There is at least one medical study that has been conducted to scientifically measure the amount of time it takes for the onset of cannabis’s psychotropic effects and duration.
Longtime consumers of cannabis can do a pretty good job of gauging their high, but casual or novice marijuana partakers will lack the experience to estimate the strength and duration.
There are several factors in estimating how long a marijuana high will last, including the amount ingested, the delivery method, individual tolerance, and metabolism.
There is at least one medical study that has been conducted to scientifically measure the amount of time it takes for the onset of cannabis’s psychotropic effects and duration.
The study, published in the journal Clinical Pharmacokinetics, and conducted by Nova-Institut, in Hürth, Germany, found that inhaling marijuana smoke provided near immediate effect that peaks at around 30 minutes and tapers off in a couple of hours.
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The same study found that the onset of psychotropic effects of edibles take longer, up to 90 minutes, peaking at about the 2-3 hour mark, and taking anywhere from four to twelve hours for effects to fully subside. The authors noted that factors such as metabolism and tolerance play a role in the intensity and duration of marijuana’s effects.
As a general rule of thumb, expect to feel high for about two hours when smoking, and four if eating a typical dose of edible marijuana, usually between 5-20mg of THC. Individuals with higher metabolism can generally expect highs to be shorter in length. Increased tolerance will require higher doses to feel the same effect.
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Finally, it’s always better to start with a low dose and slowly inhale or eat more marijuana, especially with edibles, as the effects of cannabis-infused food take longer to feel and longer to dissipate. Inhaling marijuana makes it easier to dose and more difficult to induce panic attacks or anxiety, common side effects of large doses of THC. If a higher-than-anticipated dose is taken, a self-reminder that the effects will eventually subside can possibly provide some calm and abate marijuana-induced dread and unease.
