How to Recognize Someone Who Is High On Weed

Author Sharon Howden

Published on: April 21, 2021

Learning how to recognize someone high on weed is a life skill in today’s world. Currently, many global nations like Canada and some US states have ended cannabis prohibition. Some other countries worldwide are also embracing marijuana as a medicinal drug and legalizing it.

With these developments, it’s become important to learn how to identify weed or marijuana addiction in someone you love. The first step to doing that? Recognizing someone who is high on weed.

Experienced smokers or marijuana users may find it easy to tell if someone is high. However, inexperienced people may not know how to recognize someone is high on weed.

In this article, you will learn how to recognize the signs that someone is high on weed. We’ll also discuss the key indicators to weed abuse and addiction as well as the necessary measures to curb it. Read on to discover so much more.

What Happens When You Use Weed?

Though marijuana is now legalized in Canada, there are still dangers attached to its abusive use. There is a high potential for the drug to become addictive because of its effects on the body.

When you smoke or ingest marijuana, you will begin to feel its effects within five to thirty minutes. On average, these effects can last for about two hours. The impact you’ll feel from taking weed is due to the way the substance acts on your brain.

Marijuana contains a psychoactive chemical known as delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. When you ingest weed, your blood carries the THC to your brain. There, it reacts with your brain’s cannabinoid receptors.

Due to this reaction, you’ll experience a relaxing and calming effect. THC also triggers the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that causes pleasurable feelings. This is why the drug becomes so addictive.

What are the Methods for Using Weed?

Before discussing the signs of marijuana use, it’s important to understand how your loved one may be using marijuana. There are various methods through which most people used weed. These include:

Smoking it (They May smoke it in a bong or use rollers).
Taking it in food as edibles.
Taking it in wax or hash form.
Taking it in a vaporizer.
Taking it in tinctures and tonics.

For those who take marijuana as edibles, it heightens the chances of suffering adverse reactions. This is because the body needs a longer time to absorb the THC present in those edibles.

This differs from what happens when you smoke it, where you feel the effects almost immediately. When you ingest weed via edibles, you may overeat to compensate for the long time it feels to get high. Doing this may lead to dangerous circumstances.

How to Tell Someone is High on Weed

Weed is very addictive. Due to the euphoric, calming and relaxing feeling it gives, you may find yourself taking it again and again. With continued use of the substance, your body eventually gets used to the effects. When this happens, you’ll start taking even higher doses of the drug.

At this point, you are already addicted to marijuana use. Essentially, you have conditioned your body to the drug’s effects. Hence, when you lack the substance in your body, you will become unstable and unbalanced, seeking the drug like your life depends on it.

The problem with addiction is that a marijuana addict hardly knows they are dependent on the substance. Most of them struggle to come to terms with the fact and continue to delve deeper into abuse and addiction. Hence, their friends and loved ones need to be there for them to help them beat addiction, recover, and live a healthier life.

The first step to doing this is knowing how to recognize weed addiction. For you to do this, you must be adept at telling the indicators that a loved one is constantly high. This is not so easy at first, especially if you’re not used to such things. However, the tips in this article will make things easier for you.

The following signs show how to recognize someone is high on weed:

Withdrawal from others

It is common for someone high to withdraw from others and be alone. If your loved one who is usually socially active suddenly secludes themselves, it may be possible that they are stoned.

The voice tone

Sometimes, people who are high on weed find it hard to gauge the volume of their voices. Hence, they tend to talk louder or lower than they should normally do.

They give off strong scents

One key part of how to recognize someone is high on weed is by the pungent smell the substance leaves on them. While this is one of the signs to look out for, someone who smokes weed may use perfume or cologne to mask the strong scent.

Watch the eyes

The eyes are one of the indicators that tell someone is high. It is natural for your eyes to be constricted when you are in a well-lit room. However, the reverse is the case for someone who is high.

Instead of being constricted, a high person’s pupils become dilated in a lighted room. When in a dark room, such a person’s pupils become smaller.

Another way to recognize someone is high on weed using their eyes is by checking if they have bloodshot eyes. The presence of bloodshot eyes is like the easiest way to determine someone is high. However, bloodshot eyes can also mean someone is stressed or lacks good sleep.

Acting unusually

Another one of the signs a loved one is high on weed is if they begin to act unusually. Some of these unusual actions include delirious laughter, compulsive snacking, excessive eating, or violent behaviours. They may also act slower than normal and maybe unsure or unaware of their environment.

Losing focus during a conversation

If you are high on weed and are in a conversation with another person, it will be hard to maintain a normal conversation. A high person finds it hard to stay focused on a conversation.

