5 Things You Should Do When Stoned and Need to Come Down Fast

Whether you didn’t know your limits, your edible kicked in a few hours late, or you took a huge bong rip just before getting called into work, we’ve all experienced the agony of being way too stoned and needing to come down fast.

The important thing to remember in times like these: While an intense high can feel uncomfortable, it’s not a life or death situation. No deaths from overdose of marijuana have ever been reported. Most symptoms of “greening out” fade within a few minutes to a couple of hours. Which, of course, can feel like a lifetime when you’re baked out of your mind.

Luckily, there are a few tactics you can try in the meantime to reduce the effects of THC and start to feel normal again. Here are five things to do when you’re too high and need to come down fast.

1. Take really deep breaths

If you get too high, it’s natural to start freaking out. Unfortunately, stressing only makes things worse. Deep belly breathing, also called diaphragmatic breathing, instantly activates the “relaxation response” of your parasympathetic nervous system. This causes your blood pressure, heart rate, and adrenaline and cortisol levels to return to normal.

When diaphragmatic breathing, visualize filling up the lower part of your lungs and abdomen with air, then exhaling slowly. Try inhaling through your nose and exhaling through pursed lips, like you’re blowing out a candle. Repeat as necessary.

2. Hydrate

One of the worst things about getting too high is the dry mouth that makes you feel like you’re chewing on a cotton ball. Drinking plenty of cold water can alleviate this unpleasant sensation and help you come down faster.

The science behind it is pretty straightforward. When you smoke, eat an edible, or otherwise consume marijuana, the THC surges through your bloodstream and makes its way to the brain. Since our blood is largely made of water, upping your water intake can help flush the THC from your body and make you come down faster.

3. Consume CBD

You’re probably aware that CBD is an active compound in cannabis that can help reduce anxiety and inflammation without making you feel stoned. What you might not know is that CBD can also balance your buzz and soften the psychoactive effects of THC when you’ve smoked too much.

If you’re too high and need to come down fast, reach for a CBD tincture or oil and put a few drops under your tongue. Hold it there for 60 to 90 seconds before swallowing. A tincture is the fastest way to reap the benefits of CBD because the capillaries in your mouth absorb the ingredients quickly and send them straight to your bloodstream.

4. Reach for a lemon

Lemons have long been used as an antidote to cannabis, and can lessen the psychoactive effects of THC. The citrus fruit contains a terpene called limonene that is rapidly absorbed by the body and is known for its medicinal properties. It is thought that the anti-anxiety effects of limonene help relieve the uncomfortable feelings associated with being too stoned.

To use lemons as a marijuana antidote, make some lemonade from scratch. Squeeze the juice from a lemon into a glass of water and add a little bit of zest from the peel. The outer rind has the highest concentration of limonene and will help counteract your buzz.

5. Chew on black peppercorns

Similar to lemons, there is a terpene in black pepper called beta-caryophyllene that can help you cope with the anxiety that comes with being too high. Beta-caryophyllene binds to the same cannabinoid receptors in the brain as THC, producing a calming effect on the mind and body.

Chewing on two or three black peppercorns — or smelling ground peppercorns — will block your THC receptors and help you come down quickly.