Recovery and dealing with an edible hangover
Can we safely say that we’ve all gotten too high from edibles before?? This is a safe space, so there will be no judgments made here. Perhaps you didn’t realize the potency of what you were consuming, or maybe you did but thought you could handle it (that’s a feeling I know all too well).
Many people prefer eating edibles to smoking cannabis as a form of consumption. Fairly easy to figure out why, not only is it a way to get a good high, but the buzz also lasts longer and you don’t walk around smelling like Snoop Dogg. With the THC contents of these treats though there are so many variables at play that turn a fun trip into an unpleasant experience.
You can see from our other articles that we’ve discussed the biological factors which can come into play when people are consuming cannabis recreationally, but on top of that, edibles have a delayed effect on whoever is eating them. Maybe you have been unsure of how to dose properly.
You can only end an edible high by riding it out, but you can bring the intensity of the situation down a notch with some tips and tricks to get things moving along faster; luckily for you, we have those top tips right here.
1. Hydrate
Yes, the liquid we all know and love, the most important yet vanilla of drinking options available to us is going to help you big time here.
Again. Keeping your body hydrated is an important rule for life in general, but more importantly in this situation it will combat the psychoactive effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on your body! Really any liquid that can hydrate you will work here, sticking to lemon water, coconut water, fruit juice, even milk will do wonders for you.
You should also consider eating some food to help you out too, stick to fruits, nuts or carbohydrates. These types of snacks will help to soak up cannabinoids in your body.
Word to the wise: Do not try to hydrate on alcohol. It will only make things worse.
2. Put Some PEPPER in Your Step
I ask you humbly not to laugh and close this article instantly as I tell you the following:
Black pepper could help you deal with being too high.
Initially, I thought this was very goofy, but according to internet sources and Neil Young, yes that Neil Young, sniffing or even chewing on pepper can help dispel the paranoia and anxiety associated with getting high.
Just grab your favourite container of black pepper, or whichever one is closest to you, and give it a sniff but of course be mindful not to inhale it. If you feel you can’t trust your nose with that mission, simply pop a couple of peppercorns into your mouth and give them a chew.
There’s science to go along with this theory which I’ll leave here for the non-believers. A short breakdown is to say that Caryophyllene, a compound in peppercorn, is a potent selective CB2 antagonist. It increases the sedative effects of THC, and that could chill you out a bit.
3. Fresh Air
This is something I advocate not just for recovering from a high, but just for your daily wellness in general. Nothing calms me down quite like a walk outside just taking in everything that is going on around me, going at my own pace all the while.
Some people would say working out is a way to relieve yourself from a high, and why not, it lowers blood pressure and relieves anxiety. The sweat brought on from a workout could get rid of the cannabinoids in your fat cells, but intense physical activity can also be risky if you are currently high.
Weight lifting could be disastrous if you are feeling fuzzy-headed or even dizzy. I’d say yoga is probably your best bet as it is a lot more chilled out, while still letting you get a sweat going, however for me it’s always going to be a walk in the park looking at the ducks that sorts me out.
Remember, it’s whatever you feel works for you, this article is not your boss!
4. Get Distracted
Try and put your mind on anything else other than the fact that you are high. It may seem obvious but it’s all too easy to get consumed by the state you are in, but please ignore the elephant in the room for now (this is a turn of phrase, I sincerely hope you are not seeing actual elephants in any room right now!)
🐘
Yes it’s the same advice you got when your first partner broke up with you, but that is because it really works. I recommend staying away from a horror movie marathon, or playing some intense FPS game online, the key here is that the distraction is relaxing.
Arrange your DVD collection in alphabetical order, look at old maps of the world online, maybe even do a crossword!? This sounds like stuff a grandpa would do, but trust me there’s a reason they’re so chill, this stuff works.
My own personal advice here would be to go on YouTube and watch a marathon of Bob Ross The Joy of Painting videos. It is perhaps the most relaxing, interesting, and rewarding safe haven for all my high amigos out there. You’ll be soothed by his gentle voice, and you will marvel at the wondrous scenes he creates on the canvas. It’s great even if you are not high. Just saying!
5. Nap Time
Go to bed! Yes, another classic all-time favourite for us humans, it’s right up there with drinking water for a reason-it is very important for our overall health and day-to-day functioning. But it also helps tremendously with an edibles high, there is so much evidence to suggest cannabinoids could help you get a great night’s sleep, on top of that it helps your body recover from intoxication, in turn making the high feel shorter. Waking up you might not feel a million bucks, but you won’t suffer as intense a high this way. Because of course, you’d be getting 40 winks…
This list is by no means exhaustive, there’s many ways of dealing with an edible high out there, we just hope we’ve given you some good tips to keep in mind before your next session with cannabis edibles. Just remember to dose correctly, drink water frequently, brush your teeth, say your prayers, and get 8 hours of sleep a night and you should be fine. May you have a happy high!
How long to recover from edibles?
So just how long does an edible high last? Riding out the high from edibles can take quite a long time. In fact, since the THC needs to be fully processed by your metabolic system through your liver, it can take as long as 6-12 hours before you fully recover.
I have even had instances where I wake up the next day still feeling stoned. I have also had edible hangovers where I felt anxiety for days after eating an edible. So be careful when consuming even just a few milligrams.
But it does depend on how much THC you consumed and what you previous experience with edibles looks like. If you are inexperienced, I always recommend starting very very slow. Like much slower than you may think. This is not the time to be a hero!