One moment they are talking about how good a hockey team’s goalkeeper is. Within the same breath, they may start speaking about how fun skydiving can be.

Lost motivation or lack of energy

Being high can make a person lose motivation or interest in any activity. If you have a loved one who is passionate about a particular activity and they suddenly lose interest in it, it is one of the signs of marijuana use.

Besides the loss of interest, a high person loses motivation in doing anything and just wants to lay in bed all day. Hence, they tend to sleep excessively or display bad sleep habits.

Laughing inappropriately

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone, and they just start laughing at something that is miles away from being funny?

Being high on weed can cause you to laugh uncontrollably, even when it is inappropriate. Hence, if a person displays such behaviour, it is an indicator they are high on weed.

Feeling paranoid

Paranoia is a major way to recognize someone who is high on weed. If you or a loved one suddenly begins to feel paranoid and harbours thoughts that you are in danger, they may be high on marijuana.

Hence, if you are trying to find out if someone is high on weed, you need to watch for such behaviour, thoughts, or feelings.

Financial problems

Most weed addicts are constantly looking for money to buy the substance. Since they have conditioned themselves to use the substance, they continue to buy it.

This eventually leads to financial issues, as they invest so much in weed and forego other necessities of life. Such an individual may start borrowing money and end up owing multiple people.

Constant financial problems are a part of how to recognize marijuana addiction. If your loved one is constantly borrowing money or using important funds to buy weed, it means they are always getting high and are addicted to weed. They also need help because if they continue on that path, it’ll eventually lead to terrible consequences.

Mood Swings

One way to recognize someone is high on weed is if they constantly have mood swings. One minute they are happy and excited, and the next minute they are crestfallen and sad.

If you observe such behaviour in a person, it may be they are high on weed or using the substance. If this goes on for long, you should speak to the persona and seek marijuana addiction treatment for them after confirming they are using the substance.

Legal Problems

If you are constantly high on weed, you may find yourself in trouble due to your actions. You may be involved in street fights, club fights, or arguments.

You may also showcase violent behaviour. If you are arrested for such misdemeanours and find yourself in court, you’ll end up having legal problems and have to spend money on attorneys and settling court bills. If you have a loved one displaying such behaviour, it is wise to get them somewhere safe to prevent them from getting into trouble.

Owning drug paraphernalia

One way to recognize someone is high on weed is to find them in possession of drug paraphernalia. These include rolling papers, bongs, pipes, and other items used in storing or smoking marijuana. If you find these items and have noticed some unusual behaviour in a loved one, then it may be that they’re constantly getting high.

Staggered movements

For a loved one high on weed, they may walk staggeringly or without composure. Some other persons may walk very slowly, as though they are in a world of their own. You may also feel disoriented because weed makes you feel like you are in a dream state, making you unaware of your surroundings.

Check for signs of chronic drug use

If you notice unexplainable injuries on a person, it may indicate weed use. The person may also have open lesions and darkened veins. Such injuries and physical signs point to drug use.

These signs discussed are what to look out for when you suspect a loved one is high. However, you must note that not everyone reacts in the same way to highness.

Each person reacts uniquely to weed, and their reactions depend on several factors. Hence, if anyone is exhibiting these signs, it does not necessarily mean they are high. But the signs enumerated above surely give away a person who is high on weed.

Factors Affecting How You React to Weed

Your reaction to using weed may differ from another person’s reaction. These differences depend on the following factors:

The dose, strain, and potency of the weed used

If you smoke a weed strain that is stronger than the one another person smokes, chances are you’ll display more severe signs of highness than the other person. If you and another person smoke a weed strain of similar potency and strain, but you take larger amounts of the substance, your level of highness may be more.

The method of ingesting weed

The time in which you feel the effects of taking weed differs based on the method you use in taking it. Smoking is the fastest way to get THC into your lungs. Hence, you’ll feel the effects almost immediately.

When you chew weed or ingest it via edibles, it takes a longer time for you to feel the effects. However, these effects will be stronger and longer-lasting than other methods.

The number of times you use weed

If you use weed often, your body gets used to the effects and becomes tolerant to the substance. Hence, you may need more doses of the drug to feel the usual high you want to get. However, for a weed newbie, just a little puff of the substance can get you stoned because your body is not used to it yet.

Your age, body type, and gender

An older person may get stoned faster than a younger person. Females may also get high more quickly than men do, even with little doses of weed. If you are massively built, you may also take a longer time to get high than someone who is not. However, these conditions are not confirmed and vary among individuals.

Using weed with other drugs or alcohol

If you use weed with other drugs or alcohol, you may get stoned quickly. However, it can also lead to dangerous circumstances and is ill-advised.

