim, alone or with very close friends. Reducing external stimuli will help you feel calmer, so make sure it’s a peaceful space. Alternatively, you can head out into nature.

Wait it out

Time is the ultimate remedy—Cannabis effects naturally diminish over time. Ultimately, even if you’ve used other techniques listed here, you will just have to wait it out. And no matter how difficult that might feel at the time, it will soon be history.

The worst of the effects usually pass very quickly, sometimes lasting only 10 or 15 minutes. And the high itself will pass within a few hours. Stay patient and remind yourself that the discomfort you're feeling is temporary.

How to prevent feeling too high in the future

If you’ve been too high once, you probably want to avoid it again in the future. Unlikely! Most people will find themselves too blazed on more than one occasion. However, it’s good to aim high and knowing how to manage your buzz is helpful knowledge.

Here’s how to reduce the chances of getting too stoned from weed.

Understand your dosage and tolerance

Start low and go slow. If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times. But even though it’s a cliche, it is true. If you’re new to cannabis or you’re trying a new strain, begin with a low dose and build your way up. This is also true for those coming back to weed after taking a break.

In conjunction with this, monitor your body’s reaction. Really listen to your body. Is your heart racing? Are your muscles clenched? Are your palms sweating? Learning to understand the signals your body is sending you will help you manage your high.

Choose lower THC products

It seems obvious but people struggle with it: consume weaker weed!

Getting high is not a competition and you’ve got nothing to prove. Often, weaker weed is nicer weed. It’s like beer versus vodka. Most people don’t drink straight vodka all the time, so why always smoke the strongest weed?

If you consume less THC, sometimes you can enjoy the effects more because you can focus on them rather than trying to avoid a panic attack.

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Too high from weed? It won’t last forever!

Feeling too high from cannabis can be an uncomfortable experience, but it’s important to remember that it’s temporary and manageable. By staying calm, hydrating, eating the right foods, and using natural remedies like black pepper or CBD, you can ease the intensity of the high. In the future, understanding your dosage, choosing lower-THC strains, and consuming cannabis responsibly will help prevent unwanted side effects.

If you ever find yourself too high, just remember to breathe, hydrate, and ride it out—it won’t last forever.

Max Sargent

Max has been writing for over a decade, and has come into cannabis and psychedelic journalism in the last few years. Writing for companies such as Zamnesia, Royal Queen Seeds, Cannaconnection, Gorilla Seeds, MushMagic and more, he has experience in a broad spectrum of the industry.

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