A cannabis high from smoking or vaping typically lasts up to 6 hours, while edibles can keep you feeling effects for up to 12 hours. The exact timeline depends on how you consumed it, how much you took, and your individual tolerance. Other substances have their own distinct windows, but cannabis is by far the most commonly searched, so let’s start there.
Smoked or Vaped Cannabis
When you inhale cannabis, the effects hit within seconds to a few minutes. You’ll reach the peak of your high within about 30 minutes, and from there it gradually tapers. The full experience can last up to 6 hours, though for many people the most intense part is over within 2 to 3 hours. What remains after that peak window is a mellower, fading sensation that slowly returns you to baseline.
The reason inhaled cannabis hits fast and fades relatively quickly is that THC passes directly from your lungs into your bloodstream and reaches your brain almost immediately. Your body then rapidly pulls THC out of your blood and stores it in fat tissue, which is why the intense high drops off. For infrequent users, THC has a biological half-life of about 1.3 days. For regular users, that stretches to 5 to 13 days, meaning traces linger in your body long after you feel sober.
Edibles Take Longer, Last Longer
Edibles are a different experience entirely. You won’t feel anything for 30 minutes to 2 hours after eating or drinking cannabis. The high doesn’t peak until about 4 hours in, and the total effects can last up to 12 hours. This is the most common source of “too high” experiences: people eat a gummy, feel nothing after an hour, take more, and then both doses hit at once.
The delayed onset happens because THC has to pass through your digestive system and liver before reaching your brain. Your liver also converts THC into a more potent form, which is why edible highs often feel stronger and more body-heavy than smoking the same amount.
Mixing Cannabis and Alcohol
If you’ve combined cannabis with alcohol, expect a longer and more unpredictable timeline. Alcohol increases THC absorption, which means you’ll likely feel higher than you would from cannabis alone. The combination is also associated with confusion, difficulty concentrating, and significantly impaired coordination. Products from unregulated sources can produce intoxicating effects lasting longer than 12 hours, especially when alcohol is involved.
How Long Other Substances Last
If your search isn’t about cannabis, here are the typical effect durations for other common substances:
- Psilocybin (mushrooms): About 5 hours on average, though individual experiences range from roughly 3 to 10 hours.
- LSD: About 8 hours on average, with some trips stretching well beyond 12.
- Mescaline: The longest of the classic psychedelics at around 10 to 11 hours on average.
- Cocaine: A short, intense high lasting 15 to 30 minutes when snorted, sometimes less when smoked.
- MDMA: The peak usually lasts 3 to 5 hours, with residual effects trailing for several more.
Residual Effects After the High Ends
Feeling “not high anymore” and being fully back to normal are two different things. Research on cannabis has identified measurable next-day effects on memory, attention, and time perception, particularly within 8 to 12 hours of use. One notable set of studies found impaired performance on simulated flying tasks a full 24 hours after use. That said, most studies, including several of higher quality, have found limited or no next-day impairment for typical doses. The takeaway: you’re probably fine the morning after a moderate session, but heavy use can leave a subtle cognitive fog.
This residual window matters most for driving and other tasks that require sharp reaction time. Colorado’s Department of Transportation recommends waiting at least 6 hours after smoking cannabis (at doses under 35 mg THC) before driving. For edibles under 18 mg THC, the recommendation is at least 8 hours. Higher doses require longer waits, and adding alcohol to the mix extends the impairment window further.
Can You Make a High Go Away Faster?
The honest answer: not really. Your body needs time to metabolize the substance, and no shortcut reliably speeds that up. You’ll find plenty of suggestions online, from chewing black peppercorns to taking CBD to cold showers. The peppercorn idea has some theoretical basis: black pepper contains a compound called caryophyllene that may interact with the same brain receptors as THC and could reduce anxiety. But as researchers at Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland have pointed out, there are no clinical trials proving this works in humans, and nobody knows how much pepper you’d actually need.
What you can do is manage the experience while you wait it out. Drink water, eat something light, move to a calm and familiar environment, and remind yourself that the feeling is temporary. If you’re anxious, slow breathing helps. Sleeping it off is genuinely effective if you can manage it, since your body continues metabolizing THC while you rest.
For edibles specifically, there is no way to stop the absorption process once you’ve eaten them. The THC is going to continue entering your bloodstream as your body digests the food. This is why the standard advice for edibles is to start with a low dose (5 mg or less) and wait at least 2 hours before considering more.