How Long Should a THC Tolerance Break Last?

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Dear Stoner: I'm burning a hole through my pocket with how much weed and hash I've been smoking, and am thinking of taking a tolerance break. How many days does it take to make a difference?
Ziggy Gurat

Dear Ziggy: Mixing flower, hash or edibles consumption in concurrence gets slippery fast. If you're not a medical marijuana patient, then a break is important for tolerance and overall health. Not only will you save money and get higher upon return, but your lungs and brain will appreciate the pause, too. It also happens to be Dry January, so you'll have plenty of other sober folks to commiserate with if challenges occur.

click to enlarge

Building a THC tolerance happens fast when dabs enter the picture.

Jacqueline Collins

Tolerance results are pretty immediate after taking a break. If you're currently smoking from sun up to sun down, then simply waiting until the evening for the first toke of the day makes a big difference. That has diminishing returns, though, so any real change in THC tolerance requires at least 48 hours of no use.

Although the research is sparse and a complete endocannabinoid reset can take weeks or months, the consensus among users is that abstaining from THC for two to three days significantly decreases a habitual user's tolerance. And if you're able to take a longer break, then give it a try. Cannabis is better in moderation if you're not a medical patient, and rebooting the operating system is useful every once in a while.

Send questions to [email protected].