Hunter's blog: What to do if you’re too stoned?

3 min read

Being too stoned can feel overwhelming, but it’s not dangerous. Your brain temporarily processes more stimuli than usual, making everything feel more intense. With rest, time and a few simple tricks, you will automatically return to normal.

What is the topic?

Being too stoned is something that almost everyone experiences at some point. You think you’re relaxed, but suddenly everything becomes a bit too much. That feeling is due to the effects of cannabis on the brain.

Your brain is temporarily in a different processing state, so that stimuli, thoughts and emotions come in stronger than usual.

It is not dangerous, but it can feel intense. As if your head is just too loud.

How does it work/what about it?

When THC is in your system, it affects how your brain processes signals. As a result, thoughts can go faster or feel more chaotic.

This is part of the effects of cannabis on the brain: time feels different, sounds seem stronger, and your attention can shoot in all directions.

When you’re too high, it’s really just your brain temporarily trying to process too much information at once.

What happens when you’re too high

It can feel like you’re in some kind of mental overdrive. Thoughts keep coming, but are difficult to hold onto.

Some people become very aware of their body or environment, making everything seem bigger or more intense than usual.

Important to know: this will always pass. Your body slowly breaks down THC and your brain returns to normal on its own.

Rest is your best friend

The first and most important step: stop forcing everything. Sit or lie down in a quiet place.

Fewer stimuli means less work for your brain. This immediately helps to lower the intensity.

Soft music or silence can help, as long as it’s not too busy or chaotic.

Drinking water also helps to keep your body in a calm rhythm, although it doesn’t immediately reset the high.

It can also help to call or talk to someone. Just having a normal conversation takes your attention away from the feeling and often immediately creates a little more peace of mind.

Distraction is often your best friend here.

Listening to your favorite song can also work well. Try to really focus on the lyrics, the melody or the beat. By focusing your attention elsewhere, you often get out of that overwhelming stream of thoughts faster.

Sugar, food and myths

You often hear that sugar or food makes you sober up faster. That’s partly a myth.

What is true is that eating something can help you feel more stable again. Not because it removes THC, but because your body starts to behave more calmly.

So it’s more comfort than a real solution.

What you should not do

The biggest mistake is panicking. Trying to fight against it often makes it worse.

Your brain then continues to focus on the feeling, making it seem stronger.

Reusing it to fix the feeling is also not a good idea. That only prolongs the effect.

Just stay calm and let it sink.

How long does it take?

Usually you will drop back to normal within a few hours. How fast that goes depends on how much you have taken, your experience and your body.

The peak always passes. Then it slowly calms down until you are completely clear again.

It may feel long when you’re in it, but it’s temporary.

Why this happens

The reason this happens again lies in the effects of marijuana on the brain. THC affects how your brain filters stimuli.

Normally, your brain filters out a lot of noise, but under the influence, more information comes in at the same time. When that becomes too much, it feels like everything is too intense.

But that is not harm, just temporary overload of stimuli.

Behavior and mindset

How you deal with it makes a lot of difference. If you remind yourself that it is temporary, the tension often subsides.

Your brain reacts strongly to what you think is happening.

Breathing calmly, not panicking and stepping out of the crowds usually helps the fastest.

Fun / culture

Anyone who uses cannabis has had one of those moments when it suddenly went too fast. And afterwards it is often mainly a story that makes you laugh.

It’s part of the learning curve. No one immediately becomes an expert on how their own brain reacts.

Fun fact

There is no way to stop a high immediately. Your body regulates it itself through time and metabolism, all quick fixes are mainly ways to make you feel calmer, not to speed up the process.