YOU TOOK TOO MUCH. HERE'S WHAT TO DO.
It passes. Nobody has died from taking too much cannabis.
You are going to be uncomfortable for a few hours and then you are going to be fine. That sentence is genuinely half the treatment — most of what makes this bad is the fear that it won't stop.
If you're reading this mid-episode, skip to the next section. The rest can wait.
Do this now
How long you've got
Knowing which form you took tells you roughly how much longer this lasts.
- Smoked or vaped: peaks around thirty minutes, mostly done in two to three hours. If it's been an hour, you're already past the worst.
- Edible: peaks at two to three hours, tapering over six to eight. A large dose can run longer. This is the harder one to sit through and the reason the two-hour rule exists.
In both cases the curve only goes one direction from the peak. Every hour is easier than the last.
What doesn't help
- Alcohol. Makes it markedly worse and adds nausea. The most common mistake people make trying to fix this.
- Coffee or energy drinks. Amplifies the racing-heart feeling, which is usually the part you want gone.
- More THC. People do this — "maybe it'll level out." It won't.
- Cold showers. Startling, not therapeutic. A lukewarm one is fine if it's comforting.
- Making yourself sick. With an edible it's already absorbed. Unpleasant and pointless.
- Lemon and black pepper. Widely repeated folklore with no reliable evidence. Harmless if it gives you something to do.
CBD is the one folk remedy with a plausible case — many people report it takes the edge off, the evidence is thin but the risk is negligible. If you have some, it won't hurt.
When to stop reading and call someone
- Chest pain, or a heart rate that stays very high and won't settle
- Fainting, or you can't stay conscious
- Difficulty breathing
- Persistent vomiting you can't stop
- You have a heart condition or take medication that interacts
- Symptoms are severe and getting worse hours in, rather than easing
- A child or pet has eaten a product — call immediately, do not wait to see
Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222 · Emergency: 911
Two things worth saying plainly. Nobody is going to be in trouble for asking. Paramedics and poison-control staff deal with this routinely and their job is not enforcement. And in a state where these products are legal to buy, there is nothing to hide — say what you took and how much, because guessing wastes their time and yours.
Afterwards
You'll probably feel foggy the next day — a bit like a mild hangover, occasionally lasting into the afternoon. Water, food and an early night fix it.
Then, once you're fine: work out what actually happened. It's almost always one of four things.
- Didn't wait long enough between doses. The overwhelming favourite, especially with edibles.
- Wrong product for your tolerance. A 54.5% preroll is not a starting point. Neither is a 25 mg gummy taken whole.
- Empty stomach. Same dose, sharper curve.
- Mixed with alcohol. Unpredictable, and usually worse than either alone.
None of these mean cannabis isn't for you. They mean the dose wasn't. Two puffs and ten minutes, or half a gummy and two hours, and this doesn't happen again.
During business hours there's a person on the phone who has talked people through this before. No sales pitch, no judgement — we sold it to you and this is part of the job.
General information only, not medical advice, and not a substitute for professional help. Reviewed 31 July 2026. If you are unsure whether a symptom is serious, treat it as serious and call.
