Will a 2-Day Tolerance Break Do Anything? A Detailed Answer

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With the rising availability of cannabis, people are starting to quickly build up their tolerance to that substance. Not only does that reduce the impact of the substance, but it also prompts them to develop cannabis dependence.

That’s when a tolerance break can be helpful. The question is: How long should that break be? Will a 2-day tolerance break do anything? Should you extend it?

That’s what this post aims to answer. It’ll help you identify the proper length for your break, decide if you need one, and control your cannabis tolerance.

What Is a Tolerance Break?

A tolerance break, or a t-break, is a period of time where you avoid using cannabis temporarily to help your body’s sensitivity to the substance reset.

Abstaining from cannabis use helps your endocannabinoid system recover, as your CB1 receptors will gradually return to their original sensitivity levels.

So, after that period has passed, you should be able to experience the initial impactful euphoria with smaller/less frequent cannabis doses.

How to Identify If You Need a Tolerance Break?

Identifying when you need a tolerance break isn’t always easy, as heavy cannabis users may not believe they’re struggling with dependence.

There are a few signs you can look for to identify if you or your loved ones need a break.

1. Your Tolerance Is Too High

As you continue to use cannabis regularly, your body will gradually build up tolerance to the psychoactive compounds that induce that euphoric feeling.

Over time, the initial dose won’t have the same effect on you, not just in terms of impact but in duration, too. The more tolerance you build, the quicker the therapeutic effects wear off.

Eventually, you’ll have to increase the dose to get that desired high, and that’s the first step toward dependence.

If you allow this process to continue, you’ll reach a point where you can’t stay long without cannabis.

2. You Spend Too Much Money On Cannabis

Buying cannabis once or twice a month isn’t an issue. However, if you find yourself going out of budget to satisfy that increased tolerance, you might be facing an addiction issue. 

In that case, taking a cannabis tolerance break would be the safest option. Not only would it help with your tolerance build-up, but it’d also save your budget.

3. Changing the Consumption Method

Although most people associate cannabis with smoking, it comes in various forms, including edibles and capsules. Naturally, each form offers different results/effects.

If your doctor recommends using edibles, and you switch to vaping or smoking from a bong to get a more intense high, you might be in too deep.

4. You Prioritize Cannabis Over Other Tasks

Whether it’s for medicinal or recreational usage, cannabis is meant to be a small part of your life. It shouldn’t distract you from finishing your daily tasks and committing to your long-term plans.

So, if you set out to go to the gym after work but decided to go home and smoke cannabis at the last second, it’s become too high a priority in your life.

That’s usually a sign that you should take a tolerance break, as it’ll continue to distract you from other responsibilities if you don’t.

Is a 2-Day Tolerance Break Enough?

The period of your weed tolerance break depends on the intensity of your cannabis consumption/tolerance. A 2016 study examines the changes in CB1R (CB1) availability after subjects quit cannabis for two days.

Researchers discovered that subjects experienced an increase in CB1R availability after two days. So, yes, 48 hours might be enough to reduce their high tolerance levels.

Of course, that won’t work for everyone. Cannabis consumers with high consumption rates might need to extend their break to three days, and even that may not be enough.

Numerous guides suggest that it takes around three weeks for THC, the psychoactive component in cannabis, to completely leave your system. In other words, the longer you extend your t-break, the more effective it’ll be.

How to Decide the Length of Your Tolerance Break?

As you’ve already seen, there’s no set period for a t-break to be efficient, as several variables factor into the equation. You already know that your consumption period is the main influencing factor. Here are the rest.

The Type of Cannabis You Consume

From Lemon Meringue and Laughing Buddha to Silver Haze, different cannabis products have different THC content.

The higher the THC levels in them, the higher your tolerance becomes with regular use. Naturally, you’ll need more time to reset if you decide to take a tolerance break.

Physical Attributes

All humans aren’t born equal. We all have different physical attributes, and these differences factor into the extent of your t-break.

For example, if you have a fast metabolism, your body will break down THC more effectively. That means cannabis won’t affect you as much as people with slower metabolism.

