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These simple tricks will help you blend in with sober folks
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"Am I paranoid or do I look high?" If you've recently indulged in cannabis, the truth might be a little bit of both. While you definitely shouldn't jump behind the wheel of a car, if you suddenly find yourself in a position where you need to look a little less high, we've got you covered. Read on for tips on how to keep your high to yourself.
Best Tips to Hide Your Weed High
- Take a quick shower and change clothes to control the smell of weed.
- Clear bloodshot eyes with eye drops or an ice pack.
- Eat a snack to take the edge off of your high.
- Focus on your breath to recenter and compose yourself.
- Stay in the background and avoid drawing attention to yourself.
Steps
Section 2 of 3:
10 Ways to Hide Your High
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Take a quick shower to freshen up. A shower will not only get rid of any weed smell lingering on your skin and hair, but also might just sober you up a bit. Studies show that a cold shower can help reduce the psychoactive effects of THC, including anxiety, with one study in particular showing that the cold water has a grounding effect that can help break dissociative feelings you might have when you're high. [2] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
- After your shower, you'll likely feel a little more alert and more comfortable moving around in the world, which is a big part of not looking high.
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Change clothes to get rid of the smell of weed. If you've got clean clothes handy, putting something on that doesn't smell like cannabis will go a long way toward helping you look less high. Even if you don't look particularly high, people are likely to assume you are if you smell like you just smoked up in the car on the way there.
- If you're at a friend's house and don't have a change of clothes handy, freshen up by washing your face and hands, then maybe spritz a little body spray or use some scented lotion to help mask the scent.
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Use eye drops or an ice pack to clear your eyes. If your eyes are bloodshot from smoking a little too much, a couple of drops of artificial tears might be all you need. Don't have any drops handy? Make a cool compress with a washcloth or hold an ice pack over your eyes for just a minute or two and you'll feel some relief. [3] X Trustworthy Source American Academy of Opthamologists Professional medical organization focused on advocating for public health and supporting sight-related research Go to source
- Make sure to wrap ice or anything else that's frozen in a soft cloth—the extreme cold could burn the sensitive skin around your eyes very easily.
- Even though the bloodshot eyes you get from being high aren't the result of an outside irritant, any kind of eye drops should still be able to clear them up for you. [4] X Research source
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Protect your eyes with sunglasses. Marijuana makes your eyes more sensitive to light, which is great at night—a study even found that marijuana can improve night vision. But if it's the middle of the afternoon, you're going to be squinting a lot unless you put on some sunglasses. [5] X Trustworthy Source American Academy of Opthamologists Professional medical organization focused on advocating for public health and supporting sight-related research Go to source
- Make sure you take your sunglasses off when you go indoors, or people will likely notice and they'll definitely think you've got something going on.
- Sunglasses can also help you if you have the tendency to zone out when you're high. Since people can't see your eyes, they won't realize that you're just staring off into the distance contemplating something very deep and meaningful.
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Have a quick meal. Marijuana definitely increases your appetite, and a lot of people feel like after they eat something they come down a little bit. It will definitely make you feel a little less high, which means you won't act as high. And if you don't act as high, you won't look as high. [6] X Research source
- Be careful when you're out in public, though. If you've got the munchies, eating might make you look even more high because of the way you're attacking those nachos.
- The act of eating is also a great distraction that will take your mind off of being high for a few minutes and give you something else to focus on.
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Drink lots of water to remedy your cottonmouth. A lot of the symptoms of dehydration are the same as the symptoms of being high, so why not kill 2 birds with one stone? A nice glass of ice water will do wonders for your cottonmouth and help you feel a little more alert. [7] X Trustworthy Source Cleveland Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source
- Smoking cannabis also has a dehydrating effect, so make sure you're drinking plenty of water both while you're smoking as well as after.
- Or why not try a fresh lemonade? Lemons have a chemical that can help reduce anxiety after indulging in cannabis (although chewing on the lemon rind is the best way to get enough of that chemical into your bloodstream). [8] X Trustworthy Source Johns Hopkins Medicine Official resource database of the world-leading Johns Hopkins Hospital Go to source
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Do a breathing exercise to regain clarity and perspective. If you're feeling a bit anxious or overwhelmed because you're higher than you want to be, take a comfortable seat somewhere relatively quiet and turn your attention to your breath. Breathe deeply in through your nose, pause, then exhale slowly out your mouth. Repeat this for several minutes or until you start to feel more in control. [9] X Trustworthy Source University of Rochester Medical Center Leading academic medical center in the U.S. focused on clinical care and research Go to source
- If you feel panicked, try a grounding exercise to reconnect yourself with reality.
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Keep quiet and hang in the background. If it's cool for you to do so, just hang back and chill. People are a lot less likely to notice that you're high if you're not drawing a lot of attention to yourself. In fact, it might even be possible to just kind of blend into the background so nobody really notices you at all—then you don't have to worry about it.
- Do what you can to prepare in advance when you do have to speak so you can say it without sounding high. For example, you might practice your order while waiting for the server to come around to your table.
