How To Sober Up From Weed – The Complete Guide

1 Sep 2020
weed

How to sober up from weed?

Whether you like to eat edibles or prefer a casual hit from a joint, weed can be a good relaxing time. However, it is easy to overindulge and get too high.

Getting too high can be an uncomfortable experience and can even ruin the fun of partaking in some of that good-good. If you routinely indulge in weed and cannabis goodies, you’ve probably suffered the consequences of being too high once or twice and can personally attest to just how bad the experience really is.

While you can’t exactly sober yourself completely with a switch of a button, we do understand the feeling of being too high and the desire to sober yourself to avoid those sometimes scary feelings that often accompany a green-out.

That’s why we put together an in-depth guide on how to sober up from weed for budding weed novices and cannabis connoisseurs alike with fast, effective and helpful tips to teach you how to sober up from weed and ride out the worst of a green-out experience.

Without further ado, let’s begin!

How is THC Absorbed Into Your Body?

weed and joint

Before using any cannabis products, make sure you understand the basics of dosing and how the components of cannabis impact your mental and physical stage

THC, or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, is absorbed into the body and gives users a high after use through interacting with the endocannabinoid system. THC is also the component of weed that can make you feel too high. Understanding how your body absorbs and responds to THC will help you to gauge your dosing in the future.

As may already know, two of the primary ways to consume cannabis products is through ingestion and inhalation. Inhalation is accomplished by smoking or vaporizing the bud or herb. 

When smoking or vaping weed, the THC is directly absorbed into your lungs. This is the fastest way for THC to enter the body, and it is much easier to gauge the impacts of your THC intake, called dosing.

But why is smoking weed so much more efficient? When you inhale weed, the smoke is held directly in your lungs. Your lungs are lined with an array of alveoli – the small air sacs that are the primary mechanism responsible for gas exchange in the lungs.

Because of these large numbers of alveoli, your lungs possess an incredible amount of surface area, enabling maximum absorption of the cannabis into your body. 

This quick absorption is also the reason why you can feel the psychoactive effects almost immediately after inhaling weed. This is an excellent way to monitor how high you are getting, saving you from that dreaded, too high feeling and having need to sober up from weed.

edibles

The second most popular method for consuming cannabis is through ingestion, such as edibles. 

When consuming edibles, the pathway that THC enters your body is through your stomach rather than through your lungs. This consumption method is slower than inhalation as it takes time for the body to digest the cannabis and for the THC to enter your system through your liver. 

It is important to remember the THC levels in edibles are often lower, as the THC psychoactive effects tend to be more intense and last longer than through inhalation. 

It is more difficult to pace your dosing through edibles as it can take anywhere from 30 minutes-2 hours to feel the effects of THC.  We recommend waiting at least two hours before redosing to ensure you don’t overindulge.

How do I Know if I am Too High?

Every cannabis product is different, and no two people feel the effects of cannabis in the same way. It is important to remember that a dose that works for you may not work for someone else. 

People experience the physical and psychological effects differently and at different capacities. That being said, there are many universal signs of being too high.

Nausea

For many, being too high is often accompanied by nausea or the feeling of “greening out.” Some people may be more susceptible to this type of negative effect of cannabis consumption. 

This feeling of nausea is caused by consuming an amount of THC that is above your personal tolerance. In more extreme cases, nausea may be accompanied by a feeling of dizziness or even reduced motor skills.  

A heavy dose of Indica strains or a large dose of edibles can also result in a tingling sensation throughout the body accompanied by nausea.

Fatigue

fatigue

Overconsuming cannabis can have a number of physical effects on the body, such as extreme fatigue, lethargy or a feeling of heaviness. 

Some users also report experiencing slurred speech, a cloudy mind or hazing thoughts.

Reduced mental cognition

An undeniable sign of being too high is a noticeable reduction in mental cognition or mental sharpness. 

This type of experience is very individual to the person and may include experiences such as spacing out for long periods, trouble forming words or difficulty focusing.

How Long Does it Take to Sober Up from Weed?

It is important to remember that several factors affect your body’s ability to sober up from cannabis. 

These factors include a wide range of internal and external factors such as the type of cannabis product, whether you consumed alcohol or caffeine before getting high, and even your body’s metabolic rate

When using cannabis products, personal tolerance is a large factor that plays into how high you may get and how quickly you might sober yourself up. It is important to keep all of these factors in mind when determining the correct dosage for your session.

It is also important to note that some substances, including alcohol and caffeine, can significantly affect the psychoactive effects of cannabis products. 

It is recommended not to use weed after consuming alcohol specifically as you are at a greater risk of increased psychoactive effects and the feeling of being too high.

How to Sober up From Weed?

Now that we know how cannabis can affect each of us differently and some of the warning signs of a green-out, let’s dive into a few techniques that’ll teach you how to sober up from weed quickly and easily.  

If these techniques don’t work, remember that getting too high and greening out is not the end of the world. Worst case scenario? You end up with some intense anxiety, nervousness, headache, and possibly throwing up. While these symptoms are uncomfortable, they’re by no means dangerous, so don’t worry about having to visit the hospital! 

Sleep it off

One of the easiest and most effective methods for escaping the feeling of being too high is simply sleeping it off. 

It is usually easy to fall asleep after using cannabis products, and it can pass the time without having to experience the discomfort of being too high.

Cold shower

How to Sober up From Weed - Take Cold Shower

A cold shower is a great way to improve your alertness and sober up from weed. It is crucial to ensure the water is cold, not lukewarm, for maximum benefits. 

A cold shower improves blood circulation in your system, increasing your body’s demand for oxygen. This need for oxygen encourages improved circulation and fights off fatigue. The shock of the cold water helps to awake the mind and increases mental alertness.

Get some fresh air

Going out for a quick walk in the fresh air can work wonders in counteracting the feelings of being too high. 

The fresh air will help to energize your mind, and the increased circulation from walking will help to fight the feelings of fatigue and even nausea.

Have a cup of coffee

How to sober up from weed - Have a cup of coffee

Caffeine is a stimulant and increases feelings of alertness and wakefulness. 

A cup of coffee can help to wake you up and fight fatigue caused by too much cannabis. 

While this won’t eliminate the THC from your system, the additional caffeine will help keep you alert and counterbalance the high effects.

Take CBD

CBD is known to reduce the effects of THC and is great for those who experience anxiety and paranoia.

If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed and too high, take some CBD and pause on the THC for a moment.

MOTA – Tincture

Consuming CBD will help you feel better by reducing your anxiety and stress while also assisting you to fall asleep more quickly. Ingest orally 1ml before bedtime and be ready to fall asleep.

It also needs to be noted that while CBD can help you alleviate the effects of smoking too much, it can’t stop the green out.

The best way will be to monitor your tolerance and not overdo it on cannabis!

Final Thoughts on How to Sober up From Weed

Depending on how you consumed cannabis, the time frame for sobering up can vary drastically. 

When smoking weed, you can expect to be high for approximately 3-4 hours. When ingesting cannabis orally, you can expect to be high for 8-12 hours. 

While it is possible to overdo your cannabis consumption with any product, it is significantly easier to experience feelings of being too high after consuming edibles due to the difficulty to adjust dosing.

If you find yourself taking too much THC, use the help of a cold shower, a cup of coffee or take CBD to ease the effects of THC such as anxiety and paranoia.  

Despite these helpful tips, it is essential to take a proactive approach when using cannabis products. It is much easier to practice proper dosing to prevent getting too high than it is to sober up after the fact. Better to be safe than too high!

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