How Long Does a Marijuana High Last?

If you are new to using cannabis, you might not know what to expect. For instance, you might be wondering how long the high will last for you. The answer is that it depends on many different factors, including the method you used to take it and your weight and height. If you have taken too much cannabis, then the good news is that no high will last forever.

Why the Length of the High Matters

There are a lot of reasons that you might be wondering how long the high will last. Some people like to plan out their high, so they can be on cannabis during a specific event, like a concert. Or you might be a medical patient who wants to optimize your treatment without becoming less productive. If you are new to cannabis, then having a trustworthy answer is vital to helping you have a good session. Timing is everything.

Using the Highness Equation

There are specific methods of calculating how long the high will most likely last. This is called the highness equation. There are four big components that will determine the length of your high. It is:

Length of your high = [(concentration x dose) / (tolerance x metabolism)] x the delivery method

So, you will multiply the dose you took by the product’s concentration. Then, you divide that by your tolerance times your metabolism. All of this is then multiplied by the delivery method, like inhalation or ingestion. 

This is not as complicated as it might sound. If you want a simple answer, then you can expect to stay high for around an hour or two if you inhaled it. If you ate the cannabis, then the high might last for three to four hours or even longer. Once you determine how cannabis affects you, you can experiment with methods of shortening or lengthening your high.

Metabolism x Tolerance

Some people believe that the only thing that determines how high a person will get is their weight. But the metabolism plays an even bigger role. The amount of THC in your bloodstream will determine the length of your high. The blood will carry the THC to your endocannabinoid system. The body will metabolize what you put into it and expel what it doesn’t need.

If you have a higher metabolism, you will have a shorter high. Your tolerance is harder to measure. Some people say that they have a low or high tolerance to cannabis. But what someone really means is that they have a high or low tolerance to neurotransmitters, like dopamine, from the brain. These are released when the THC enters the endocannabinoid system.

There is a certain amount of dopamine, which limits the power of THC. Some users might experience the ceiling effect when they use cannabis frequently. No matter how much they take, they can’t get any higher. But for many users, a similar dose will produce the same experience every time they take it.

Getting a Longer High

If you want to have a longer high, you can most likely extend it by adding more weed to your edible or joint. That means you will want to go with a strain that has a higher level of THC in it. Look into concentrates or even distillates. These often have as much as 85 percent THC.

A larger dose can also give you the effects that you are looking for. The high will last longer while helping you peak for a longer time. That will help you to enjoy it for as long as your body lets you.

Concentration x Dose

If you are newer to weed, you might want to go with smaller doses. You don’t have to use a huge bowl just because everyone else does it. A certain dose might have different effects on you than on someone else. And it is easy to measure out the amount of cannabis that you will be having. 

If you want to have a longer high, then just vape or smoke some more. You can also spread out the sessions, so you can keep getting high when you feel yourself coming down.

When it comes to the concentration, you can get a longer high by choosing a higher-THC strain. Look for ones that are lower in CBD since that can counteract the effects that THC has on you. You can also look for extracts and concentrates. But if you are a newer user, you might very well want to go with a strain that is lower in THC and higher in CBD. Then, you can work your way up gradually.

The Delivery Method 

If you have ever tried edibles, then you probably know that they are much more potent than when you inhale them. This is because of the path that the THC will take through your body when you eat them. Your digestive tract will convert THC into a different form than when you heat it.

It converts the THC into THC-COOH, which can stay in your body much longer. But your body will also take some time to make the conversion, which is why the high from an edible might not hit you right away. You can expect to wait around 45 minutes or an hour for it to kick in. 

But once the THC-COOH is in your bloodstream, you will stay high until your body has finished with the processing. If you have the time to wait for the product to affect you and you want a longer high, the way to go is ingesting the cannabis.

Closing Thoughts

Hopefully, you have a better understanding now of the complex factors that go into determining what your marijuana high will be like. Since there is no constant answer, the length of your high will still change. You don’t need to compare them to other people. But you can generally be good when you expect to have an hour or two for inhaled weed and three to four when you ingest it, you can have a better experience.