Most beginner and veteran smokers can agree that coughing is the least enjoyable part of the smoke session, especially if the product or what tool you’re using to smoke with seems extra harsh. Most smokers aren’t taught how to properly inhale when smoking cannabis, but we’re here to clear that up for you today! The challenge has been accepted. For research purposes (haha), we’ve tried several techniques in the quest of finding the best way to hit a joint or bong without coughing. Everyone wants to enjoy a nice smooth, potent hit without having to cough up a lung and exhale slowly and calmly while fully savoring the flavor and potency of your weed. Keep reading to find some cough-saving tips.
Grind Your Cannabis First
This might not be much of a surprise for some of you, but grinding your weed and how you grind it makes a difference. We can’t stress this enough - using an herb grinder is crucial to ensure even heat distribution on your bud and igniting at a constant rate will help provide consistent airflow while inhaling. Our grinders at TokersHub offer unique, personalized designs with metal construction perfect for shredding and grinding herb for your enjoyment.
Slow and Steady Does the Trick
Inhale with a technique that draws slowly and steadily to allow the smoke to gently fill your lungs until the bong is ready to clear. For smoking a joint that will continue to burn away product whether or not you are smoking it once it is lit, same thing - take your take and inhale slowly. People who cough a lot on joints may be taking too big of hits and cause coughing and more product waste.
Add Oxygen
Adding fresh oxygen into your lungs along with the smoke is an important factor in smoking cannabis. First, you’ll want to draw the smoke in your mouth before inhaling a nice breath of fresh air. This is ideal if you are smoking a blunt, joint, vape, etc. For bongs and pipes, pulling the bowl or carb will add fresh air into the hit already as you hit. The extra oxygen will help cool down your lungs while re-oxygenating your body as you absorb the THC.
Don’t Hold It
A lot of people that that holding in the smoke after inhaling to give it some extra time to work, but that actually doesn’t do anything for you. As soon as you inhale the smoke, your body already absorbs the cannabinoids and you can only absorb as much as your lung has the capacity to inhale. Holding the smoke in won’t get you any more high, but may cause some dizziness or lightheadedness due to the lack of oxygen.
Steady Exhale
Similar to your inhale, allow your exhale to flow just as slowly and softly. Without having to hold your smoke in or cutting off oxygen, you will have more control over the smoke and your breath as you exhale, so your lungs are less likely to get triggered to cough. A handy tip is to do a few practice rounds of calm breathing before your next smoke session to get the hang of it and relax a little before you get too excited to hit your bong or blunt a little too hard and commence the coughs all over again.
Try a Vaporizer
Vaporizers are a great smoking accessory that doesn’t require combusting any cannabis or product at all. Weed vapes will heat your bud to the point where it dehydrates and creates a thick cloud of THC smoke. There is no hot or rough smoke involved! Plus, you’ll waste a lot less product than smoking a blunt or joint since your product is only used when you hit.
Edibles
If you just can’t stand coughing to the point where you want to avoid it altogether but still want the high, stick to edibles. You can find cannabis-infused edibles available at your local dispensary, or make some of your own. There are plenty of great-tasting recipes and kinds of edibles people are concocting every day! There are different ways to get high, why stick to just one?
Related: Differences between Smoking and Eating Cannabis
From our experiences, herb smokers who have to deal with a ton of coughing usually stem from holding in the smoke a little too long or failing to add oxygen along with your hits. Hopefully, using the tips we’ve talked about today above will help you have the smoking experience you desire with a lot less coughing or no more coughing at all. There are also alternatives, such as using a cannabis oil vaporizer or taking the edible route to still get high and enjoy yourself. Regardless what you choose, happy smoking! Good luck.
