Last updated : November 11, 2024
Most people would define “overdosing” on a drug as being a lethal condition. In that case, there is no possible known lethal overdose for marijuana. Marijuana is almost uniquely benign among drugs for this reason, as even caffeine and aspirin have lethal dose limits. But as far as the chemical THC itself, there apparently is no limit to how much the body can withstand and still survive.
The few documented cases of death that occurred during cannabis usage have been shown to be caused by other substances used with it, pre-existing medical conditions, or other activities unrelated to the toxicity of the drug itself.
However, there are effects from very high dosages, which technically qualify as marijuana overdose. Physical symptoms of non-lethal marijuana overdoses include dilated pupils, red eyes, watery eyes, accelerated heart rate, and mental disorientation including temporary hallucinations, paranoia, anxiety, or loss of short-term memory. A large enough quantity of marijuana can produce a hangover effect in the user, including headache, dry mouth, and irritability.
In most cases, using marijuana to quantities sufficient to produce all of these symptoms will result in the user engaging in a very predictable pattern of behavior: They will have a pronounced craving for food known as “the munchies,” possibly followed by a binge of eating, and finally becoming drowsy and going to sleep. There are also cases of “blacking out,” similar to alcohol poisoning, where the user wakes with no memory of the period of activity between dosage and going to sleep.
It should be noted that people with pre-existing conditions, such as high blood pressure, heart ailments, anxiety, psychosis, or other physical symptoms will be at a higher risk.
There is also a case to be made for the condition of being “stoned” that can result from injury and death due to mental impairment. A person under the influence of marijuana may experience mental disorientation, unsound judgment, impaired motor skills, and overall faulty mental functions. So driving, operating heavy machinery, or engaging in dangerous activities while intoxicated on marijuana should be treated as exactly the same thing as performing these activities while intoxicated on alcohol.
In a controlled environment where cannabis is the sole factor, there appears to be no lethal dose but you shouldn’t assume that this gives you a license to push your body to the limits. Marijuana still has plenty of negative side effects.
