5 Pro-tips to come down from a Marijuana High Quickly

More American people than ever have access to legal cannabis, and you can expect that a lot of people are going to Maureen Dowd themselves into a blanket burrito. This is what many call rookie syndrome, when you just get too stoned to function normally. Here’s how to come down from a marijuana high quickly.

Whether smoking a high-THC strain for the first time, or eating something more potent than what you're used to, getting too stoned is something that happens to many people at some point. Proper dosage greatly affects an experience, and that becomes hard to do when you’re smoking or eating something particularly tasty. Beginners are most susceptible to getting too stoned, but one thing is for sure, you won’t die - no one has yet!

Getting unhigh is not exactly as easy as you think, but there are certain things that can definitely help you out of a corner. Like many intoxicants, it's really a waiting game, as you have to allow time for your body to metabolize the THC just like you would with alcohol. That’s also why edibles can be dicey, the effects take more time to fully present, and longer to die down as they travel through your system. Edibles and dosage in general can work on everyone differently, so if you don’t have a firm idea of your tolerance, caution is your best bet.

If somehow you find yourself glued to a couch or hiding in your covers imagining the FBI busting through the door, try one of these five ways to chill out.

One: Breathe

This can seem like a “duh” piece of advice, but it really isn’t easy to remember if you’re coughing up a lung or starting to hit an anxiety plateau. Deep belly breaths are important to do throughout the day for optimal oxygenation of your blood, but they can also get you out of a jam if things are starting to feel too fuzzy.

If you have a smartphone, a free app can prompt you to do this throughout the day, or whenever you need to check in. Just one minute of focused breathing is usually enough to undo a nosedive from a too-deep bong rip.

Two: Lemon Pepper

Science is slow to give us bedrock guidelines about not only dosage of cannabis, but how to alter, extend, or end a high. Right now what we know is based on “the entourage effect,” which is how cannabinoids and terpenes work together to create different intoxication effects. From what we know about terpenes, lemon and pepper share more than a few chemicals with cannabis.

It is these chemicals, piperine and limonene that help to create an active, less anxious cannabis experience, and this can help fish you out of a pothole too. Simply squeeze a lemon and crack some pepper into water, or waft peppercorns under your nose (but not up it). Essential oils would also work great for a quick fix. These terpenes help mitigate anxious or paranoid feelings, helping to center your stone. 

Three: Hydrate

Water has a way of undoing plenty of life’s mishaps. Chugging a big glass of water is not a silver bullet, but generally helps take the edge off of any type of excess. Being dehydrated can also make you feel lightheaded to start, and mixing that with any substance is pretty much not ideal. Being hydrated before you even smoke is a great way to prevent drama.

Four: Caffeine Dream

Having a cuppa or a nice mid-afternoon coffee can’t make you unhigh, but it can help you re-focus. If you find yourself too sleepy or foggy, caffeine is key to keeping the wheels on. Caffeine is one of the most consumed substances in the world and it's because our brains work harder on it. Coffee or tea can give you a few minutes to get it together, and if you’ve not eaten or had a pick-me-up in the afternoon, caffeine could be the tipping point between medicated and messed up. Just make sure the coffee does not contain cannabis as well.

Five: Eat/Shower/Take A Nap

These are all interchangeable to suit the situation you may find yourself in while too high. Taking a shower or simply hitting the pillow are last-ditch efforts to settle down an overzealous experience. In fact, being the basics of self care, eating, bathing, and sleeping could be just what you were missing, and can snap you out of a downward spiral so you can go about your business.

Getting too high can suck regardless of you doing it on purpose or by accident. Using the above tactics can help you take a breather from being too up in the clouds.