If you’ve used cannabis a few times, you’ve probably overdone it and maybe gotten just a little too high for your liking. It happens! Now that more and more places are giving cannabis the green light, people are beginning to learn more about it and how weed affects the body. So, you may be wondering, can you overdose on weed? Short answer: no, but it is possible to overdo it!
In this post, we’ll clear the air and tell you how cannabis interacts with your body and brain, why you can’t actually “overdose” on weed the way you might think, what happens if you puff a bit too much, what to do if you find yourself a little bit too high, and how to avoid overdoing it with weed.
What Happens When You Use Cannabis
Cannabis is full of compounds called cannabinoids, which are special chemicals that have different effects depending on how much you consume and the combination of cannabinoids present in the plant. Delta 9 TCH is the psychoactive cannabinoid responsible for getting you high. It’s also the most prevalent cannabinoid in most cannabis cultivars today.
Consuming Cannabinoids
Inhalable cannabis products like flower, carts, and concentrates have a very fast and very high bioavailability, meaning the cannabinoids get to work in your body almost immediately. THC specifically reaches your bloodstream and brain almost immediately.
If you take an edible, use capsules, or drink a THC-infused beverage, it will typically take longer for the cannabinoids in these products to take effect. This is because the cannabinoids must pass through your digestive system before entering your bloodstream and then your brain.
How Cannabinoids Work
Our bodies contain a network of receptors called the endocannabinoid system. THC and other cannabinoids bind to these receptors, causing the effects associated with weed. Depending on the cultivar you use, the effects can vary.
Effects of Cannabis
The effects of cannabis vary quite a bit between cultivars. Typically, you can expect cannabis to make you feel more relaxed. It can also enhance your senses and even cause a feeling of pleasant haziness.
Cannabis can also increase your heart rate and make you feel more clear-headed and energized. In some cases, it may offer pain relief or anxiety relief. The effects you experience are dependent on multiple factors, such as your unique reaction to it, the cultivar you use, your setting, and your dose.
Can You Overdose on Weed?
No, you cannot overdose on weed the same way you can overdose on other mind-altering substances like opioids or alcohol. Cannabis in any quantity is not fatal. But, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to have too much.
When people refer to a “cannabis overdose,” they are typically talking about the uncomfortable effects of consuming too much weed at one time. Any good thing can become a bad thing when done in excess. The same goes for weed.
What Happens When You Have Too Much Cannabis
If you’ve ever had too many cups of coffee in the morning or a final drink at the bar that did you in, you’ve likely experienced what it’s like to overdo it with a mind-altering substance. Just like with caffeine or alcohol, you can have some uncomfortable side effects from using too much cannabis.
If you’ve gotten a little too high, you may experience some anxiety or paranoia. Some report feeling nauseated or a little dizzy. If you start feeling this way, it can be easy to get in your head and feel uneasy. Your setting can also affect this.
What To Do if You’ve Had Too Much Weed
So, you’re sitting on the couch after having an edible or smoking, and suddenly you start feeling the effects listed above. What do you do?
If you’re feeling uncomfortable, anxious, or uneasy, the first step is to take a breath and pause for a moment. Remember, the effects of cannabis are temporary. You may be uneasy right after you’ve had too much, but that feeling will pass!
Our advice? Do whatever you know will help you relax. Find a nice, quiet place to unwind. Grab a glass of water and have a good snack. Listen to some of your favorite music, or watch a comfort show to help distract yourself. And, if you can, you can always try to sleep it off. Whatever you need to do to relax, just breathe and chill.
Some say that chewing on whole black peppercorns can also help mellow out an intense high. While this isn’t scientifically proven, the terpenes in peppercorns may help alter the effects of some cannabinoids.
If you find that cannabis tends to make you feel this way often, you can always try different cultivars or look for one with a higher CBD content. This can help offset the effects of THC!
How To Avoid Having Too Much Weed
First, we wanna start off by saying that there’s no reason to be scared of accidentally overdoing it with weed. It happens, and it’ll pass!
But, there are a few things you can do to help keep track of your dosing and avoid having too much at once. Here are our tips for managing your dose!
Start Low, Go Slow
If you’re a beginner or are trying a new product that might be more potent than you’re used to, always follow the golden rule! Start with a low dose just to get your feet wet, and go slow by giving yourself plenty of time to gauge how you feel before increasing your dose. It’s not a race.
If you think you aren’t as high as you’d like to be, you can always up your dose another time!
Keep Track of Your Experiences
Journaling is good for you, especially when it comes to experimenting with dosing cannabis! When you’re trying new products or doses, take time to keep track of what you had and how it made you feel. You can even note your setting, how your day was before you got high, and any other factors you think might affect your experience.
Don’t Mix and Match
You need to get your own limits, and mixing weed with other things like alcohol or caffeine can change the way THC makes you feel. We recommend staying away from other things when you’re using cannabis, as the combination can be unpredictable and uncomfortable for some. Avoid a bad experience and keep your cannabis use separate!
Conclusion: You Can’t Overdose On Weed!
Cannabis won’t cause you to overdose, and it isn’t fatal at any dose. But, just like anything, there is such a thing as too much. Using the tips above can help you manage an uncomfortable high and prevent yourself from overdoing it. Start low, go slow, keep track of your experiences, and don’t mix THC with other things like alcohol or caffeine.
We hope this post helped you learn more about whether or not you can overdose with it. If you have any questions, let us know on our contact page or ask one of our budtenders at any of our Dreamz Dispensary locations. View our product selection online, and take a look at the rest of our blog to learn more about us and cannabis!
