In the cannabis community, you might hear a lot of people saying that when you smoke, coughing makes you feel higher. Of course, cannabis smoke can be relatively harsh, which then irritates your throat and makes you cough. For many people, this is something best avoided, but there are those who claim that the act of coughing makes you feel higher.
So, does coughing when smoking make you higher? If so, how does coughing make you higher? These are all questions that we are here to answer today.
Some people might think that it could be cost-effective to purchase a lot less weed and then just cough a whole lot while smoking to maximize its effects, although this, unfortunately, might be somewhat false.
While first-hand or anecdotal experiences might indicate that coughing does result in a stronger high, there is a complete lack of scientific research to back up these theories. Let’s take a closer look into whether this is true or if this is only a placebo effect.
Key Takeaways
- Does coughing while smoking weed make you higher? It can certainly make you feel higher, although it most likely doesn’t actually do so.
- Why does coughing make you higher? Coughing usually makes people feel a little bit higher temporarily due to a lack of oxygen.
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Anatomy of a Cough & Cannabis Consumption
First things first, it is worth talking about why exactly you might cough so much while smoking cannabis. It’s also worth examining if all methods of consuming cannabis make you cough as much.
Why Do You Cough During Smoking?
There are a few different reasons why coughing occurs while smoking, with simple irritation being one of them. Cannabis is full of many different compounds that can irritate both your lungs and throat. Just like any other type of smoke, whether tobacco or wood-fire smoke, might make you cough, so does the irritating nature of cannabis smoke.
Not only are there irritating compounds in cannabis smoke, but it’s also just quite hot. Cannabis smoke can sometimes be too hot for your body. Your lungs and throat are not designed to handle those temperatures, therefore also resulting in coughing.
Furthermore, THC, which is the main psychoactive compound in weed, is known to act as a bronchodilator, which means that it causes your bronchial tubes to expand. This, in turn, may lead to an increased exposure to the cannabis smoke and all of its irritants, therefore leading to even more coughing.
The simple reality is that human beings just aren’t really designed to inhale smoke, and a combination of heat, toxic compounds, and various other irritants, will make you cough. Some people might even hold their breath when taking a hit, because holding in the smoke for longer may slightly increase the amount of THC absorbed by the lungs.
Different Methods: Does Coughing While Smoking Weed Make You Higher?
When you smoke weed, it means that you are combusting it, or in other words, lighting it on fire. This creates smoke, which, as discussed above, can be very irritating to the throat and lungs for many different reasons. However, what about different methods of consuming cannabis? Do all methods of consuming cannabis cause you to smoke as much?
Now, there is an interesting debate between whether vaping cannabis concentrates or smoking cannabis flower makes you cough more. Many people will say that vaping cannabis concentrates is much smoother on the lungs.
The idea here is that when you vape, you’re actually inhaling vapor instead of smoke, which isn’t nearly as hot and doesn’t contain nearly as many toxic compounds. Some people may indeed find that vaping cannabis causes them to cough less than smoking.
However, there are other people who might find that the elevated THC levels in cannabis concentrates, as well as the other substances found in the concentrates, may lead them to cough more.
On this front, this is somewhat an issue of trial and error to figure out which one makes you cough less. Of course, if you take cannabis in the form of an edible, which means that you are eating it instead of inhaling it, this should not make you cough at all.
The Science Behind the Sensation: How Does Coughing Make You Higher?
Something you might be wondering is how exactly coughing makes you feel higher, if it does at all. Indeed, for some people, the act of coughing could make them feel temporarily higher than they otherwise would, and right now, we want to take a closer look at the science behind it, or realistically, the lack thereof.
THC and the Endocannabinoid System
For those of you who don’t know, THC interacts with the human body’s endocannabinoid system. This is characterized by a variety of cannabinoid receptors found throughout the brain and body, mainly the CB1 receptors found in the central nervous system and the CB2 receptors found in the peripheries.
When you inhale or ingest THC, it interacts mainly with your CB1 receptors, and this process is thought to be what produces a notable psychoactive high. It’s the THC interacting with your CB1 receptors that makes you feel intoxicated. Therefore, it would serve to reason that the more THC interacts with your CB1 receptors, the higher you would feel.
It is believed by many people that coughing vigorously may increase blood pressure, which may increase the delivery of THC to the CB1 receptors, ultimately resulting in a stronger high. However, what you also need to consider is that THC itself may actually decrease your blood pressure, which may in turn lead to increased amounts of blood flowing to your brain.
Whatever the case may be, there is really no scientific evidence in either direction here. It is simply not proven that coughing makes you feel higher. Although some people may feel this way, as far as science is concerned, it is not true. Although coughing may amplify the feeling of being high, this appears to be more psychological and very temporary than anything else.
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The Oxygen Deprivation Theory Explored
We then have the oxygen deprivation theory, which essentially implies that smoking or ingesting THC causes lower oxygen levels in your blood, which can make you feel higher. THC may very well decrease the amount of dissolved oxygen in your blood, which may in turn produce a certain impact on the brain, such as lightheadedness, dizziness, and more.
