By Luke Sumpter


Key Points

  • Smoking weed can cause both an acute cough and a long-term smoker’s cough.
  • Cannabis contains phytochemicals, such as terpenes, that contribute to weed coughing.
  • Strain selection can help to reduce the chances of coughing, alongside inhalation techniques and switching from smoking to vaping.
  • Explore cough remedies, including tea and honey, cough drops, and humidifiers to soothe symptoms.
Yellowing Leaves During Flowering: Prevention and Treatment

Why does weed make you cough? Well, past the obvious cause of inhaling smoke, cannabis contains unique phytochemicals that also play a role in throat and lung irritation. As the bane of many cannabis enthusiasts, users are determined to find ways to stop coughing every time they blaze.

But is it possible to smoke weed without coughing? There are several variables involved, including an individual’s sensitivity to cannabis smoke. However, there are steps you can take to minimise coughing and spluttering when all you want to do is hit a joint in peace.

Continue reading to learn why weed makes you cough and if coughing could even be a good thing, contributing to a more intense cannabis high. Then, we’ll cover multiple strategies to help you stop coughing so much when you smoke. You’ll also learn the difference between an acute cough from smoking weed and a long-term smoker’s cough.

Why Does Weed Make You Cough?

Whether you’re hitting bongs, blunts, or joints, coughing and cannabis often go hand-in-hand. But cannabis smoke isn’t entirely unique in triggering a cough. Smoke from cigarettes, campfires, and any other source can also cause a person to cough. With that said, cannabis contains specific molecules that are also known to aggravate coughing.

  • Irritation From Smoke and Heat

Why does smoking weed make you cough? Well, to begin with, the very act of smoking plays a significant role. Whenever you light the end of a joint and take a hit, you’re essentially inhaling a mix of hot air and combustion byproducts.

These byproducts include over 2,500 chemical compounds, 100 of which are known to be toxic. These noxious substances include ammonia, arsenic, ammonia, formaldehyde, and hydrogen cyanide.

  • Cannabinoids and Terpenes

Smoke certainly plays an important role, but does THC make you cough? Well, weed flowers contain a complex array of cannabinoids, including THC, and many aromatic terpenes. Many of these compounds can trigger the cough reflex.

Different cannabinoids and terpenes can activate TRP channels in the body—cellular sensors that respond to various stimuli. Substances such as THC, CBD, and multiple terpenes can all induce coughing when smoking by directly activating TRP channels or lowering their activation threshold.

  • Individual Sensitivities and Allergies

Have you ever asked yourself, “Why do I cough so much when I smoke weed?”. Well, your individual genetics and biology could also play a role. Some smokers are likely more sensitive to particular cannabinoids and terpenes and smoke in general than others. Despite passing the same joint around a room, some people always end up coughing much more than others.

Yellowing Leaves During Flowering: Prevention and Treatment

Does Coughing Make You Higher?

While many cannabis users find coughing a nuisance, others actually aim to cough. Fuelled by the idea that coughing enhances their cannabis high, they revel in the moments when cannabis triggers their cough reflex. But does coughing actually make you higher? Find out the answer below.

  • Debunking the Myth

You’ve probably encountered the old stoner wisdom at some point: “If you ain’t chokin’, you ain’t tokin.”. Sorry to burst any bubbles here, but this simply isn’t true.

Coughing doesn’t change the way your lungs absorb THC, nor does it somehow increase the potency of the molecules you’ve just inhaled. Unless you’re blazing with doctors, take any anatomy and physiology lessons you receive around a coffee table with a very large pinch of salt.

With that said, coughing while blazing can certainly make you feel lightheaded, owing to a temporary lack of oxygen. This is probably where this myth originates from.

  • The Science Behind It

When you cough violently, you’re essentially depriving your brain of oxygen for a brief moment. However, it’s long enough to induce a sensation of lightheadedness and dizziness, which some smokers mistake for an intensified high. So, just to clarify, coughing is definitely not getting you higher than normal!

Does Cannabis Cause Smoker’s Cough?

Yes, long-term cannabis smoking can lead to a smoker’s cough, a persistent hack that’s different from the immediate irritation you might feel when toking on a joint or blunt.

A smoker’s cough can occur at any time of the day as the body attempts to clear the airways of mucus and irritants. This condition arises due to damage to the tiny hair-like structures in the lungs, known as cilia.

Does Smoker’s Cough Go Away?