Unpleasant Effects of Weed Use

Constant use of weed may lead to unpleasant effects that may become severe and life-threatening. These severe symptoms are also ways to recognize someone is high on weed:

Anxiety
Delusions
Nausea
Confusion
High Blood Pressure
Paranoia
Racing Heartbeat
Panic
Hyperactivity
Aggressiveness
Cardiac Arrest
Headache
Stroke
Chest pain
Heart rhythm irregularity
Heart attack
Stroke
Seizures.

It is not set in stone that everyone using weed will experience these negative effects. However, becoming addicted to the drug causes different issues for your health and eventually leads to severe consequences.

Besides health consequences, being addicted to weed also strains your relationship with loved ones, makes you less unproductive at work, and causes you to neglect your duties.

After learning how to recognize someone is high on weed (and eventually discovering that they are), you should take steps to get them the help they need. There is no use in finding out about a person’s weed use and not taking measures to help them, especially if they are loved ones.

Getting Help for Marijuana Addiction

Knowing how to recognize someone is high on weed or addicted to the substance is a small step in the right direction. If you or your loved one is addicted to weed, you need to take steps to get yourself treated.

However, the first step to finding help is admitting you have a problem. Once you come to that realization, you are well on your way to recovering from marijuana addiction and abuse.

Detox

The first phase of addiction treatment begins with detox. At this stage, your body weans itself of every trace of marijuana in your system. Depending on the severity of your addiction, you may experience some withdrawal symptoms.

These include:

Irritability
Anxiety
Insomnia
Intense cravings for the substance
Depression
Agitation
Extreme fatigue
Mood swings
Weight loss and reduced appetite.

Detox can last for a few days up to weeks, months and even a year, depending on the severity of your addiction. After detox, the next stage in marijuana addiction treatment is enrolling in a rehab program. There are two major types of rehab programmes. These are inpatient rehabs and outpatient rehabs.

Inpatient rehab

Inpatient rehabs address all areas of a recovery patient’s addiction. In these programs, there are structured treatments or therapies tailored to each patient’s needs. If you or a loved one joins this program, you’ll live in a substance-free facility and get access to daily therapeutic support and medical care.

Inpatient rehabs are best suited for persons struggling with chronic marijuana addiction. It’s also beneficial for patients with co-occurring mental and behavioural disorders.

Outpatient rehabs

Outpatient rehabs are more flexible than inpatient rehabs. Patients in outpatient rehabs receive similar treatments and therapies that exist in inpatient rehabs. However, they don’t stay in a facility. Instead, they live at home and continue with their everyday activities while attending weekly scheduled treatment sessions.

This treatment is recommended only for those with mild forms of addiction. During outpatient rehab, patients are exposed to everyday activities during treatment and are at risk of experiencing triggers. If managed poorly, these triggers can cause them to relapse. Commitment and discipline are key to making this rehab program a success.

During your marijuana addiction treatment, you’ll take part in several therapies and counselling to make you decondition yourself from drug use. With these therapies, medical professionals trace the root cause of your addiction and help you become independent of weed use. These therapies include:

Cognitive behavioural therapy
Biofeedback therapy
Holistic therapy
Dialectical behavioural therapy
Experiential therapy
Psychodynamic therapy
Motivational enhancement therapy

Support groups

After you are through with rehab, you should join support groups. These support groups are beneficial and are critical in helping you remain on the right path after your recovery from addiction.

In these support groups, you will meet people who have also experienced similar situations. They will share their experiences with you, encourage and ensure you stay on the recovery path.

Some of these support groups include:

12-Step programs like Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and Alcoholics Anonymous.
SMART Recovery
Nar-Anon and Al-Anon.

It is also good to have addiction counsellors who provide recovery patients with unbiased support while receiving treatment. These counsellors create treatment plans and aftercare programmes suited to their patients’ needs.

Conclusion

Since you are at this point in this article, you should now know how to recognize someone who is high on weed. Firstly, you learned what happens to you when you smoke weed. How your body reacts with continuous intake of the substance, eventually leading to addiction.

You also discovered the methods of taking weed. Afterward, you learned about the many ways you can tell someone is high on weed. You also read that there are factors influencing your reaction to weed use. Furthermore, you found out marijuana’s unpleasant effects.

All the information you know now is useless if you don’t take action through marijuana addiction rehab. If you or your loved one is always getting high on weed or struggling with addiction, you should find the help you need.

If you decide to do just that, look no further than our marijuana addiction treatment services. Here at 1000 Islands Rehab Centre, our addiction treatment experts will help you devise a custom treatment plan designed for long-term sobriety. Contact us today to discuss your options!