That said, it’s not like the science paints a much clearer picture when it comes to how long a weed high will last. Due to things such as tolerance, your personal endocannabinoid system and how your body reacts to the effects of marijuana, a high can last anywhere from an hour up to almost 12 or longer. While the primary influence is undoubtedly the amount consumed, measured in milligrams of THC, body weight, fat percentage, metabolism and whether you’ve recently eaten all have an effect on the length of that high.
It won’t affect how high you feel if you consume equal amounts of THC, but your chosen THC delivery method will influence how quickly the high hits, as well as how long it may last. For smoking and vaping, the high hits quickly, typically within a few minutes. That’s because when inhaled, the THC can enter the bloodstream directly from the lungs.
When consumed as an edible or some supplement or beverage, it’ll take quite a bit longer — on the order of hours, not minutes as it must first be digested by the gut before entering the bloodstream. Most people tend to feel the effects within half an hour or an hour, but some may need to wait as long as two hours before they get that signature weed “high” feeling.
For those that use specialized equipment and marijuana concentrates or strains with high levels of THC, the effect of being high can hit almost instantaneously. It’s the same ingestion method as smoking a joint or a pipe, but the higher concentrations of THC as well as the larger hits or doses makes for a much quicker high.
After the initial effects kick in, the next stage of being high is, well, being high. Dose and potency are important, which means the better your weed and the more you smoke of it, the longer the effects will likely last.
At the same time, the delivery method matters. Smoking and vaping cannabis usually means a high that lasts about a couple of hours, though it’s common for the high to fade somewhat after about an hour and still linger into the three-hour mark. Some people may even feel effects up to eight hours later.
When ingested, cannabis edibles take longer to hit, but one of the significant benefits to eating cannabis is that the effects can last up to 24 hours. That can make it great for a weekend activity, but it can also get you in trouble if you expected a short, two-hour ride. It’s also why you shouldn’t consume more edible cannabis if you’re not feeling the effects of your first dose. Since it can take hours to hit and it lasts so long, it’s easy to consume too much and enter a protracted high that you may not be ready for.
Dabs and concentrates are again similar to smoking and vaping. It’s typical to be high for anywhere from one to three hours, though extended sessions and super-high concentrations of THC can leave you feeling high for the rest of the day.
That said, marijuana affects everyone differently. Getting high, staying high and coming down from being high can be dramatically different for you than someone else, meaning that you may still feel the lingering effects of being high long after that last hit while to another the effects could have been short-lived. However, it’s not entirely uncommon to feel the effects of weed throughout the day or even into the next day if you’ve consumed enough or if you’re new to cannabis. Like many things, it’s best to start slow and work your way up.
If you’re interested in getting high as fast as you can, whether you want to maximize your high times or so that you can better manage the side effects of being high, smoking or vaping is the way to go. Anecdotal evidence points to holding your breath, holding the smoke or vapor in, or taking larger doses via dabs, bongs or vaporizers as fast ways to get high.
While you won’t necessarily be able to go from head-in-the-clouds to stone cold sober in seconds, there are some things you can do to help manage a high that has worn out its welcome. For many, sleeping or taking a nap can help to end that high, as can taking some CBD. The sleep allows your body to recharge while the CBD can help counteract a too-high feeling, bringing you back down to earth.
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