It doesn’t matter how experienced you are, sometimes you can take that little too much. Maybe you drank a can on an empty stomach or snuck a few sips in at lunchtime and got called into a video meeting at short notice. Either way, it’s good to know how to sober up quickly.
These are some of Drink Delta’s tried and proven methods to bring yourself back down to Earth, quickly.
Did You Take Too Much THC?
Feeling overwhelmed by a high doesn’t necessarily mean you took too much. Every once in a while, even for a seasoned connoisseur, cannabis can hit differently than normal. That’s why you need to know how to get less high, even if you’re experienced.
Two of the most influential factors are your mood and environment. Do you feel tense and anxious before consuming cannabis? That may sometimes result in a less-than-desirable high – something to be wary of if you consume cannabis for mental health reasons.
We advise relaxing beforehand with breathing exercises and being in a comfortable and familiar environment.
How Long Does A High Last?
Our bodies are naturally equipped to respond to THC through endocannabinoid receptors in the brain. Because of different factors like our body weight, pre-disposition to cannabis, amount consumed, and delivery method (like smoking or drinking cannabis-infused water), a high can vary in duration. It can be anything from one to six hours.
The thing to remember is that getting too high is highly unlikely to do you any harm. It might feel like the sensations won’t end but they will, although it may take longer than you think.
And if you don’t want to wait, it’s worth knowing what helps you sober up.
There is no magic potion. Instead, a combination of techniques that re-focus your mindset, encourage calm, and increase your metabolism.
How to Get Unhigh
These methods are easily accessible and vary somewhat in how quickly they can make you un-high. So if you’re looking for the best ways to sober up, you could try combining a few of them.
Change Your Scenery
One of the tell-tale signs that you have taken a bit too much is an increased heart rate and the onset of an anxiety attack. To tone this down, the simplest thing you can do is to get outside into some fresh air. If possible lie down somewhere as it will help you feel more grounded.
Take some time to focus on your breathing. Inhale deeply through your nose and exhale slowly from your mouth. This will help lower your heart rate and distract your attention away from the high.
Reassuring yourself that it will calm down helps more than you might think.
Distract Yourself
It may seem like an obvious one, but if you feel a rush of anxiety coming on, try distracting yourself with something that you enjoy and requires little effort. This could be sitting down with a good podcast, putting on an easy-going series, or making a pot of tea. Simple and mundane tasks can help re-focus the mind away from sensations of anxiety.
Hydrate
Proper hydration is fundamental in improving your mental state and brain activity, so ensure you are hydrating sufficiently from the moment you wake up and throughout the day. While you will get some hydration by consuming cannabis water, the best results come from drinking plain water. Adding some electrolytes, or at least a little bit of salt into your water at least once a day can also improve your body’s uptake of H2O.
Give in to the Munchies
Now this one should be pretty easy. Cannabis is metabolized in our bodies in a similar way to how we digest food. Drinks are actually digested faster in the stomach which is why cannabis water hits faster than an edible. This also means that when we eat certain foods, it can increase our metabolism meaning that our bodies process and expel cannabis faster.
Eating can also help stabilize your blood sugar and help you feel grounded if the high gets a little too much. Some foods like pine nuts and peppers contain terpenes like pinene and beta-caryophyllene that reportedly help reduce anxiety and paranoia. Juicy fruits like watermelon, melon, and oranges can also help increase hydration and reduce dry mouth.
Try an Anti-Inflammatory
COX-2 inhibitors are drugs that fight inflammation and pain by targeting a specific enzyme in the body. According to a 2013 study, common anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen were seen to calm the stoned feeling that comes with consuming THC, in animal studies. When THC from cannabis is combined with a COX-2 inhibitor, it can still reduce inflammation without causing the high.
Take a Nap
The simplest and arguably fastest way to sober up from an overwhelming high is to try to sleep it off. While sleeping, your body will attempt to metabolize the remaining THC in your system and expel it so you will wake up feeling less stoned.
Top Tips if You’re Too High
The best thing you can do is try and stay calm. Remember that there is not a single recorded case in all of human history of somebody overdosing on weed. Yes, the feelings may be unpleasant but they will subside with time.
If you are new to trying cannabis and any cannabis product, we always suggest starting with a small dose or a product with a low quantity of THC, like Drink Delta Light which contains only 5mg of THC and 1mg of CBD.
With time, you will understand your tolerance and with practice, how to feel less high when things get a little overwhelming.
You can get more clued up about how to dose cannabis and consider trying it with a friend who has more experience so they can help guide you.
