It’s no fun to think about quitting cannabis, especially if it’s not doing you anything but good. But, we’re here to tell you that a little break can sometimes make it even more fun when going back to smoking again! We call this a tolerance break, or a “t-break” as some stoners like to call it.
If you’ve ever wondered why you don’t get as high as you used to when you first started smoking cannabis, it’s because your tolerance has increased. Luckily, a short tolerance break is all you need to get that original high back in your life. This will save you money since you won’t have to buy and smoke as much weed to get the desired effects, give you perspective on how much you actually want to be smoking during the week, and of course, get you more lit than you have in a while.
How does a tolerance break work?
When you give your body a break from weed, your cannabinoid receptors are able to reset. THC binds to these receptors in our body when we consume cannabis, and over a long period of consuming large amounts, our cannabinoid receptors can get over-stimulated, raising our tolerance. By taking a break from cannabis, the availability of our body’s endocannabinoid system increases and starts to recalibrate back to normal, lowering our tolerance.
We totally understand not wanting to quit completely, especially if you use cannabis for medicinal purposes, anxiety relief or to help with sleep. Cutting down on the frequency you smoke or the amount you consume can make a big difference in your tolerance. If you typically smoke throughout the day, try smoking just at night, or even better, popping a gummy before bed instead. Switching up the consumption method can also shake up your cannabinoid receptors.
You can also try just consuming CBD for a while since CBD doesn’t bind to our receptors the same way THC does. The bottom line is that you can lower your tolerance without quitting completely, but it might take a little bit longer to reset your system.
How long should a tolerance break be?
You may be wondering how long it takes to reset your cannabinoid receptors—or more specifically, the shortest possible tolerance break you can take that’s still effective. An ideal tolerance break for weed is 2-5 weeks, but it totally depends on how much cannabis you consume on a daily or weekly basis. If you’re a casual user, 1-2 weeks will probably be all you need to see a huge reduction in your tolerance. On the other hand, if you’re a very heavy and chronic user who smokes all day, it may take a month of abstaining to reset your endocannabinoid system.
Regardless of how much cannabis you consume, if you do it regularly, it is completely normal to develop a tolerance to it. Switching up how you consume it or cutting it out completely for a few weeks is a great way to lower your tolerance and enjoy weed like you did when you first started. Experiment with a t-break and find what works best for you! When you're ready to start back up, treat yourself to a fresh new piece for you next smoking era.
