Does an Indian woman make cannabis taste better?

"L’indienne" is a popular game among cannabis users. In general this game This happens when there are too many smokers sharing a joint. The “Indian” involves holding your breath for as long as possible with smoke in your lungs. The joint is passed around the group, with each person taking a puff in turn. The most determined (or experienced) smokers hold their breath until the joint is completely smoked. The “softer” version allows smokers to exhale the smoke when the joint returns to their hands.

Holding the smoke in your lungs is supposed to make cannabis more potent. But is that really true? It seems that holding the smoke in your lungs isn’t actually what causes this effect. And a study has confirmed this. In 1989, the Department of Department of Psychiatry at the University of Chicago decided to assess whether holding the smoke in results in a stronger high for the user. The contents of the joints and the length of the puffs were standardized (participants were not allowed to take extra-long puffs). The participants in this experiment reported the same high whether the smoke was held in their lungs for 0, 10, or 20 seconds.

The Lack of Oxygen Is to Blame

THC and all other phytocannabinoids enter the bloodstream through the lungs when cannabis is inhaled. This process takes only 3 seconds to complete. THC then binds to cannabinoid receptors and produces the effects we know it to have.

On the other hand, it is breathing that supplies oxygen to the brain. During a «headshot,» the cannabis user holds their breath and then exhales just as they can’t hold it any longer. It’s not the THC that hits right after the “Indian,” but rather the lack of oxygen in the brain. This dizzy sensation is exactly the same as when you hold your breath as long as possible on land or underwater. The THC-rich blood then floods the brain as the body returns to normal functioning. While the initial high may feel intense, it is essentially just as strong as that experienced during “normal” cannabis use. It’s advisable not to hold your breath for more than 5 seconds to avoid feeling the effects of oxygen deprivation.

A lack of oxygen can be dangerous for the brain, the excessive consumption cannabis as well.

Théo Caillart