Does Coughing Affect Your High?

A common claim that cannabis users often hear is that coughing means you get extra high. Coughing while smoking cannabis is supposed to be a sign that you are dealing with quality stuff. There are also various theories about the effect of coughing on the absorption of THC in your body. At Dutch-Headshop, we are here to answer questions: No, coughing does not affect your high. There is a good reason why many people believe this. This is due to another effect you experience during a severe coughing fit. Want to know more? Read on!

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Why do we have to cough from smoking?

An important question to answer: why do we actually have to cough from smoking cannabis? There are several reasons for this:

  • Irritation: Cannabis smoke, as well as the smoke from tobacco (if you smoke a joint), contains various substances that irritate the throat and lungs. Coughing serves as a reflex reaction to clear the airways of foreign particles. 
  • Heat: When you inhale warm air, for example through a joint or weed pipe, the sensitive mucous membranes become irritated by the high temperature.
  • Bronchial hyperreactivity: A term that people with asthma will recognize. THC acts as a bronchodilator, which means it dilates the bronchi. This increases the exposure to the irritating substances in the smoke.
  • Toxic particles: Just like tobacco, cannabis contains tar and other harmful substances; inhaling these irritates the airways. 
  • Unfiltered smoke: Many cannabis users smoke cannabis through a weed pipe, bong, or joint, often without filters or paper tips. This way, the irritating substances in the smoke go directly into your lungs. Whenever possible, we always recommend using activated carbon filters .
  • Holding your breath: Another myth among cannabis users is that holding the smoke in your lungs contributes to your high. This would ensure that more THC is absorbed. This is nonsense. 3 seconds is more than enough even for the biggest puffs. Holding smoke in your lungs longer is unnecessary and harmful in the long run.
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Does coughing really make you higher?

How is it that cannabis users associate coughing with an intense high? There is probably a logical reason for this. During a severe coughing fit, there is a lack of oxygen, our lungs compress, and blood pressure drops. The lack of oxygen and the drop in blood pressure causes our brain to experience a feeling similar to being high. You get a little dizzy with a floating feeling and associate this with the effects of the cannabis you just consumed. This is incorrect, as this feeling is only partially caused by cannabis. 

In groups, cannabis users often play games, for example: taking a few puffs when a certain thing happens, holding the smoke until it's your turn again, or challenging each other with extra large bong hits. These actions often go hand in hand with a severe coughing fit and a very stoned outcome. That a lot of coughing and an intense high can go together is certainly true, but not that it has a cause-and-effect relationship.

Can you prevent coughing?

Coughing is really not a pleasant feeling. Smoking cannabis is less harmful than, for example, cigarettes, but exposing your lungs to cannabis smoke for a long time is not a good idea. It can lead to bronchitis, pneumonia, and adverse effects on your lungs. Fortunately, there are many other ways to use cannabis besides smoking. Here are our tips to prevent coughing from cannabis as much as possible:

  • Use a vaporizer, by vaporizing cannabis instead of burning it, you reduce the amount of harmful substances you inhale.
  • Use activated carbon filters as much as possible. In our headshop, you will find a wide range of these filters suitable for joints, pipes, and bongs.
  • Make sure your cannabis is fresh. Weed that is completely dried out often produces harsher smoke and causes more irritation in the throat and lungs. This is easily avoided by storing your weed in airtight containers or using special moisture-regulating bags that you store with your weed.
  • Consider alternatives, smoking weed is far from the only way to use it. Experiment with making your own cannabis oil or edibles.

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