How long a high lasts depends almost entirely on what substance is involved and how it enters the body. A cannabis high from smoking typically lasts 1 to 3 hours at its strongest, while an edible high can stretch to 12 hours. Other substances range from under an hour to well over half a day. Here’s what to expect for the most commonly searched substances.
Cannabis: Smoking vs. Edibles
Smoking or vaping cannabis produces effects within seconds to minutes. The high peaks around 30 minutes in and gradually fades, with noticeable effects lasting up to 6 hours total. Most people feel functionally “back to normal” within 2 to 3 hours, though subtle residual effects like mild brain fog or fatigue can linger up to 24 hours.
Edibles are a completely different timeline. Effects don’t start until 30 minutes to 2 hours after eating, which is why people sometimes make the mistake of taking more before the first dose kicks in. The high peaks around 4 hours in and can last up to 12 hours, with residual effects also stretching to 24 hours. This extended duration is because THC passes through the digestive system and liver before reaching the brain, and the liver converts it into a metabolite that is actually more potent and longer-lasting than the THC you inhaled.
Concentrates (dabs, wax, shatter) follow the same general pattern as smoking but tend to hit harder and last somewhat longer because of higher THC levels. A first-time user or someone with low tolerance will feel effects more intensely and for a longer stretch than a regular user.
Alcohol
The liver processes roughly one standard drink per hour, and nothing speeds that up. Not coffee, not food after the fact, not a cold shower. If you’ve had four drinks, expect roughly four hours before your blood alcohol returns to zero. The peak of intoxication usually hits 30 to 90 minutes after your last drink, depending on how fast you drank and whether you ate beforehand. Impairment can persist even after you stop “feeling drunk,” which is why people misjudge their ability to drive the morning after heavy drinking.
Psilocybin Mushrooms
A mushroom trip typically lasts 3 to 6 hours, with effects beginning 20 to 40 minutes after eating them. The peak usually falls somewhere in the 1- to 2-hour range and gradually tapers from there. Many people describe a gentle afterglow (a sense of emotional openness or mild visual shifts) that can last several more hours after the main experience ends. Lemon tek and other preparation methods may shorten the overall duration slightly while intensifying the peak.
LSD
LSD is one of the longest-lasting common psychoactive substances. A typical trip runs 8 to 12 hours, with effects starting 20 to 90 minutes after taking a tab. The peak lands around 2 to 4 hours in. Because of this extended timeline, many users plan an entire day around the experience. Residual stimulation and mild perceptual changes can make it difficult to sleep even after the main effects have worn off, sometimes adding several more hours of wakefulness.
MDMA (Ecstasy, Molly)
MDMA effects begin 30 to 60 minutes after swallowing a dose, peak at about 75 to 120 minutes, then plateau for roughly 3.5 hours. Total duration runs 3 to 6 hours. The comedown is a significant part of the MDMA experience, though. As the drug wears off, many people feel emotionally flat, fatigued, or irritable. This comedown phase generally lasts 2 to 3 days, with the worst of it in the first 24 hours.
Opioids
Opioid highs are relatively short. With fentanyl, the initial rush of euphoria is followed by a calm, sedated state lasting about 1 to 2 hours. Heroin follows a similar pattern: a brief intense rush (especially when injected) followed by a drowsy, warm period that fades over 3 to 5 hours. Prescription opioid painkillers vary depending on whether they’re immediate-release or extended-release formulations, but the euphoric window for most short-acting versions is roughly 3 to 5 hours.
Cocaine and Stimulants
Cocaine produces one of the shortest highs of any commonly used substance. Snorted cocaine peaks within 15 to 30 minutes and the high fades in about 30 to 60 minutes total, which is a major reason people redose frequently. Smoked crack cocaine is even shorter, lasting roughly 5 to 15 minutes. Amphetamines last considerably longer, with effects stretching 4 to 8 hours depending on the formulation. Methamphetamine can produce a high lasting 8 to 12 hours or even longer.
What Makes a High Last Longer or Shorter
Several factors shift the timeline in either direction. Body size and composition matter because fat-soluble substances like THC are absorbed differently in people with higher body fat percentages. Liver health plays a direct role since most drugs are processed there; anyone with compromised liver function will metabolize substances more slowly, extending both the high and the recovery period. Age slows drug absorption and processing as well, meaning older adults often feel effects longer than younger people from the same dose.
Tolerance is one of the biggest variables. A daily cannabis user may feel functional within an hour of smoking, while someone trying it for the first time might feel altered for several hours from the same amount. Food in the stomach matters too, particularly for anything taken orally. A full stomach slows absorption, which can delay onset but also extend overall duration.
The method of consumption changes everything. Injecting or inhaling a substance delivers it to the brain fastest, producing a quicker but often shorter high. Oral consumption is slower to start but generally lasts longer. This pattern holds across nearly every substance class.
The High vs. the Comedown
The “high” itself is only part of the picture. Most substances produce some period of aftereffects once the primary experience fades. With stimulants like MDMA or cocaine, the comedown can include fatigue, low mood, and irritability that lasts 2 to 3 days. Cannabis users sometimes report grogginess or brain fog the following day. Psychedelics rarely produce a harsh comedown but can leave people feeling emotionally raw or reflective.
It’s also worth knowing that a drug’s half-life (how long it takes your body to clear half the substance) is often much longer than the perceived high. You can stop feeling high from cannabis hours before THC is fully cleared from your body, which is why drug tests can detect use days or even weeks after the last time you felt any effects. Being sober and being “clean” on a test are two very different timelines.