Even though weed is legal in California for both medicinal and recreational purposes, you can still get arrested for being high while engaging in certain acts. Most notably, it is illegal for someone to be high on cannabis while operating a motor vehicle.
Therefore, it’s essential to know how long it takes to sober up from weed. For most people, it takes between two and three hours to sober up after smoking cannabis. The effects of cannabis products can last longer if you take edibles.
You can learn more about the risks of driving while impaired with a Los Angeles DUI lawyer.
How Long Does it Take to Sober Up from Marijuana?
How long it takes to sober up from marijuana depends on several different factors. These factors include:
- How you get high (by smoking or eating the product)
- The amount of THC you consume
- How often you partake in marijuana use
- Your age, sex, and body weight
According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, the majority of individuals experience the most impairment 20-40 minutes after smoking marijuana. Impairment typically disappeared entirely after two and a half hours. However, weed can affect everyone differently.
How long your high lasts and how long it takes to get sober are not the same for everyone, so there is no definitive answer to those questions. In most cases, the more THC you have in your system, the longer your high will last and the more time it will take to get sober.
Getting Sober: Smoking Weed vs. Consumption
When considering ways to sober up from weed, it’s essential to realize that smoking marijuana typically results in a high for two hours. However, consuming cannabis as an edible will make you high for much longer; the effects can last for a full day.
Additionally, using a dab or vape pen for marijuana will make you high for an unpredictable period, with some users reporting remaining high for 24 hours, especially if the product they use has a high THC concentration.
Remember that although retail sales of cannabis are now legal in California, you can still face charges for using marijuana in public or driving under the influence of weed. Therefore, it’s important to select where and when you use cannabis.
Is Marijuana Out of Your System After the High Passes?
Although being high from marijuana does not last more than a few hours to as long as a day, THC can remain in your body for a much longer amount of time. According to the American Addiction Centers (AAC), THC can be found in a hair sample for as long as 90 days after your last usage.
Most drug tests administered by police or health clinics use urine, saliva, or blood samples. THC can stay in your blood for 12 hours, saliva for one day, and urine for 30 days. Therefore, it would be wise to avoid certain actions soon after getting high on marijuana.
Suppose you are completely sober and driving your car. If a police officer arrests you on suspicion of DUI and administers a urine drug test, your results could show high levels of THC still in your system from smoking weed three weeks before your arrest.
Can You Sober Up Faster?
When people are no longer having fun, they want the unwanted effects of the high, like the enhanced sensory perceptions and warped sense of time and attention, to subside. Some people want the effects to disappear if they are at risk of getting into legal trouble for being high.
While you may try any number of weird methods to sober up faster, there is no magic remedy to rid you of your high and its physical side effects immediately. The most important thing to remember is that time is on your side.
Just waiting it out and telling yourself that you will be feeling normal again within a couple of hours is the best thing you can do to keep your mind at ease. Good planning can allow you to enjoy marijuana and its pleasant effects while leaving enough time to completely sober up before completing an important task.
Home Remedies to Sober Up Faster
You may explore some at-home remedies that may help remove the unwanted effects of cannabis usage faster. However, there is no scientific research to back this up. These remedies include:
- Taking a nap
- Eating black pepper
- Eating pine nuts
- Eating a lemon peel
- Trying some CBD
- Drinking a bottle of water
- Doing breathing exercises (including deep breathing)
The caryophyllene compound found in black peppers could increase the sedative effects of THC, causing you to calm down and have a high wear-off.
The pinene compound found in pine nuts can also increase the soothing effects of THC to calm you down while improving your clarity. In contrast, lemon peels have compounds that can counteract the psychoactive effects of marijuana.
THC causes you to get high from cannabis, while CBD causes you to feel calm and relaxed, so taking more CBD can dull your high.
Tips and Tricks to Help with the High Effects
Getting high may not always produce the desired effects. You could end up feeling a lot worse and wishing that you had not smoked a bowl or eaten an edible. These undesirable effects include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Panic
- Paranoia
- Impaired judgment and coordination
- Hallucinations and delusions
These effects, especially anxiety and stress, are only heightened when you know you are performing an illegal act by being high when you are not supposed to, like driving a car. There are a few different remedies to help alleviate these feelings.
Drinking water helps keep you hydrated, which helps your body process the THC in your bloodstream. Do not drink alcohol because that can increase the amount of THC in your system, which will only prolong your high and anxiety.
Finding a distraction can help you forget about the undesirable effects you are experiencing. Good distractions include listening to music, watching a movie or TV show, chatting with your friends or family, taking a walk, or taking a cold shower.
Learn More About the Time it Takes to Sober Up from Marijuana
How long does it take to sober up from weed? Typically, the side effects of using marijuana last for around two to three hours if you smoke part of a cannabis plant. Your high may last for a longer period if you vape or eat an edible.
Additionally, evidence of cannabis usage may remain in your body for weeks after you get high. You can learn more about the effects of marijuana when you contact us.
You can call or complete our online contact form to find out how a lawyer can help after an arrest for driving under the influence of drugs (DUID).
