Can You Overdose on Weed?

Marijuana overdoses are relatively rare. To date, there have been no known fatal overdose deaths from using large amounts of weed. Marijuana can prevent opiate overdoses in individuals who use dangerous drugs like opioids. 

However, it doesn’t mean that you’re in the clear after smoking too much weed or eating a lot of weed edibles. It is still possible to suffer adverse effects from taking too much weed.

At BulkWeed.co, we provide up-to-date and helpful information on all things cannabis-related. Continue reading to know the effects of too much weed.

 

How Much is Too Much Weed?

The simple answer to this question is that it depends on how fast your body breaks down the THC. 

Several factors will determine if you have symptoms of a marijuana overdose. They include:

• Your tolerance level
• The mode of taking the weed
• The potency of the cannabis strain that you’re taking

Your Tolerance Level

Regular weed users can take large quantities with no severe health issues. However, giving the same dose to a first-time marijuana user can easily have serious health consequences.

For other users, the medication you’re taking could also affect your tolerance levels, increasing or decreasing them. 

Medical professionals also advise the type of drugs you should keep off if you plan to use weed. They include:

• Pain medications
• Antidepressants
• Anti-anxiety medications
• Anticonvulsants for seizures
• Sedatives
• Anticoagulants for blood thinning

In addition, taking other substances and drugs before marijuana can reduce your weed tolerance levels. This is because your body tries to mitigate the effects of the different drugs interacting in your body.

 

The Mode of Taking Weed

The mode of taking cannabis may also determine the amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) your body can handle simultaneously. For example, it is quite easy to take too many edibles compared to smoking too much.

It takes a long time for weed-laced edibles to kick in.  It can take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours. During this time, a user may top up on the edibles thinking to get the high sooner. Unfortunately, in this scenario, the person may take too much weed.

Smoking weed, on the other hand, gives a user a high within minutes. In addition, it makes the control of weed intake much easier as you gauge yourself through the stages of getting high.

The Potency of the Cannabis Strain That You’re Taking

Some weed strains are more potent than others. For example, marijuana with over 28% THC is considered a high THC concentration in Canada. Strains like Blue Fire, Unicorn Poop, and Gorilla Glue are some weed strains with high levels of THC. (28% and above)

Can You Get Addicted to Weed?

The debate on whether marijuana is safe for use usually drives a wedge between two factions. Some say weed doesn’t cause serious bodily harm, and some say drug abuse is synonymous with its users. They also claim that marijuana abuse affects the brain negatively, causing addiction.

The consensus is that a person can develop an addiction to weed. Marijuana addiction is known as cannabis use disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Since it’s a type of substance use disorder, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5) sets its major identification or diagnosis as when a person is a compulsive user despite the drug having bad effects on their health or social life.

Here are other signs of the disorder:

• Excessive use of marijuana than is intended
• Neglecting family, friends, and essential activities in favour of using weed
• The continued use of cannabis despite the physiological and psychological problems.
• Trying to quit marijuana use but failing.

Rehabilitative addiction treatment is often ideal for such a person to try and control the addiction. 

 

What Does it Feel Like to Take Too Much Marijuana?

If there is too much THC in your body, you may feel different compared to how you usually experience your normal high.

Marijuana overdose symptoms of taking too much marijuana include:

• Dry mouth
• Slow reaction times
• Fatigue
• Nausea and vomiting, known as cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome
• rapid heart rate
• Headache
• Pale skin

Psychological symptoms of taking too much weed include:

• Problems with concentration
• Drastic changes in mood
• Paranoia and panic attacks
• Hallucinations

These symptoms of marijuana intoxication can last for several hours before they clear from your system. It may feel uncomfortable and not your usual high, but don’t sweat it; it will pass.

 

What to Do if You Smoke Too Much Weed?

Sometimes due to a prevailing medical condition or interaction of excess weed with other substances, the symptoms of overdosing on weed may be severe. In this scenario, it is wise to rush to an emergency room at the hospital to seek medical attention.

A medical professional will treat the symptoms as you recover with a few hours of rest as the THC clears from your body.

 

Can You OD on Cannabis?

Whenever we hear the term Overdose or OD, we immediately picture the deadly consequences of an addict overdosing on drugs like opioids and other substances. However, for marijuana, the issue of overdosing is simple due to how the drug interacts with our bodies.

Generally, cannabis overdoses are almost non-existent. There has been no known report of a fatal marijuana overdose. You can take solace in this fact when indulging in your favourite cannabis strain.

In the rare cases where a user experiences what is known as a bad trip, it is usually because their body fails to break down THC normally. However, it can also result from taking weed with other substances like alcohol or other drugs that are known to be dangerous.

Generally, the benefits of cannabis outweigh its drawbacks, especially when it comes to the use of medical marijuana. Just make sure to buy weed from a trusted online weed dispensary in Canada or get local weed delivery in Surrey, BC, Toronto, Halifax, and more.

 

References

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3. Ferguson. (2020, March 24). Can You Overdose on Marijuana? Separating Myth from Fact. Can You Overdose on Marijuana? Separating Myth From Fact. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/can-you-overdose-on-marijuana
4. Weed Delivery Vancouver. (2022, January 7). Same-Day Weed Delivery in Surrey. Available at: https://weeddeliveryvancouver.io/product-category/service-areas/weed-delivery-surrey/
5. Martin, B. (2019, September 23). Which Canadian cannabis strains are highest in THC? Which Canadian Cannabis Strains Are Highest in THC? Retrieved from https://www.leafly.ca/news/strains-products/canadian-cannabis-strains-highest-thc
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7. LaRose. (2021, December 16). Can You Overdose On Weed? | Homegrown Cannabis Co. Can You Overdose on Weed? | Homegrown Cannabis Co. Retrieved from https://homegrowncannabisco.com/grow-your-own-with-kyle-kushman/health-wellness/can-you-overdose-on-weed/
8. American Addiction Centers. (2014, August 27). Legalizing Marijuana Decreases Fatal Opiate Overdoses, Study Shows – DrugAbuse.com. DrugAbuse.com. Retrieved from https://drugabuse.com/blog/legalizing-marijuana-decreases-fatal-opiate-overdoses/