Coughing after smoking: does it give you a stronger high?

Some joints make you cough more than others: «Take a slow drag—it stings your throat a little.» An urban legend claims that coughing gets you higher. But is this rumor true?

If you cough after smoking a joint, it feels like you’re feeling the effects a little more intensely. Rumor has it that coughing causes the lungs to open up significantly. This allows THC to reach the alveoli more easily and spread throughout the body. This hypothesis has only been partially confirmed.

Cough: What Is It?

Coughing is one of our body's natural defense mechanisms facing an attack. When the airways are exposed to irritants or harmful substances, muscles such as the diaphragm and the intercostal muscles contract, triggering a cough to expel these substances. This natural expulsion process may itself cause that heightened feeling of being «high.»  After a coughing fit—even without smoking—you already feel a little more "high" and somewhat relieved of that heaviness.

A cough caused by inhaling cannabis smoke follows a short, sharp, yet deep breath. The lungs contract, sending a burst of air out of the lungs and throat. Most of that smoke was coughed up. But it’s the deep breath that follows the cough that propels the previously absorbed THC more quickly into the bloodstream and nervous system. It’s not the cough that gets you higher, but rather the expansion of the lungs immediately after the cough.

It’s like when you take a big drag on a «bedo.» It doesn’t necessarily mean more THC has been absorbed, but a feeling of fullness sets in. That urge to take a big drag, that urge to cough, leads to that feeling of fullness.

Another hypothesis that has not yet been clarified: Coughing briefly deprives the brain of oxygen. This brief lack of oxygen can cause dizziness and a slight drop in blood pressure. This may also explain the feeling of lightheadedness and the sharp jolt after smoking and coughing.

Conclusion

Coughing after smoking doesn't make you any more high. It's a combination of the rapid onset of THC and a sense of well-being after expelling irritating substances from our bodies that causes that «high» feeling.»

It's worth noting that for some people, smoking and then coughing means it's good stuff. This claim needs to be verified.