10 Clever Ways to Hide the Fact that You're High

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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

  1. Take a quick shower and change clothes to control the smell of weed.
  2. Clear bloodshot eyes with eye drops or an ice pack.
  3. Eat a snack to take the edge off of your high.
  4. Focus on your breath to recenter and compose yourself.
  5. Stay in the background and avoid drawing attention to yourself.
Section 1 of 3:

How can people tell you're high?

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    If you can tell that you're high, it's likely that anyone around you can tell, too—or can at least tell that something's a little off. Bloodshot eyes that are extraordinarily sensitive to the light are one of the tell-tale signs that someone's been indulging in cannabis. Here are some other signs: [1]
    • Slower reaction time
    • Impaired hand/eye coordination
    • Dry mouth
    • Relaxed, ambivalent attitude
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Section 2 of 3:

10 Ways to Hide Your High

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    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]
    • 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.
  2. 2
    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.
  3. 3
    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]
    • 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]
  4. 4
    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]
    • 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.
  5. 5
    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]
    • 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.
  6. 6
    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]
    • 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]
  7. 7
    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]
  8. 8
    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.
  9. 9
    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]
    • 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]
    • 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.
  10. 10
    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]
    • 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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Section 3 of 3:

Preventing Yourself from Looking High

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    Just make a quick change when you're done smoking and you won't have to worry about any lingering smells in your clothing when you're out and about. Even if you just change shirts it'll make a big difference.
    • If you look clean and well put together, people are usually going to be less likely to think you're high anyway. As long as you blend in with everybody else it's not that big of a deal.
  2. 2
    Keep eye drops and sunglasses with you if you're going to get high. You can stick a bottle of eye drops in your pocket or your bag and you'll be good to go. Sunglasses help keep you from squinting, especially if you're planning on being outside in the middle of the day. [13]
    • Sunglasses are pretty much going to cover your eyes completely, so you don't have to worry about that at all as long as you're going to be in a situation where it's appropriate to wear sunglasses all the time.
  3. 3
    Drink water constantly to stay well-hydrated. If you're well-hydrated, your eyes won't get quite as bloodshot and your mouth won't be quite as dry either. That's not to say that you can avoid those symptoms entirely, but staying hydrated can help keep you from looking like a complete stoner. [14]
    • Flavored or sparkling water hydrate you just as well as plain water and are a lot more fun to drink when you're high.
  4. 4
    Keep snacks with you so you can have something to eat. There's nothing worse than getting high and getting the munchies and having nothing to snack on! Plus, having a snack is a great way to take the edge off of your high so that you feel less anxious or paranoid and more comfortable with yourself. [15]
    • It's always great to have a little variety as well. If you're headed to someone else's house to smoke, bring along something salty or savory as well as something sweet—you never know what you're going to be craving.
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    If you don't immediately have anywhere to go and you find that you're a little too high, it can feel wonderful to simply sleep it off. The effects typically only last 2 to 4 hours, so just put your favorite movie on and chill on the couch for a little while. [16]
    • After a couple of hours, you should be good to go if you just splash your face with water and freshen up a little bit.
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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]
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      • 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]
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      Warnings

      • Even in places where cannabis is legal, it's typically only legal to buy it from licensed dispensaries. [19]
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      • 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]
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      • 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]
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      • 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]
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      • 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]
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      References

      1. ↑ https://cannabis.colorado.gov/health-effects/immediate-health-effects
      2. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9518606/
      3. ↑ https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/home-remedies-bloodshot-eyes-when-to-see-doctor
      4. ↑ https://opto.ca/eye-health-library/how-does-marijuana-affect-vision
      5. ↑ https://www.aao.org/eye-health/news/studies-look-at-effects-of-marijuana-on-vision
      6. ↑ https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/population-health/prevention/provider/powerpoints/ppt/SAMHSMarijuanaPresentation%20.pdf
      7. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9013-dehydration
      8. ↑ https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/2024/04/researchers-show-chemical-found-naturally-in-cannabis-may-reduce-anxiety-inducing-effects-of-thc
      9. ↑ https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/behavioral-health-partners/bhp-blog/april-2018/5-4-3-2-1-coping-technique-for-anxiety.aspx
      1. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3165946/
      2. ↑ https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/2024/04/researchers-show-chemical-found-naturally-in-cannabis-may-reduce-anxiety-inducing-effects-of-thc
      3. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3797438/
      4. ↑ https://www.aao.org/eye-health/news/studies-look-at-effects-of-marijuana-on-vision
      5. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9013-dehydration
      6. ↑ https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/population-health/prevention/provider/powerpoints/ppt/SAMHSMarijuanaPresentation%20.pdf
      7. ↑ https://cannabis.colorado.gov/health-effects/immediate-health-effects
      8. ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/if-you-use-cannabis-do-it-safely-202301172876
      9. ↑ https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/drugs-health-products/is-cannabis-safe-use-facts-young-adults.html
      10. ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/if-you-use-cannabis-do-it-safely-202301172876
      11. ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/if-you-use-cannabis-do-it-safely-202301172876
      12. ↑ https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/drugs-health-products/is-cannabis-safe-use-facts-young-adults.html
      13. ↑ https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/drugs-health-products/is-cannabis-safe-use-facts-young-adults.html
      14. ↑ https://cannabis.colorado.gov/health-effects/immediate-health-effects

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