If you’ve ever watched “Ted 2” you’re familiar with the scene where Ted, Johnny, and their lawyer Sam are discussing particularly potent pot strains including one named “How long has that van been there?” and another called “Can you help me get home?” It’s a hilarious sendup of the sometimes unpleasant reactions people have when they’ve taken too many hits off the heady glass or smoked weed that’s just too potent for their particular makeup. In this post we decided to look at steps you can take should you find yourself a little too high.
The (Not so Fine) Art of Getting Unhigh
We say “not so fine art” because not all of the following methods of getting unhigh will work for everyone. The thing to do is to try different ones until you find a method, or combination of methods, that works for you. So without further ado here are 10 ways to get unhigh as determined by the staff of our online head shop.
1: First Things First: Remain Calm
It may not feel like it at the time but no matter how much herb you’ve smoked or vaped or how many edibles you’ve scarfed you’re going to be alright, even if you do nothing. Eventually, the buzz will pass and you’ll be back to your normal vivacious self. This is not an empty promise. This is a scientific fact. The goal of this article is simply to present ways to bring the unpleasant high to as speedy an end as possible so that you can free yourself from any unwanted distress.
2: Drink Plenty of Water
There is no problem you can have that dehydration won’t make worse. That’s why if you find you’ve gone a bit too far down the rabbit hole you should drink plenty of water. We would advise you to avoid drinking beer to stay hydrated because studies suggest the presence of alcohol may bolster the amount of THC in the blood. And you don’t want that. Just keep it simple and reach for the water bottle. When one is done don’t waste any time opening another.
3: Take a Shower
Sticking with the water theme, another way to counteract distressing feelings when you’re too high is to take a cool, or if you can handle it, a cold shower. The sensation of the water on your skin and the calming effect the cool water will have on your heart rate will combine to create an express train back to the real world. The consensus here in the headshop is that a hot shower just won’t have the same effect. In fact, it might make you feel worse.
4: Laugh a Little
One of the many great things about a capital buzz is that it enables you to just kick back and laugh at the world. And with the current state of things, we can all use a good laugh. If you find yourself wondering how long that van has been outside the house, turn your attention toward some funny YouTube videos and reorient your mind toward lighter things. After a few minutes of giggling, you should start to feel better, and then maybe…
5: Take a Walk
Nothing gets that sweet sweet oxygen moving to the brain like a brisk constitutional. Going for a walk in Denver, or wherever you happen to live, has a couple of potential benefits. First, as we mentioned, it will get your blood pumping, and that will bring more oxygen to your brain which should help you feel more alert and less lost. And second, getting away from the place where you were experiencing distress can help jolt your mind out of its downward spiral and give you other things, like the beautiful scenery, to concentrate on.
6: Do Something
Maybe you don’t feel like going for a walk or the weather is lousy. It happens. Fortunately, a walk is not the only way you can hit the reset button in your brain. Try playing a board game or calling a friend or, if you have a pet, interacting with them. YouTube brain teasers and trivia videos are great ways to distract yourself and leave those distressing feelings behind.
7: Eat Something
There is precious little scientific evidence to back this up but most stoners agree that eating something is a pretty effective way to hasten the end of a buzz. So, if you find yourself staring out the window wondering how long that van has been there it might be a good idea to raid the fridge. If the fridge only contains some mustard and a flat beer someone left in there 3 weeks ago then head to the store and pick up some chips and dip. Or order a pizza to be delivered.
8: Take a Nap
In some instances, the best thing to do is just close your eyes and take a nap. By the time you wake up the offending buzz will have dissipated and you’ll feel like your old self again. There’s a common misconception that it’s difficult to go to sleep when you’re high. Not true. Just find a comfy couch and drift off into dreamland.
9: Don’t Drink Coffee!
Another common misconception swirling around weed is that the caffeine in a good strong cup of coffee will nullify your troublesome buzz and bring you back to a happy (if somewhat wired) state. Not true. In fact, a 2017 study published by the NIH found that cannabis and caffeine affect the same areas of the brain. Not only that, but by drinking coffee when high the psychoactive properties of the cannabis are magnified. Meaning that if you have a cup of Java to try and straighten out an unpleasant high, it’s likely you will only make things worse.
10: Scrounge up Some Terpenes
There is some evidence to suggest that terpenes are able to diminish the effect that the cannabinoids in weed have on your central nervous system. With that in mind, you might want to see if you can drum up some pine nuts as these unassuming fruits (yes, nuts are technically classified as fruit), contain the terpenes limonene and pinene. Some people swear that a few handfuls of pine nuts can break the hold an unpleasant high has on them and return them to a happier, calmer state. If you don’t have pine nuts in your home consider buying some and keeping them around, just in case.
A Few Final Thoughts
Anyone who has smoked, vaped, or consumed cannabis products for any length of time has found themselves over the edge at least once. It’s not fun. In fact, it can be pretty unnerving. Fortunately, no permanent harm will come to you from being too high. And if you make use of some of the tips we provide above you should be able to hasten your return to terra firma and laugh about it later.
Check Out the 710 Pipes Online Smoke Shop
710Pipes has one of the widest selections of bongs, heady glass, vaping devices and cannabis paraphernalia you’ll find anywhere. If you’re in Denver make your way to our brick-and-mortar location, or peruse our online head shop where you’ll find everything your cannabis-loving heart desires.