Exaggerated on Weed-Edibles?

8 tips for when your mind starts melting away

If you are already too high — you have arrived. There is no train back to the previous stations. Now you only can take a seat and ride on.

It can happen to anyone. We are human, we tend to exaggerate on certain things. I as well have been-there and done-that.

In my case only, I didn’t choose to consume the substance. (The story about that you can find down below.)

But so many people do it deliberately and still freak out.

I have experienced both sides of the same coin. And I wish I would have known more before I found myself in those positions. Both in having consumed too much myself and later needing to spontaneously support a terrified friend.

Edibles take more time to “kick-in”, unlike smoking a joint. The effects are often more gradual and the duration of the whole experience is much longer. Without the knowledge of that, a THC-induced product is also more likely to take you to a bad space. But not only then. Similarly, if you have a low tolerance towards the psychoactive substance or a sensitive mind overall.

Cannabis can be medicine in the right doses, but too much of it can bring you to difficult states of paranoia and anxiety. And when you already have gone too far with the edibles (or any other form of THC), you don’t have much control over the effects anymore. What you can control though is how you deal with them.

Tip #1: Do not consume more edibles

This should be obvious, but so many people do it anyway. The most edibles-nightmare stories I have heard, started with mindlessly eating more before anything had “kicked-in”. Even if nothing has happened yet, do not make this mistake.

Tip #2: Find a sober friend for support

If you become extremely confused, scared and your heart is pounding with fear, it probably means that a panic attack is creeping around the corner. It is natural to dive head-first into a dramatic point-of-view and think that the world is ending. In which case, a supportive and nonjudgmental sober friend can be very beneficial.

Contact someone who is, at best positively-minded and trustworthy, and communicate with them. Talking will distract you and such interaction can potentially open you up to a more rational perspective.

If you find yourself in an unmanageable anxiety attack but contacting somebody you know is not an option, try searching for free panic/anxiety helpline numbers to get support from a compassionate professional.

Tip #3: Change the focus point

Instead of focusing on the internal — how stoned and out-of-control you are feeling, focus on the external — the things around you. Things that you can see, things you can touch, that you can smell and taste. Distract yourself with some safe activities, like watching movies, painting, stretching, dancing or meditating.

Find a new focus point — do something, like a puzzle for example, where your attention can be redirected. That can result in helpful “grounding”. Besides, metabolism will simply work in your favour while you are engaged in something other than your thoughts.

Tip #4: Do not resist it. Accept it

It is not easy to surrender while being in extreme confusion or even panic. But the fact is — there is nothing you can do to take back time. Try to rationalise what is happening — you are having a reaction to a substance and it is all going to go away soon.

You are able to accept. Do not resist it. You cannot control it anymore. Stay calm — it is all in your head, it is a psychedelic substance after all. You are not going to die!

Needless to say that such difficult experiences can be very unpleasant and scary. However, they also can bring significant lessons to you later.

Tip #5: Consume fluids

Drink a lot of water. Water is hydrating and hydration speeds up metabolism. No, you will not become miraculously sober after drinking 2 glasses of water, but it can improve your overall condition. Just do not exaggerate with that — do not drink more than 1L (= 4–5 glasses) per hour.

Chamomile tea is another good beverage option. It is commonly used for calming down and reducing anxiety. As with water, chamomile tea alone can not cancel-out your high but it can work for your benefit in terms of creating ease.

Tip #6: Avoid caffeine and fatty foods

Some people assume that drinking coffee might neutralise the effects of THC, but that has not been proven to be true. I tried it on my own skin and it was not pleasant, to say the least. Avoid caffeinated beverages if you already are in a troubled state, specifically if you do not intend your anxiety to be stimulated (which I assume, you do not).

Another thing worth abstaining from while being too high is fat-containing food. THC is fat-soluble, meaning that fats can increase the bioavailability of THC. In other words, don't eat fatty food if you don't want to get even more stoned.

Tip #7: Use CBD, if available

An option that not everyone will have access to at the needed time but is still worth mentioning is Cannabidiol (CBD). CBD, another naturally occurring compound found in cannabis, unlike THC is not psychoactive and can be helpful for calming purposes. In a case of a space-cake overconsumption, CBD can potentially remind your body that it is safe and bring you closer to a calm state of mind.

Tip #8: Try to sleep

Sleep cures everything. Without a doubt, the best is to fall asleep — so aim towards that. As you probably have noticed, time goes by faster while you are sleeping. So will the challenging trip.