When we just start smoking weed we got high from two or three puffs, but sometimes it seems like a full joint is not enough. In life we get used to good things too quickly, and the same goes for our bodies unfortunately. Let’s dive into the best way to reset your tolerance for weed.
Why do you build up a tolerance for cannabis?
How can you lower tolerance to weed without quitting completely?
What is a tolerance break from weed?
How long should a tolerance break from cannabis take?
What can you expect from a tolerance break?
Tips for a successful weed tolerance break
Why do you build up a tolerance for cannabis?
Cannabis works by binding to cannabinoid receptors in the brain. These receptors are part of the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which plays a role in a variety of functions such as mood, pain, and appetite.
When you use cannabis, THC binds to the CB1 receptors in your brain. This binding activates the CB1 receptors, leading to the known effects of THC like relaxation, euphoria and of course the munchies.
When you smoke weed regularly, your body can become less sensitive to the effects of THC. This is because your brain reduces the number of CB1 receptors. When there are fewer CB1 receptors, THC is less likely to bind to them and activate them. Over time, the body becomes less responsive to the effects of cannabis. As the number of your CB1 receptors decrease, you will need to use more weed to achieve the same effects you had when you just started using it.
How fast you build up tolerance for weed is an individual process and is influenced by a number of factors:
- Frequency of use: The more often you use cannabis, the faster your tolerance will develop.
- Dosage: The higher the dosage of cannabis you use, the faster your tolerance will develop.
- Type of cannabis strain: The type of cannabis you use can also affect how quickly your tolerance develops. Cannabis strains with high levels of THC, is more likely to cause tolerance than strains with low levels of THC.
- Individual differences: Some people are more likely to develop cannabis tolerance than others. This may be due to genetics, age, or other factors.
- Moment of using: When you wake and bake, our experience is that you will smoke throughout the whole day. During the day you will need more and more to get high. When you do this often, the total dosage you use will increase quickly, developing tolerance faster.
Why don’t I get high anymore?
If you have smoked weed often, as well as high dosage, you might have build up tolerance. Hitting a weed plateau like this can suck. The familiar high you are looking for seems to be hard to achieve and you have to roll up fatter joints to get the same effects.
Once you have developed this tolerance, it might feel that you can’t get high anymore no matter how much you smoke or what edibles you eat.
If weed isn’t getting you high like it used to, you are not alone. Tolerance build up is very common and we have experienced it several times. There are two ways we can go from here: try to lower your tolerance without stopping to smoke weed, or a full tolerance break. Of course we’ll dive into both, and give you the explanation and tips you need to start the battle with your tolerance!
How can you lower tolerance to weed without quitting completely?
Not for all people a tolerance break will be the main choice, luckily there are some ways to lower your tolerance for weed without having to quit completely. It requires some moderation and intentional adjustments to your consumption habits to achieve this. Here are some tips to make sure you will get your high back!
- One option is to start microdosing. Some say this is about 1/3 of your usual dosage, others take 2/3 of the usual dosage and still report a lower tolerance after a while. This method allows you to maintain some level of cannabis in your life, while still lowering your tolerance gradually.
Important to note that this strategy will require some willpower and will have less impact on lowering your tolerance compared to a complete tolerance break. - An effective way to get your high back is to change your method on consumption. We have made a comprehensive list of the 29 different ways to use cannabis. If you typically smoke, consider trying edibles or vaporizing. Each method affects the body differently, and switching can help reduce tolerance. The most effective way to get high is dabbing, in which you heat up concentrated THC extracts. Sidenote, due to the strength of dabbing this might build op tolerance faster when done regularly.
- Consider changing the type of marijuana you smoke as an effective way to shake things up. If you've been sticking to a particular strain, try something different. Switching from a Sativa to an Indica (or vice versa) can be particularly beneficial, as these strains impact tolerance development differently. This simple adjustment might make it easier for you to experience the desired effects and keep your high enjoyable. We have made a list for you with the most popular strains of 2024 to give you some ideas.
- A pretty obvious one is to cut back the frequency. If you smoke each day, try to do it every other day or only in the weekends. We are a big fan of combining weed in a productive lifestyle, and by using cannabis mainly as a reward system we don’t build up too much tolerance while pursuing personal goals. And toking up at the end of a busy week gives a lot more pleasure this way!
The most effective way to reset your tolerance for weed is with a tolerance break. Let’s get into that!
What is a tolerance break from weed?
A tolerance break (T-Break) simply means taking a break from using weed to allow your body to regain sensitivity to the effects of THC. During this period, you need to abstain from smoking, vaping, dabbing, or eating edibles for a specified duration. This process essentially resets your endocannabinoid system. Easy-peasy, right? Well, not necessarily. Not for everyone it is a breeze, easpecially if you light up daily. It can be quite challenging and a good way to train your discipline during this break.
First it is important to decide how long your tolerance break should take. This will make it easier to succeed when you have an end goal in mind. If you are going through some hard times, remember: delayed gratification is worth the wait. It is a great way to work on your self control while reaching your goal of battling your tolerance.
How long should a tolerance break from cannabis take?
Most T-breaks should take between 1 and 3 weeks. The duration it will take for you personally to reset your tolerance for weed depends on a number of factors. The dosage of weed you consumed last period of time, the frequency as well as some individual physiological characteristics.
For occasional users, a week might be sufficient to reset their ECS. However, for regular users, experts often recommend a more extended period, typically two to three weeks. Due to the variation between these timeframes it is best to self-discover what works best for you. Nobody got any worse from taking a tolerance break for a short period of time.
Personally we have did many cannabis breaks, but mainly due to busy periods in our life which require a good focus. The reset of the tolerance was a side effect but of course always welcome. Variating from 1 week to a couple of months, our experience is that after more than 3 weeks you will get almost as high as when you just started to enjoy our favorite plant. It doesn’t feel really different when you smoke after stopping for multiple months compared to a couple of weeks though.
What can you expect from a tolerance break?
During a tolerance break, you may initially experience discomfort, including mood swings and difficulty sleeping. From our own experience your dreams will be very vivid in the first couple of days/weeks. Did you ever wonder how weed affects your sleep? We have sorted it out for you.
As the psychoactive effects of cannabis wear off during your T-break, you might notice increased mental clarity and alertness. For some it may feel like a mental fog fades away in the first couple of days. Another pro is that your appetite may return, if you mainly smoke your weed this is likely.
The goal is to reduce tolerance, leading to a better high when you resume cannabis use after the break. Individual experiences vary, but staying hydrated and maintaining a healthy routine can help ease the transition.
Tips for a successful weed tolerance break
As mentioned earlier our main tip is to determine how long your tolerance break should take and stick by it. This will make sure you are not leaving any room to change your mind when it gets though in the first couple of days. But from our own experience we’ll give you some more tips to help you reset your tolerance successfully:
- Even if your tolerance break is a short one, remove all weed from your house. Give it to a friend and tell him you will smoke it together the day after your tolerance break. This will remove a huge temptation from your house, making it easier to succeed.
- Make a plan for how you will spend your time during this period. There are likely some activities you already do when you’re not high. For us this would mean eating at family, or doing some sports and other activities for which you stay sober. Plan a lot of these things in the period of your break.
- Smoke CBD weed for some time. This can offer a gentle alternative during your T-break. You have reduced to none psychoactive effects but allows you to still have your moment and your connection with cannabis. It might help you as well due to the calming properties of CBD, giving you a more relaxed break.
- Practice mindfulness or meditation to manage stress and enhance your ability to cope with discomfort. Mind-body techniques can be powerful tools during a tolerance break.
- Learned from the book ‘’Atomic Habits’’ by James Clear; it is essential to identify triggers. Make a list of situations or activities that typically lead you to use cannabis. This will help you avoid these triggers during your break.
- Keep your brain busy, for example by reading above mentioned book. This will get your mind of cannabis and you can use this period of time to learn something which might be useful in the rest of your life!
Remember that all people are experiences with a tolerance break are unique. We hope we gave you the right tips and tricks to help you out resetting your tolerance so that you can get your high back as soon as possible.
What is your experience with tolerance breaks? Let us know in the comments!