- If you're out in public, playing a game on your phone can serve as a distraction and will also help you hide your high because people will be less likely to interact with you if you seem occupied.
- Staying in the background will also help you keep a low profile if you get a fit of the giggles, which can be a dead giveaway that you're high.
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Eat or smell black pepper to help relieve anxiety and paranoia. According to a study published in the British Journal of Pharmacology, chemicals found in black peppercorns help reduce anxiety or clear the brain fog you might feel when you're high. All you have to do is chew on a peppercorn or sprinkle some pepper on a snack. [10] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
- Sucking the juice from a lemon or chewing on a lemon rind can have a similar effect, but might not be as pleasant (depending on your tastes). [11] X Trustworthy Source Johns Hopkins Medicine Official resource database of the world-leading Johns Hopkins Hospital Go to source
- This doesn't have an immediate effect on your outward appearance, but it will potentially make you worry a lot less about whether you look high, which is a definite improvement.
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Take some CBD if you feel anxious or paranoid. Studies have shown that CBD is effective at countering the negative side effects of THC (the stuff that gets you high) in laboratory studies. If you feel like you're a little too high or you're a little too paranoid, CBD could help you take the edge off. [12] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
- Researchers have cautioned that the laboratory results might differ from users' results out in the real world, depending on the type of cannabis they consumed.
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionHow can I quickly get rid of feeling high?Lauren Forsch is a CBD Expert and Founder of Popped.NYC based in New York. Popped.NYC is a cannabis company and lifestyle brand that creates CBD products designed to provide people with relief and promote wellness, self-care, and health. With first-hand experience of managing physical pain and anxiety, Lauren found relief from plant-based, CBD remedies. She created Popped.NYC from a desire to help people manage their pain and offers consultations and a wide variety of handmade, THC-free, vegan CBD products.You can try eating a light snack, especially something with a bit of fat in it like fries. But be careful because this might temporarily heighten your sensation of being high. A short walk or some stretching can help burn off some of that excess energy and help clear your mind as well.
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Tips
- If cannabis is legal where you live, buy it from a legal dispensary. The people who work there can give you tips for smoking responsibly. [17] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public Go to sourceThanks
- If you're currently taking any prescription medications, talk to your doctor about any possible interactions or side effects before you add cannabis on top. [18] X Research sourceThanks
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Warnings
- Even in places where cannabis is legal, it's typically only legal to buy it from licensed dispensaries. [19] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public Go to sourceThanks
- Pay attention to the potency of the marijuana you're smoking and avoid driving or going out in public if you feel like you're too high. [20] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public Go to sourceThanks
- Marijuana can affect your concentration, attention, and coordination. It also tends to slow your reaction time. Effects can last up to 6 hours after use. [21] X Research sourceThanks
- Using weed in combination with alcohol or other recreational drugs and make it even harder for you to concentrate and slow your reaction time even further. [22] X Research sourceThanks
- If you experience signs of consuming too much cannabis, including extreme confusion or anxiety, fast heart rate, and severe nausea or vomiting, seek immediate medical attention. [23] X Research sourceThanks
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Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about cbd products, check out our in-depth interview with Lauren Forsch .
References
- ↑ https://cannabis.colorado.gov/health-effects/immediate-health-effects
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9518606/
- ↑ https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/home-remedies-bloodshot-eyes-when-to-see-doctor
- ↑ https://opto.ca/eye-health-library/how-does-marijuana-affect-vision
- ↑ https://www.aao.org/eye-health/news/studies-look-at-effects-of-marijuana-on-vision
- ↑ https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/population-health/prevention/provider/powerpoints/ppt/SAMHSMarijuanaPresentation%20.pdf
- ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9013-dehydration
- ↑ https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/2024/04/researchers-show-chemical-found-naturally-in-cannabis-may-reduce-anxiety-inducing-effects-of-thc
- ↑ https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/behavioral-health-partners/bhp-blog/april-2018/5-4-3-2-1-coping-technique-for-anxiety.aspx
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3165946/
- ↑ https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/2024/04/researchers-show-chemical-found-naturally-in-cannabis-may-reduce-anxiety-inducing-effects-of-thc
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3797438/
- ↑ https://www.aao.org/eye-health/news/studies-look-at-effects-of-marijuana-on-vision
- ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9013-dehydration
- ↑ https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/population-health/prevention/provider/powerpoints/ppt/SAMHSMarijuanaPresentation%20.pdf
- ↑ https://cannabis.colorado.gov/health-effects/immediate-health-effects
- ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/if-you-use-cannabis-do-it-safely-202301172876
- ↑ https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/drugs-health-products/is-cannabis-safe-use-facts-young-adults.html
- ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/if-you-use-cannabis-do-it-safely-202301172876
- ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/if-you-use-cannabis-do-it-safely-202301172876
- ↑ https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/drugs-health-products/is-cannabis-safe-use-facts-young-adults.html
- ↑ https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/drugs-health-products/is-cannabis-safe-use-facts-young-adults.html
- ↑ https://cannabis.colorado.gov/health-effects/immediate-health-effects
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