How Long Does A Weed High Last?

On average, one can expect to stay high on cannabis for up to two hours after ingesting it by way of smoking or vaping. The smoking of cannabis initiates the psychoactive effects of THC almost immediately. How long one stays high after smoking weed has a lot to do with how long THC stays active in their system. This varies based on each person’s body chemistry, and the method in which it was consumed.

Smoking & Vaping Cannabis

When a person vapes or smokes weed, the cannabinoid THC enters their blood stream immediately, passing the blood-brain barrier and eventually binding to receptors in the brain. Terpenes, such as myrcene, play a crucial role in how fast this process occurs.

The rest of the body also has cannabinoid receptors, but it takes a bit longer for cannabinoids to circulate through one’s system. Once it has, the body’s fatty tissue absorbs it which leads to a “body high” sensation that most regular weed smokers distinguish from the cerebral brain high of cannabis. This whole process takes a couple of hours to be complete, but there are many factors that affect how long you stay high.

If a person smokes weed on an empty stomach for example, the high may last longer. It is useful to know that eating can help shorten the time one stays high after smoking. Better still, if a person feels they are getting “too high” a snack can shorten the duration of that feeling and make one feel more normal in a brief time period.

THC Content

Another key factor to consider is the THC content in the strain being consumed. The more potent the strain, the longer the effects of intoxication may be felt. Additionally, tolerance plays a role in the length of feeling high. An experienced weed smoker might notice that their high doesn’t last as long as it did when they were a novice. This might lead them to ingest more. Cannabis experts are quick to remind that although the “high” of THC can last up from two to three hours, the effects of smoking weed can last from five to twenty-four hours. This may include feeling foggy, fatigued, famished or any other adjectives that start with the letter “f”.

Edibles

Another factor that plays a role is method of consumption. It is proven that consuming edibles will result in a far longer high duration than simply smoking or vaping weed does, despite also taking longer for the effects to initially kick in. An edible induced high may not initially set in until upwards of 2 hours after initial ingestion, however, the duration of the high can extend as long as eight hours.