It happens. Maybe the edible took two hours to kick in and you made the classic mistake of eating a second one. Or perhaps that new strain is way more potent than the budtender let on. Suddenly, the walls are breathing, your heart is thumping like a bass drum, and you’re spiraling into a "green out." You need to know how to get less high quickly, and you need to know it five minutes ago.
Panic makes it worse. Seriously.
When THC floods your CB1 receptors in the brain, it triggers that familiar psychoactive shift, but when it’s too much, the amygdala—your brain's fear center—goes into overdrive. You aren't dying, even if it feels like your soul is trying to exit through your forehead. Most people just wait it out, but there are actually physiological "hacks" involving terpenes and hydration that can take the edge off the intensity.
The black pepper trick: Science or myth?
Honestly, the most effective tool in your kitchen is probably the pepper grinder. It sounds like an old stoner myth, but it’s actually rooted in "the entourage effect." Black pepper contains a terpene called caryophyllene. This is a dietary cannabinoid that binds to the same receptors as THC.
When you sniff (don't snort!) or chew on a few black peppercorns, the caryophyllene helps counteract the psychoactive effects of the THC. It’s a competitive antagonist in a way. It calms the storm. Dr. Ethan Russo, a neurologist and famous cannabis researcher, actually published a study in the British Journal of Pharmacology detailing how terpenes like those found in pepper and lemon can tame the intoxicating effects of cannabis.
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If you don't have peppercorns, grab a lemon. Squeeze it into some water and zest the peel. The terpene limonene, found heavily in the rind, has documented anti-anxiety properties. It won't make you stone-cold sober in seconds, but it can modulate the high enough to stop the room from spinning.
CBD is your secret weapon
It sounds counterintuitive to consume more cannabis products when you’re already too high. However, CBD (cannabidiol) is a non-psychoactive compound that acts as a negative allosteric modulator of the CB1 receptor. Basically, it changes the shape of the receptor so THC can’t bind to it as easily.
If you have a CBD isolate or a high-dose CBD tincture, take it. It effectively "blocks" the THC from doing further damage. Think of it as a physical barrier. You want to make sure the CBD product you're using doesn't have more THC in it, obviously, so check the bottle. This is arguably the most "scientific" way regarding how to get less high quickly because it addresses the chemical interaction at the receptor level rather than just treating the symptoms of anxiety.
Stop the "Green Out" nausea
If you feel like you're going to vomit, you’ve hit the limit. This usually happens when your blood pressure drops or your blood sugar gets wonky because of the THC.
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Eat something. Not just anything—go for complex carbs or something with a bit of sugar. A piece of fruit or some toast can stabilize your system. Avoid caffeine. A lot of people think coffee will "wake them up," but caffeine is a stimulant that can increase your heart rate, which is often the very thing causing the panic during a bad high. Stick to water. Stay hydrated, but don't chug a gallon; just sip.
The Power of Distraction
Your brain is currently stuck in a loop. To break that loop, you need to change your sensory input.
- Change the scenery: Move from the living room to the porch. Fresh air is a cliché for a reason—it works.
- The 5-4-3-2-1 Technique: Acknowledge 5 things you see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. This grounds you in reality.
- Take a shower: Not a boiling hot one. Go for lukewarm or slightly cool. The sensation of water on your skin forces your brain to process a new tactile stimulus, which can distract from the internal chaos.
Don't forget the "Cold Water" reflex
There is something called the Mammalian Dive Reflex. If you splash ice-cold water on your face or hold a cold pack to your eyes/cheeks for 30 seconds, it triggers your heart rate to slow down automatically. It’s a biological "reset" button for the nervous system. When you're wondering how to get less high quickly because your heart is racing, this is the fastest physical intervention you can perform.
Sleep is the only true cure
At the end of the day, your liver has to metabolize the THC. It takes time. For smoked cannabis, you’re looking at a peak within 30-60 minutes and a decline over 2 to 3 hours. For edibles? You might be in for a 6 to 8-hour ride.
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The best thing you can do once you've tried the pepper and the CBD is to find a dark room, put on some lo-fi beats or a boring documentary, and close your eyes. Even if you can't fall asleep, resting your eyes reduces the sensory load on your brain.
Actionable Next Steps
If you find yourself too high right now, do this exactly:
- Stop consuming immediately. Put the pipe down or put the rest of the brownie in the trash.
- Chew on two or three black peppercorns. The taste is sharp, but the caryophyllene starts working almost instantly on your brain's receptors.
- Take 25-50mg of CBD if you have it available to help "bump" the THC off your receptors.
- Splash cold water on your face to trigger the dive reflex and lower your heart rate.
- Hydrate and eat a small snack to stabilize your blood sugar.
- Remind yourself of the timeline. No one has ever died from a weed overdose. You are safe. This will be over in a few hours.
Next time, remember the "low and slow" rule. Especially with modern legal cannabis, which often tests at 25% THC or higher—levels that were unheard of thirty years ago. Check the terpene profile of what you're buying; strains high in myrcene tend to be more "couch-locking" and heavy, while those high in pinene might help keep you a bit more alert and less "foggy." Knowing your limits is the only 100% effective way to avoid needing this list in the first place.