How to Sober Up From Weed

When smoking marijuana, either recreationally or medically, sometimes you can overdo it and get too high. An uncomfortable high is called a green out, and we have previously talked about what to do when you get too high on pot and how to handle a green out here. 

But what about when you just don’t want to be high anymore? From having to deal with an unexpected responsibility to dealing with how weed amplifies emotions, sometimes you need to sober up after you smoke pot. Sobering up after weed, like most things cannabis-related, depends on multiple factors – from what you smoked or consumed to the method of consumption to your body metabolism and composition. 

Please keep in mind that I am not a not medical professional, just a stoner like you who shops at a dispensary near O'Hare airport and has had to learn over the years how to stop being high on the fly.

I have tried almost every home remedy available to determine what works best for me. Follow my tips and remedies to figure out how sober up from weed:

Give Yourself Time, the Wisest Counselor of All

Ok, Randa, that’s great, but I need to sober up fast. Telling me that I need to give it some time isn’t helpful. Yes, I know, but the fact that the only way to truly stop feeling high is to wait it out needed to be mentioned. Don’t worry, there are things that can be done to help speed the process along or to help with the symptoms of feeling too high.

Black Peppercorn, a Kitchen Cabinet Winner

An ancient cannabis antidote, crunching on peppercorn or grinding pepper onto food can help calm you down and clear your head if you are too high on weed. Honestly, the British Journal of Pharmacology did a review on the subject in 2011. The myrcene and caryophyllene terpenes found in black peppercorns help reduce anxiety and clear your brain fog, respectively.

Lemon, They Call Her Mellow Yellow

Another terpene-rich food, the lemon rind is full of limonene, the second most popular terpene in nature. Drinking homemade lemonade, chewing on the rind, and putting some lemon essential oil in your diffuser will help you sober up from weed. 

Pine Nuts, Help Keep You Sane

Not only do these small seeds that come from pine trees contain limonene, but they also contain pinene. Known for helping to improve mental clarity and short-term memory, the pinene in pine nuts can help calm an overly stoned brain. Take care not to overeat pine nuts, however. They are high in fat, and eating too many could interact with fat-soluble THC and cause you to remain elevated.

CBD, No Really

You may think that adding more cannabinoids into your system would be silly if you are already too high, right? Wrong. As counterproductive as it may seem, CBD can help you come down from marijuana. According to a review published in 2008, CBD can help reduce THC effects such as sedation, fast heart rate, and intoxication. 

Water, Water Everywhere

If you feel too high, drinking water and splashing water on your face can help you feel less lifted. Water will help to flush the THC from your system, and applying cold water to your skin can give a little shock to your endocannabinoid system. Additionally, placing an ice pack on your sternum – where your vagus nerve is located – can help reduce the anxiety that sometimes comes with being overly high on cannabis.

When You Medicate, Meditate 

I am a huge fan of meditation and when I feel overly stoned, quieting my mind with meditation and getting grounded in the earth helps me tremendously. I am still physically high, but once I have meditated, my mind is quiet, and my chakras are grounded, I feel more sober and present. My favorite meditation for when I am too high is a Yoga Nidra body scan. This type of meditation helps me to focus on specific parts of my body and brings effective relaxation.

Eat Something Low in Fat to be Less High

If you are too high, eat something with little to no fat content. Ingesting vegetables or fruits will get your digestive system moving and can help the THC move through quickly. Eating will also help you feel more grounded since your body will be processing the food. Carrots, celery, apples, leafy greens, and cucumbers are good options. Avoid any food with a high fat content, as THC is fat-soluble. Say no to nuts, nut butter, ice cream, or other high-fat snacks. 

Ibuprofen, Combating Too Much I-Be-Puffin

Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, taking ibuprofen when you feel too high can help bring you down when you are too high. In fact, according to a 2013 animal study from the Louisiana State University School of Medicine, certain anti-inflammatory drugs appeared to counteract the adverse cognition-related effects of being too high.

Bath or Shower, Calm the Flower Power

Like splashing cool water on yourself, taking a bath or a shower can turn your bad high into a good one. Think about the soothing sensation of water on your skin as a type of mental hydration to wash away the yucky feeling of too much THC. Bathing or showering will help decrease your heart rate and calm your mind. 

Following these ten tried and tested tips will help you learn how to stop being high. Everybody is different, and you should expect that some of these may work for you, and some may not. By layering these remedies together, you give yourself the best chance of getting sober from marijuana fast. 

If I feel too high, I meditate, drink lots of water, and munch on some veggies. What works for you? Hit me up on social media, and let’s spark up a conversation!