Eat These Fruits To Counteract A Bad THC High

Cannabis use has become more common, with around 48.2 million Americans using the drug in 2019 at least once, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Cannabis contains around 120 different cannabinoids, with cannabidiol (also known as CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (commonly known as THC) being the two most researched cannabinoids  (per Johnson and Wales University). While THC is the cannabinoid that gives people that "high" feeling, CBD is mainly used for medicinal purposes and can be found in oils, drinks, and CBD gummies. Some benefits of CBD include reducing inflammation and high blood pressure, helping with anxiety, preventing seizures, alleviating symptoms of gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, helping people who have alcohol and other drug addictions, and fighting certain cancers.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), in the United States, around three territories and 37 states, including the nation's capital, have approved the use of cannabis for medical purposes as of February 3, 2022, while two territories, 21 states, and the nation's capital have allowed the use of cannabis for non-medical purposes as of November 9, 2022. With the increase in cannabis use, it's important to know what to do if you get hit with a bad THC high. Luckily, there are some things you can do to help yourself, your friends, or anyone who looks like they may be panicking due to having a bad high. Here's how you can be prepared.

When smoking cannabis, the high that's created by THC can last anywhere from an hour to several hours, depending on how strong the strain is and how the THC is processed in the body, according to GoodRx. If consumed via edibles, the THC takes longer to create a high and can last a lot longer than smoking it. Especially with edibles or CBD-infused foods, and anyone who is new to using cannabis, it can be difficult to gauge just how high the high will be, so it's important to know what to do if you do happen to have a bad THC high. A few signs of being too high could be panic, paranoia, anxiety, distrust, and impaired senses such as coordination and judgment.

The biggest and easiest thing to do is to relax and drink some water, per Healthline. The next and possibly most effective thing you can do is eat some citrus fruits because they contain limonene, which is a very common terpene (via Healer). Terpenes are compounds that give certain things their smell and can be naturally found in all sorts of herbs and plants, including lavender and rosemary, according to Medical News Today. Some body products, perfumes, and foods even contain isolated terpenes for scent, and terpenes also help plants emit specific smells to either ward off predators or entice pollinators. The highest concentration of limonene is in the rind of citrus fruits.