For many people, this dizziness and lightheadedness might feel like the high is much stronger and that the effects of the THC are amplified. However, this really isn’t the case. If you have low blood oxygen levels, it means that your brain isn’t getting enough oxygen, causing some serious issues, such as dizziness, light headedness, and in serious cases, some people may even pass out.
This has nothing to do with your high being stronger or the effects of THC being amplified, but rather it’s just a result of simple oxygen deprivation. This is not a good thing at all, and it’s something that you should try to avoid. Your brain needs oxygen to function!
Perception vs. Reality: Does Coughing Make You Higher?
As we first established, there really isn’t any scientific marriage to the theory that coughing makes you feel higher, but this doesn’t mean that some people don’t feel higher due to coughing. That said, this is likely more of a placebo effect that is related to your psychological state than anything scientific per se.
The Psychological Angle
The most likely culprit behind coughing making you feel much higher is your psychological state. In other words, if you believe something, then it is likely that said thing will come true. For instance, if you truly believe that coughing intensely will make you feel much higher after smoking weed, then you are likely to perceive it as such.
However, if you believe the opposite, that coughing makes no difference, then it probably won’t. This placebo effect is very common throughout the medical world.
For instance, if someone is told that they are being provided with a pain relief medication, but is actually just a sugar pill, many people will still feel pain relief effects simply because they believe that the sugar pill is a painkiller. Our psyches and minds are very powerful, and they often play a large role in how we perceive the effects of various medications and substances, with cannabis being one of them.
Gauging the Intensity: Does Coughing When Smoking Enhance the Effects?
The reality here is that coughing excessively may very well make you feel a bit dizzy, lightheaded, and like you’re high is much stronger, but it’s really nothing more than that. You’re feeling the way you are because there is a lack of oxygen in your system.
Coughing so violently reduces the amount of oxygen getting to your brain, and it’s this that you are feeling, not the THC being intensified. Coughing may temporarily enhance the effects of your high, but only to the point where you will feel a little more floaty. However, this effect will pass soon after your brain regains its normal amount of oxygen.
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Health Implications and Safeguarding Your Sessions
We now want to take a look at why coughing so much when smoking might not be a good idea, and how you can smoke more weed without coughing so much.
Potential Dangers of Excessive Coughing
Coughing so much really isn’t a good thing, and although it might sound odd to say, coughing forcefully can irritate your throat and lungs, therefore causing you to cough even more. It can turn into a rather vicious cycle. Furthermore, excessive coughing can be very exhausting and fatiguing.
If you keep coughing long after smoking, it may also cause sleeplessness. According to official medical sources, excessive coughing may also lead to dizziness and fainting, sleeplessness, urinary incontinence, headaches, vomiting, and, in extreme cases, even broken ribs.
Tips for a Smooth Experience without the Cough
If you’re over the whole idea of coughing making you feel higher, and you just want to enjoy your cannabis without coughing up a lung, here are some tips you can follow to do exactly that.
- Many people find that vaping cannabis concentrates, as opposed to smoking, results in a lot less coughing. This may very well be the case because cannabis vapor is not nearly as harsh or as full of chemicals as cannabis smoke is.
- If you would rather smoke instead of vape, you could always try using a very long pipe or a bong. The longer the distance between the lit weed and your lungs, the more time the smoke has to cool down, and it will cool down a whole lot more if you have some water in the middle, such as in a water bong.
- On that note, if you’re smoking with a pipe or bong, make sure to keep them clean, because all of that dirty resin that builds up on them over time can also lead to excessive coughing.
- Learning how to inhale the smoke properly can also make a big difference here. Instead of drawing the smoke right into your lungs, draw it into your mouth first, let it sit there for a few seconds, and then inhale it. This will allow the smoke to cool down a little before you inhale it.
- Don’t hold your breath when you smoke. If you hold the smoke in, it won’t really increase the amount of THC that you absorb, but will certainly increase lung irritation.
- Also important to note is that some strains of cannabis are much smoother than others, and these should naturally make you cough a lot less.
- Instead of taking massive hits, another solution to make you cough less is quite simply to take much smaller hits.
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Final Thoughts
As you can see, although coughing may temporarily make you feel a little higher, it’s really nothing more than a lack of oxygen leading to dizziness and lightheadedness. If you want to feel higher, we recommend checking out some much stronger flower or cannabis concentrates that have elevated THC levels.
Coughing While Smoking Weed: Frequently Asked Questions
Before we wrap things up, let’s quickly answer some of your most pressing questions about coughing while smoking weed.
Why do I Cough When I Smoke Cannabis?
Cannabis smoke makes you cough because it's hot, irritating, and has toxic substances in it that your body doesn't like.
Are There Ways to Reduce Coughing When Smoking Cannabis?
To reduce coughing when smoking, choose a smooth strain, practice proper inhalation techniques, use the right cannabis gear, or try vaping or doing edibles.
How Long Does the Dizziness from Coughing Last?
The dizziness from coughing usually only lasts for a few seconds.
Are the Consumption Methods That Are Less Likely to Make Me Cough?
Vaping and ingesting edibles are both much less likely to make you cough than smoking cannabis.
Does the Quality or Strain of Cannabis Influence How Much I Might Cough?
Yes, low-quality cannabis that has not been dried or cured properly, or is full of leftover nutrients and fertilizers may make you cough excessively.
