The Stages of Being High: Onset, Peak and Come-Down

The stages of being high are not formal medical categories, just a practical way to describe how effects build, peak and fade. How long each part lasts depends mostly on how cannabis gets into your body. These are the timings Health Canada gives for the 2 most common formats, smoking or vaping and eating or drinking:

Those figures are outer limits, not averages. A harm-reduction guide from Northwestern University, citing the Drugs and Me project, says smoked or vaped effects typically last 1 to 3 hours but can linger for up to 8, and that edibles can last up to 24 hours. The guide adds that timing can vary by person and by how much THC you have taken.

Inhaled cannabis passes from the lungs directly into the bloodstream, so the brain and body feel it quickly. Eaten cannabis takes much longer to reach the bloodstream, Health Canada explains; Northwestern's guide notes that it is processed through the digestive tract and liver first.

Once effects begin, they can include feeling high or euphoric, a sense of well-being, relaxation and sharper sight, taste, smell and sound, all of which Health Canada lists among short-term effects. A rapid heart rate and dizziness can show up too; Health Canada names both as possible adverse effects.

The risk at this stage is deciding nothing is happening and taking more. Health Canada says it can take up to 30 minutes to feel the full effect of a single inhalation, and that taking more in that window raises the risk of adverse effects. Northwestern's guide suggests starting with one hit from a joint or bowl and pacing yourself.

The peak is when effects are at their strongest. Some people describe it as mostly mental and others as mostly physical; head high vs body high explains what those terms mean and what research says about them.

Health Canada's consumer information lists increased appetite (the munchies) and euphoria among immediate effects, alongside unwanted ones such as anxiety, panic, paranoia and impaired memory and attention. Dose shapes the peak. Northwestern's guide groups commonly reported effects by how much THC was taken:

After the peak, effects taper off gradually rather than switching off. Sleepiness, which Health Canada lists among short-term effects, can stay with you as the high fades.

Feeling normal again is not the same as being unimpaired. Health Canada warns that impairment can last for more than 24 hours after cannabis use, well after other effects may have faded, because THC can affect coordination, reaction time, attention, decision-making and your ability to judge distances.

How often you use cannabis is one of the factors Health Canada says changes your response. If your usual amount feels weaker than it used to, a tolerance break, which Northwestern's guide suggests as a way to reset your body's tolerance to THC, is one option.

When THC is eaten, Health Canada says the body turns it into a stronger form called 11-hydroxy-THC. Health Canada's consumer information adds that edible effects are longer-lasting and that the delayed effects may lead to overconsumption. Health Canada suggests new consumers look for products with 2.5 mg of THC or less and says taking more within the 4 hours it can take to feel the full effects raises the risk of adverse effects. The edibles dosage guide shows how to work out the THC in each piece.

Health Canada says everyone's response depends on sex, age, existing medical conditions, experience with cannabis, how often you use it, the product's THC and CBD content, and whether you have had food, alcohol, other drugs or health products, and that the same person can respond differently from one time to the next. Manitoba Health adds your mood and mindset beforehand and the setting you are in.

THC content is something you can control. For inhaled products, Health Canada suggests new consumers look for less than 10% THC with equal or higher CBD. Setting matters as well: skip cannabis when you feel anxious, expect a stressful social situation or feel uncomfortable in your surroundings.

Mixing in alcohol makes things worse. Health Canada says combining it with cannabis greatly increases impairment; the crossfading guide covers what happens when people mix them.

Overconsuming cannabis is sometimes called greening out; the slang also covers the moment someone starts to feel faint and vomits, as Wikipedia describes it. Manitoba Health says you cannot die directly from taking cannabis, but overconsumption can be very uncomfortable. Signs it lists include:

Canada's Lower-Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines say not to drive or operate machinery for at least 6 hours after using cannabis, and Manitoba Health goes further, saying the safest decision is not to drive until the next day. Health Canada also links cannabis use to accidents while skiing and biking.

The same guidelines advise against inhaling deeply or holding smoke in. It does not make you higher anyway: Manitoba Health says there is no scientific evidence that holding smoke in your lungs makes the effects better. If you take other medication or have a heart or mental health condition, ask a doctor or pharmacist before using cannabis; Health Canada notes that the faster heart rate cannabis causes can be dangerous for people with heart conditions.

GasDank offers same-day delivery across Toronto and the GTA, usually within 1 to 2 hours, plus mail order across Canada. The menu carries lab-tested products, and customers must be 19 or older (21 in Quebec), with ID checked at the door. If you are trying edibles, check the THC per piece on the label and give each dose the full wait before deciding on more.