Thankfully, a smoker's cough can improve over time or even disappear entirely. However, you can’t expect to keep blazing in the same way and see it resolve. Your lungs have the ability to heal themselves, but you need to give them the opportunity to rest and repair. The recovery process takes time, and you’ll need to either abstain from cannabis altogether or change the way you consume it to eliminate a smoker's cough.

Yellowing Leaves During Flowering: Prevention and Treatment

How to Smoke Weed Without Coughing

If you’re wondering how to smoke weed without coughing or how to alleviate a smoker's cough, you’re in the right place! Next up, we’re going to provide you with some tips to help remedy both types of cough.

  • Proper Inhalation Techniques

You don’t need to polish off half of your joint in a single toke. Take slow, controlled hits instead of deep, forceful drags. Remember, holding in a hit for longer doesn’t get you higher and releasing that hot air faster will take less of a toll on your lungs.

  • Switch to Vaping

Vaping still has a negative impact on the airways but wreaks far less havoc than smoking. Vaporisers avoid combustion and use lower temperatures to vaporise cannabinoids, terpenes, and other target molecules. Ultimately, vaping delivers cooler air and less byproducts. Give it a go if you can’t stop coughing while smoking weed or can’t shift a smoker’s cough.

  • Try Sublinguals and Edibles

If vaping still leaves you hacking, the good news is you don’t have to inhale cannabis to enjoy the plant—sublinguals and edibles are fantastic alternatives.

Sublingual administration involves placing oils or extracts under the tongue, where they rapidly absorb into the bloodstream. Likewise, edibles send cannabinoids through the digestive tract. Just know that the latter takes longer to set in and often produces much more intense effects as a result.

  • Choose High-Quality Cannabis

Not all weed is created equal. If you’re going to smoke or vape, it’ll help to limit your consumption to top-quality weed.

Good-quality weed is free of contaminants such as pesticides and doesn’t contain harsh chemicals. It’s also properly cured, removing excess chlorophyll and other components that can increase the odds of coughing.

  • Stay Hydrated

Sipping water before and during your smoking session will help to soothe your throat and reduce coughing. Keep a glass of water close by or, even better, a warm mug of herbal tea such as ginger or peppermint.

  • Ventilate Your Session Space

Don’t hotbox yourself into a coughing fit. Smoking in a non-ventilated room means you’ll keep recycling the same smoke in your lungs. Run a fan and open a window.

  • Ditch the Tobacco

While many cannabis users enjoy adding tobacco to their spliffs, it only increases the chances of coughing. Ditch the tobacco and the many more harsh chemicals to keep spluttering to a minimum.

Yellowing Leaves During Flowering: Prevention and Treatment

Does Indica Make You Cough More Than Sativa?

No. When it comes to coughing and cannabis, indica and sativa genetics aren’t to blame. Rather, focus on the chemical profiles of each strain, including its THC and terpene content. These are the factors that influence coughing.

  • The Role of Strain Types

The terms “indica” and “sativa” simply refer to the morphology of a strain, such as its size and shape. If you’re concerned with weed coughing, you should focus on the chemical traits of each variety. For example, high levels of THC are more likely to induce coughing.

  • Terpene Profiles

Terpenes also play an important role in weed coughing. Pinene, linalool, camphor, and humulene all activate TRP channels. Reputable seedbanks will list the specific terpene profiles of each strain, allowing you to easily experiment and find out which works the best for you.

How to Quickly Treat a Weed Cough

The tips above will help you to prevent a weed cough. Next, we’re going to show you some strategies to stop a weed cough in its tracks and even soothe a smoker’s cough.

Tea and Honey
A warm cup of tea with a generous dollop of honey can work wonders to soothe an irritated throat. Honey’s natural properties, combined with the warmth of the tea, almost always help to reduce a weed cough.
Cough Drops
Keep some cough drops or lozenges handy, especially during a smoking session. They often provide quick relief and help suppress the urge to cough.
Salt Water Gargle
A saltwater gargle is simple and cheap, and it can help to tackle inflammation and irritation. Mix a quarter teaspoon of salt into a glass of warm water, give it a stir, and get gargling.
Controlled Breathing
If you feel a cough coming on, try deep, controlled breathing. Breathe in slowly through your nose, hold it for a few seconds and breathe out gently through your mouth.
Use a Humidifier
Dry air can exacerbate a coughing fit. A humidifier adds moisture to a room and soothes an irritated throat.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: