Coughing while smoking a joint, or particularly a bong, has long been an accepted part of stoner culture. To the point that certain ideas have grown up around it. One of the most common is that coughing can actually increase your high. But is that true or is it just another urban myth? In this post, the team from the 710 Pipes online head shop will take a close look at this issue and determine if it’s true or just another piece of cannabis lore that needs to be put to rest.
The Claim
The claim made by countless stoners from sea to shining sea suggests that coughing while consuming cannabis is a good thing in that it helps increase the intensity of the smokers’ buzz. Some people swear by this claim while a majority of cannabis users brush it aside as so much wishful thinking. Can science provide us with an ironclad answer one way or the other? Let’s check it out.
Coughing and Your Body
Coughing is a reflex action the body employs to clear the airway of any obstructions. The act of coughing results in a rapid increase of pressure in the chest and lungs that is intended to force material such as irritants out of the airway. When you have a cold the purpose of coughing is to remove mucus from the airway. Coughing often provides relief by clearing out the respiratory tract, but there is no escaping the discomfort associated with the process.
“A cough that happens once in a while is common. It helps clear irritants and mucus from your lungs and prevents infection. But a cough that lasts for weeks is usually due to a health concern.” — Mayo Clinic Staff, MayoClinic.org
Okay, Can Coughing Make Me Higher?
No.
There are many who believe the answer to this question is an unqualified “Yes”. They believe that coughing results in taking the cannabis smoke deeper into their lungs, which in turn increases the absorption of the THC. It’s an interesting idea but not one with scientific support.
Coughing while consuming cannabis happens because the cannabis smoke caused irritation to the airway and lungs, and coughing is an attempt to purge the chest of the irritant. Coughing interferes with the smooth inhalation of smoke, which in turn results in incomplete absorption of the THC. Every time you cough after taking a hit off the bong or joint you expel foreign particles in the lungs and airway – in this case meaning the cannabis smoke – and as a result, very little actually enters the lungs.
This is your body doing its job. If, instead of expelling the cannabis smoke that was causing the irritation your body pulled it further into your lungs it would not be doing its job and the irritation would increase. So the idea that you can get higher from inhaling less cannabis smoke simply doesn’t pan out.
Before we go any further let’s be clear: coughing does not increase the intensity of a high. If anything it will reduce it due to less THC being absorbed by the lungs. We hate to burst anyone’s bubble but that is just the way it is. Coughing is designed by nature to remove irritants from the lungs and airway as quickly as possible, not to draw problematic compounds deeper into the lungs where they could do even more damage.
We are aware that no matter what we say there will be those who simply don’t believe it. That’s fine. The purpose of this blog post is simply to present the facts. What anyone does with those facts is up to them.
While we’re in the cannabis myth-busting mood, let’s look at a few more that have been making the rounds.
Coughing Indicates the Quality of the Herb is High
Not so. Coughing is an indication that your body identified an irritant that needs to be removed. It’s not a measuring stick against which you can test the quality of your herb. If you’re coughing while using your heady glass it’s your body telling you to take smaller hits, not that your herb is epic.
You Have to Cough to Ensure Complete Absorption of the Cannabinoids
If the smoke is being ejected from your lungs and airway it may only have a second or two to be absorbed before your body coughs it up. On the other hand, if you want to ensure optimal absorption of the cannabinoids you will want to ensure they spend as long as possible in your lungs. So the idea that coughing ensures maximum absorption just doesn’t flush.
What are the Health Implications of Coughing all the Time?
Evolution intended coughing to be a quick, hopefully effective response to irritation or obstructions in the airway. It’s not something anyone should be doing all the time. If you cough every time you spark up the bong you got from the 710 Pipes headshop in Denver there’s something wrong. Or, at the very least, you should view it in a negative, not a positive light.
Forceful, frequent coughing can cause damage to your airway, put unnecessary strain on your lungs and lead to respiratory conditions like chronic bronchitis (see video below). The goal should be to minimize the amount of coughing, not embrace it out of a misguided belief it’s helping you get higher. It’s not.
One Common Cause of a Chronic Cough is Bronchitis
Is It Possible to Avoid Cannabis Cough?
Yes, in most instances it is possible to avoid cannabis cough, though it may take some adjustments regarding how you consume weed.
The Bottom Line
We don’t want to see any of our customers suffer the ill effects of chronic coughing and that is our only motivation in writing this piece.
That said, coughing may be a part of cannabis culture but if you are trying to force yourself to cough in order to increase cannabinoid absorption you are doing your weed and your body a grave disservice. First, because you will wind up coughing out much of the THC you thought you were absorbing which will waste a lot of weed because you’ll need to smoke more to get the high you’re after.
At the same time all that coughing is going to eventually damage your airway and possibly your lungs, and no high is worth that. Remember, coughing means something is wrong. Forcing yourself to cough in order to try and get higher is exhibiting disrespect for your body.
Stop by the 710 Pipes Pipe Shop Today
For the best selection of quality glass and cannabis peripherals stop by the 710 Pipes headshop on Evans Avenue in Denver. Or visit our online smoke shop.
