Why you shouldn’t hold your hits for more than 3 seconds

There are many misconceptions about cannabis use. One of the most common beliefs among amateur and seasoned cannabis users is that the longer a hit is held in the lungs, the stronger the effects. This is not true, although you could hold your breath as if you were higher for long periods of time.

Why are these beliefs so popular? Here’s an explanation of how your lungs work after the introduction of cannabis.

How your lungs work

Whether you inhale smoke from a joint, pipe, or bong, your lungs react the same way as they do when you breathe. Lungs expand and take in oxygen. When you breathe cannabis, you ingest THC and deliver it to your alveoli (the small air sacs in your lungs). The THC is then passed into your bloodstream, where it is released to different areas of the body, getting you high in the process. It’s a relatively quick series of events that causes people to feel high in minutes.

Photo by magicmine / Getty Images

RELATED: 5 Things to Know Before Buying a Vape Pen

When it comes to how long you hold on THC or how much you cough, the effect remains the same. It takes about 3 seconds for the THC to pass through your body.

Why you feel light-headed

Photo by Toan Nguyen via Unsplash

While you no longer affect the cannabis by holding back the smoke, you are depriving your brain of oxygen and speeding up your heart rate. This process causes you to feel lightheaded, which can help make you feel taller for at least a few seconds as it takes your body a minute to balance itself again. Still, holding your breath isn’t an effective way to get high.

RELATED: Marijuana Manipulates Your Immune System – What Does It Mean?

If you’re interested in finding a more efficient way to get high there are several things you can try. A new cannabis method, be it an edible or smoking it from a vape or bong, could boost your body’s relationship with the drug and make you taller in the meantime. You can also try adding some kief to your joints or bowl, adding more trichomes to the mixture, and for stronger experiences.