Red eyes are more often than not the telltale sign of a stoner. Unfortunately, not everyone is looking to have their tales told. And now you’ve got an important appointment on the horizon and find yourself asking, “how long do red eyes last from weed?” But thankfully you’ve come to the right place, especially if you’ve already taken a few hits from your pipe.
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Real Eyes, Realize, Real Highs
Jaden Smith was certainly on a higher plane of consciousness when he delivered this seminal quote. But the stoner version is just as profound. Especially if you’ve got a pair of beady bloodshot orbs betraying you.
Red eyes are a relatively harmless side-effect of indulging in weed. This tends to be true for any ingestion method you choose to use, from smoking to eating edibles. While there are some negative effects associated with changes to blood pressure and eyes, experts disagree on how dangerous this connection really is with regard to weed. Some believe the impact on one’s optic nerve could be linked to conditions like glaucoma. Others, however, use cannabis as a treatment for it. As such, the verdict is out. But for the average stoner, there does not appear to be a significant danger of experiencing red eyes.
It does, however, offer a stumbling block to anyone trying not to give away what they do during their downtime.
How Long Do Red Eyes From Smoking Weed Last?
Ideally, your red eye problem should go away within 1-2 hours from onset. For some people, it may last up to 3-4 hours.
The concentration of THC in the strain you ingest as well as how quickly your body metabolizes THC is what affects how much of a red eye you’ll end up with. As such, the more you smoke up and the stronger your strain of choice, the longer you’re going to have to deal with stoner eyes.
So if you need to clear your eyes up in time for a major event, try cooling it on the Js a few hours before you head out. Chances are, even if your eyes aren’t entirely back to their regular hue, you can still pass it off as a mild irritation, general dryness, an allergy, or anything other than the aftereffects of a wild trip.
How to Clear Red Eyes From Weed
There are a few simple, accessible things you can do to help clear up your red eyes quicker.
Soothe With Eye Drops
Standard over-the-counter eye drops will help reduce redness in your eyes. Usually meant to help with redness from allergic reactions, these drops a vasoconstrictor called tetryzoline. It helps constrict blood vessels and will counter the vasodilation caused by ingesting cannabis.
Stimulate With Caffeine
If you can’t head out to grab some eye drops, caffeine drinks such as coffee and tea can help produce a similar effect. Alternative caffeine drinks like cola or regular energy drinks will also work just as well.
Eat a Hearty Meal
Getting your metabolism to work with you when trying to deal with red eyes is also going to help immensely. In addition, get a good amount of fluids in, especially ones high in natural sugars like orange or apple juice.
Get Active
Pumping adrenaline is also a good way to get your blood flowing and back to its regular baseline. Whatever dilation has happened, this is bound to help.
Chill With a Cold Compress
While some kinds of inflammations require heat, red eyes work better when cooled down. The chill will cause your blood vessels to constrict. The reduced blood flow will help with the redness.
Ice it With a Soak
Again, if you can’t run out to grab a cold compress, you could either try making one with ice and a microfiber towel or paper towel, or you could try a slightly more traditional approach. Dip some cotton balls in cold water or something cooling, such as chilled rosewater, and place them on your eyes for around 15 minutes.
Another good alternative is cucumber slices or plain green tea, used in the same way. The do-it-yourself route might not be for everyone, but it works great when you’re in a real pinch.
Splash Some Cold Water
Alternatively, you could splash your eyes with clean cold water a few times. If the redness is particularly intense, you might need to do this a few times. It might also work best in combination with one of the other methods.
Take a Quick Shower
Both cold and hot showers help freshen you up before a big event. In the case of red eyes, cooling them down has proven to help. But not everyone does well under a cold shower. If you can relate, perhaps try a quick warm shower followed by a cold compress to soothe your eyes.
Get Shady
If all else fails, throw on a pair of your dopest shades and wear your chic aesthetic with pride.
How to Stop Red Eyes From Weed
Realistically, you can’t completely stop your eyes from getting red after smoking weed. But you could reduce how bad it gets, especially on days when you really need to appear totally sober.
The most important thing to remember is your chosen strain matters. So if you can, opt for a low-THC strain of cannabis on days when you need to avoid bloodshot eyes.
You could also keep a cold compress or similar method handy while smoking up. Staying hydrated is also a big help when trying to keep your eyes relaxed and soothed.
And if you have some eye drops handy, use those to keep your eyes from drying out prematurely.
And, finally, don’t forget to pick out a pair of sunglasses to match your favorite outfit before you sit down for your smoke sesh. You know, just in case.
The Redder the Eye, the Higher the Flight
The classic red-eyed stoner look has featured prominently across various forms of visual media. Perhaps this is why most people automatically assume you’re a stoner the minute they see heavily bloodshot eyes.
As for the question, “how long do red eyes last from weed,” a standard 1-2 hours is expected. Fortunately, there are easy ways to mask red eyes, stoner or not. So be sure to set your clocks before major events and spare yourself the trouble of needing to deal with any unsavory red-eye-induced interactions.
