Before we cover the facts about how to treat a marijuana overdose, we need to start by saying a few things. First, there’s really no such thing as a marijuana ‘overdose’ in the classic sense of the term. It is impossible to consume the amount of THC that is required to cause you to fall unconscious, stop breathing, or have your heart stop beating. To overdose on weed, you’d have to smoke 3 pounds of marijuana at once. Nothing of that sort will ever occur, so let’s be explicitly clear about that first.
No. There won’t be any foaming at the mouth either. This is a relatively harmless, mildly intoxicating plant we’re talking about. From this point forward, we’ll answer the question of how much to overdose on marijuana working with the same understanding – you can’t overdose on marijuana!
Now that we’ve established that, we can go on to say that it is possible to ‘overdo’ it with marijuana and feel unwell as a result. It’s called greening out, and can be scary, specially for new users who don’t know what to expect. If we’re going to discuss how to treat a marijuana overdose, we’re going to keep it real and talk about ways you can recover in case from getting too stoned.
But really – how much to overdose on marijuana? That depends on what you call overdosing, and in the most common definition there is no answer because you can’t overdose on pot.
How to Treat a Marijuana Overdose: Symptoms & Suggested Treatments
So, to be at the point where you’d be asking any such variation of the question you will have already smoked or ingested more marijuana than you should have. How this overindulging is going to affect you is very much dependent on your unique physiology. Most people who consume cannabis are going to have bloodshot eyes and a dry mouth.
That’s not a particularly huge cause for concern for most. Plummeting blood sugar levels, body tremors, paranoia, psychosis, and heart palpitations are a cause for concern though. These symptoms are experienced by some people when they smoke or ingest too much marijuana. So, let’s provide some suggestions on how to counter these symptoms in case you find yourself in a situation where you have overdosed on marijuana.
Low Blood Sugar Levels
Called ‘white out’, this is a long-known effect that can occur if you take in too much THC in a very short period of time. It’s named that way because as the person’s blood sugar drops dramatically so quickly their face will take on a very pale complexion. Your complexion will be the last of your worries if you’re suffering from a white out though. You can be so weak you can’t stand, and some people have reported losing consciousness.
The best and most effective way to counter white out is to eat or drink a sugary snack or beverage. It will bring your blood sugar levels up quickly, and you’ll feel much better soon. Stay seated while you enjoy it, and maybe for 5 or 10 minutes afterwards just to make sure the sugar has taken effect before you stand up. Another recommendation is to eat more substantial food within the next hour or two.
Body Tremors
It’s similarly hard to include any method for dealing with ‘the shakes’ in a discussion of how to treat a marijuana overdose. But we’ll forge ahead with it anyways. If you get the shakes from being too high, the first thing you should tell yourself that it’s likely to pass very quickly. For most people it does subside quickly.
The explanation for this type of a response isn’t exactly clear. It’s possible that it’s a result of the excess of THC overstimulating the dopaminergic signalling system of the body’s central nervous system.
To counter the shakes, try getting outdoors and breathe in fresh air. Even walking briskly around the block once or twice can reduce these symptoms.
Paranoia
Becoming paranoid from smoking too much weed is a very real risk, and some people are more inclined to experience this than others. There are likely some very specific brain biochemistry equations that make someone prone to becoming paranoid when overly high. We certainly won’t pretend to know them or offer related advice about how to treat a marijuana overdose
Paranoia can manifest itself in any number of ways, but it usually decreases as the user’s tolerance for marijuana increases. People inclined to become paranoid will be the same way without marijuana, but if they intake a large quantity of it they’ll often become very paranoid.
Paranoia’s difficult to counter once experienced, and so the only way to deal with it is to wait it out. Trying to reduce external stimuli like sights and sounds can be helpful. Positive self-talk where you reassure yourself that your suspicions are irrational and unfounded is good too.
Psychosis
Many different mental disturbances and harmful thoughts are included under the umbrella of psychosis. It’s true that getting overly high can induce them in some cases. The general consensus seems to be that, like paranoia, people who suffer psychotic episodes when they have too much weed are usually those who have a genetic predisposition to it in the first place. The marijuana and the THC in it are triggers for these underlying predispositions.
Countering any type of psychosis from too much marijuana can be very difficult. Often, it’s similar to paranoia in that you just have to let it pass. And you can be sure that it will. One thing that may help is having another person be the voice of reason and talk you out of your psychotic episodes.
If this happens regularly, you likely shouldn’t use marijuana at all. You may also benefit from seeing a healthcare professional regarding the matter.