As a result, you won’t need to take a long t-break because your dependency won’t be that extreme.

How to Take a Tolerance Break?

Taking a tolerance break isn’t as simple as quitting cannabis cold turkey. There’s a lot to consider, and you need to prepare the surrounding environment to ensure you succeed in this endeavor.

Choose the Timing of Your Break Strategically

Tolerance breaks aren’t easy or comfortable. You might experience extreme withdrawal symptoms. These include:

• Mood changes
• Restlessness
• Sleep difficulties
• Cravings
• Irritability
• Decreased appetite

So, you want to be in the best mental condition when you take that break to be able to withstand these symptoms. That means choosing a time when you’re not facing any sort of pressure or stress.

As you probably know, pressure is one of the leading causes of dependence. If you take your tolerance break while working on a stressful project at work, you’ll be tempted to relapse to cope with the pressure.

So, wait until all the stress-inducing events in your week have passed before you start your break.

Return to Cannabis Gradually

Just because you managed to complete your t-break successfully doesn’t mean you can go back to the original dose immediately. After all, that would only restart the cycle.

It won’t be long before you increase the dose and realize you need to take another break. That’s why experts recommend restarting with half the original dose.

For example, if you started with a 5-mg dose a day, realized it doesn’t affect you anymore, then took your break, don’t go back to the same dose.

Start by taking 2 mg, then slowly increase the dose one milligram at a time. As you reach three or four mg, you might start experiencing the desired effects that the original dose offered.

Tips for Taking a Tolerance Break

Now that you understand how difficult a tolerance break could be, here are a few tips that might help you power through that phase successfully.

Take CBD-Heavy Cannabis Products

The purpose of a tolerance break is to deprive your body of THC, but you can still take CBD-heavy cannabis products (isolate capsules). They don’t offer the same euphoric effect, but they can still relieve chronic pain and inflammation.

They also won’t affect your CB1 receptors. So you don’t have to worry about building up your CBD tolerance.

That said, you should consult a doctor before taking isolates. They’ll take your medical history and personal circumstances in mind to determine if they’d benefit or hurt you.

Support Your Endocannabinoid System (ECS)

As previously established, cannabis works by increasing ECS activity in your body. So, if you keep your endocannabinoid system active without cannabis, you should be able to complete your tolerance break with no problems.

Exercising

Health experts have long believed that exercising can induce a euphoria-like feeling. That’s why it can boost your endocannabinoid system activity. Not only does that improve your mental health symptoms, but it also helps you withstand the side effects of the tolerance break.

Eating High-Fat Foods

Food is one of the most influential factors in endocannabinoid system activity, especially fat. If you consume more fat, you’ll increase endocannabinoid levels in your body.

Of course, you don’t want to go overboard with it, as that could cause countless health issues. Just don’t hesitate to add some extra olive oil to your food in the future.

How to Control Your Cannabis Tolerance in the Future?

As helpful as they might be, no one likes to go on tolerance breaks, as it means you might be succumbing to cannabis dependence.

So, ideally, you want to learn how to control your tolerance levels in the future. Here are a few tips:

Focus on Low-THC Cannabis Products

As you know by now, different cannabis products contain different THC levels. Since that’s the main factor influencing your cannabis tolerance levels, you want to focus on low-THC variants.

This will reduce the risk of developing cannabis dependence. Even if it won’t, it’ll take longer to take effect.

Take Your Medication Minimally

Besides the concentration of the THC content in your cannabis, you also want to control the number of times you take it. Naturally, the less cannabis you take, the less likely you are to become dependent. So, take it as minimally as possible, even if it’s for medicinal purposes.

Final Thoughts

So, will a 2-day tolerance break do anything if you develop cannabis dependence? On average, yes, but it still depends on the intensity of your consumption.

The longer you consume higher doses, the longer your tolerance break will need to be. So, keep your doses under control, exercise, and create a stress-free environment, and you won’t need a long break.

If you feel like you’re on the brink of cannabis dependence, don’t hesitate to contact us.