Panic is usually the first guest at the party when an edible hits too hard. One minute you’re laughing at a sourdough starter video, and the next, the floor feels like it’s vibrating at a frequency only dogs can hear. It happens to the best of us. Whether it was a "creeper" strain that took its sweet time or a homemade brownie with questionable dosing, the question is always the same: how do you get rid of a high before you convince yourself you've forgotten how to breathe?
First, let's get the bad news out of the way. There is no magic "off" switch. You cannot simply delete THC from your bloodstream like a bad tweet. Metabolism is a slow, biological process dictated by your liver and your 1-hydroxy-THC levels. But—and this is a big "but"—you can absolutely mitigate the psychological tailspin and some of the physical intensity.
The Terpene Trick: Black Pepper and Lemons
You might have heard people whispering about peppercorns in the back of a dispensary. It sounds like stoner folklore, but there’s actually some legitimate organic chemistry behind it. Black pepper contains a terpene called caryophyllene.
According to research published in the British Journal of Pharmacology by Dr. Ethan Russo, caryophyllene is a "dietary cannabinoid" that can actually bind to the same receptors as THC. By doing this, it can potentially help calm the psychoactive effects. Don't go snorting it. Just take a few whole black peppercorns and chew them, or even just sniff them deeply. The aroma alone can sometimes ground you.
Then there are lemons. Lemons contain limonene. This is another terpene known for its anxiety-reducing properties. If you’re wondering how do you get rid of a high that feels like it’s leaning into paranoia, squeeze some fresh lemon into water. Drink it. Zest the peel and inhale that sharp, citrus scent. It’s not going to make you sober in five minutes, but it provides a sensory anchor that tells your brain, "Hey, we're okay."
Stop Fighting the High
The biggest mistake? Resisting.
When you fight a high, your body dumps adrenaline into your system. Adrenaline increases your heart rate. A high heart rate makes you think you’re having a medical emergency. This creates a feedback loop of pure misery. Honestly, the best thing you can do is find a "soft" place to land.
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Turn off the lights. Put on a movie you’ve seen a thousand times—something low-stakes like The Great British Baking Show or an old sitcom. Familiarity is a powerful sedative for a racing mind. Avoid anything with complex plots or jump scares. Your brain is already working overtime; don't give it a mystery to solve.
The CBD Counter-Intuition
It sounds weird to take more cannabinoids when you’re already too high, but CBD is a non-psychoactive antagonist to THC. It can sort of "block" the THC from fully engaging with the CB1 receptors in your brain. If you have a high-quality CBD oil or gummy (without any THC), taking a dose can help level out the peaks of a bad trip.
Just make sure it’s pure CBD. Adding more THC to the fire is like trying to put out a localized kitchen fire with a flamethrower.
Hydration and Blood Sugar
Cottonmouth isn't just annoying; it’s a signal. While water won't flush the THC out faster, being dehydrated makes the physical sensations of being high feel much more "jagged" and uncomfortable. Sip water slowly. Don't chug it—you don't want to add nausea to your list of problems.
Some people swear by eating a heavy meal. There’s a bit of truth here. If your blood sugar is low, the lightheadedness of a high is magnified. A piece of fruit or some simple crackers can stabilize your physical state.
Distinguishing Between "Too High" and an Emergency
Let's be real: nobody has ever died from a weed overdose alone.
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But that doesn't stop the feeling that you might be the first. If you’re wondering how do you get rid of a high because your chest feels tight, remember that THC is a vasodilator. It naturally lowers blood pressure and makes your heart pump faster to compensate. It’s a normal, if unpleasant, side effect.
However, if you are experiencing genuine chest pain that radiates to your arm, or if you have a pre-existing heart condition, don't let "internet advice" stop you from seeking help. But for 99% of people, the "emergency" is just a very intense, temporary chemical imbalance in the brain's reward system.
The Power of the Cold Shower
If you're stuck in a loop, change your environment. A cold shower is a literal "system restart" for the human body. The shock of cold water triggers the mammalian dive reflex, which naturally slows the heart rate and shifts your focus from your internal thoughts to the immediate physical sensation of the water.
It’s hard to ponder the heat death of the universe when your skin is screaming that the water is 50 degrees.
Understanding the Timeline
How long this lasts depends entirely on how you consumed it.
- Smoking/Vaping: The peak usually hits within 20-30 minutes and starts to fade after an hour or two.
- Edibles: This is the long haul. You might not even peak until the two-hour mark, and the effects can linger for six to eight hours.
If you took an edible, you need to settle in. You can't outrun it. Accept that the next few hours are going to be "weird." Tell yourself, "I am chemically altered right now, and this will end." It sounds cheesy, but verbalizing it helps separate your "self" from the drug's effects.
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Things to Avoid
Do not drink alcohol. Cross-fading is the fastest way to turn a "too high" situation into a "spinning in the bathroom for three hours" situation. Alcohol increases the absorption of THC, making the high even more intense.
Also, avoid caffeine. You might think a coffee will "wake you up," but caffeine is a stimulant. If you’re already feeling anxious or shaky, a double espresso is basically liquid panic. Stick to herbal tea—chamomile is a classic for a reason.
Practical Steps to Take Right Now
If you are reading this while currently "too high," do these things in order:
- Breath Check: Breathe in for four seconds, hold for four, exhale for four. Repeat. This manually overrides your sympathetic nervous system.
- The Pepper Sniff: Go to the kitchen. Find the black pepper. Take a deep breath of it.
- Hydrate: Drink one glass of water. Small sips.
- Change the Scene: Move to a different room. If you were sitting, lie down. If you were lying down, sit up.
- The "Safety" Media: Put on something boring or very familiar.
- Time it: Look at the clock. Tell yourself that in two hours, you will feel significantly better.
The reality of how do you get rid of a high is mostly about time management and sensory regulation. You aren't "broken," and you haven't "ruined your brain." You’ve just over-saturated your receptors. It's a temporary physiological state.
Sleep is your greatest ally. If you can manage to drift off, your body will do the heavy lifting of processing the THC while you’re unconscious. You'll likely wake up feeling a bit "groggy" or "foggy"—often called a weed hangover—but the acute panic will be gone. Eat a high-protein breakfast, stay hydrated the next day, and maybe take a break from the gummies for a while.