For a lot of us, smoking cannabis is our go-to method of consumption. It’s easy, calming, and gives you results instantly — so, why wouldn’t you love it? We can give you one big reason: your lung health.
It’s no secret that smoking anything can be harmful for your lungs — and weed is no exception. Thankfully, if it is your favorite way of enjoying the plant, you can still do so in (somewhat) healthy ways that won’t leave you coughing up a lung every time you take a hit.
From affordable Mooselabs filters to proper glass cleaning and everything in between, Elevate Holistics is here to help you enjoy smoking cannabis in the best ways possible. Let’s get started.
Can Smoking Weed Be Healthy?
Is it even possible to healthily smoke cannabis? The answer — like most things in the cannabis world — isn’t incredibly straightforward. Smoking, as a whole, is not healthy; however, there are precautions you can take that won’t put nearly as much strain on your lungs.
Before we talk about some healthier tips and tricks, it’s important to establish that you shouldn’t smoke cannabis at all if you have any pre-existing lung conditions or complications. Doing so will only exacerbate the problem. Instead, you can try products like THC tinctures and edibles, as you don’t have to inhale them whatsoever.
No matter how much you may enjoy smoking, it’s just not worth the risk! You should only try smoking cannabis if you know you have healthy lungs and you aren’t going to abuse the consumption method. If you do, this may lead to more serious lung problems over time. (However, the evidence here is still severely lacking.)
LEARN MORE: Relaxing With Cannabis: How to Stay High Longer | If You Have an MMJ Card, Where Can You Smoke?
How to Keep Lungs Healthy While Smoking Weed
Now that we’ve established the safety aspects behind smoking cannabis, let’s get into the tips and tricks. These are just a few of the things you can do to help preserve your lung health while still enjoying the inhalation method of medical marijuana.
Mooselabs Filters
Here at Elevate Holistics, we rely heavily on Mooselabs’ filters and mouthpieces. If you haven’t heard of Mooselabs, they are a company that exclusively craft useful smoking products with cleanliness and purity in mind.
Their silicone mouthpieces sit in the mouthpiece of your bong or joint. Then, you add a Mooselabs filter inside the mouthpiece. These activated carbon filters work to prevent carcinogens, resin, and other harmful ingredients from reaching your lungs; instead, you just get a pure, tasty hit of cannabis. Every one of their filters is triple-layered to provide the ultimate filtration. As Mooselabs say, they want you to remove the bad and inhale the good — and that’s exactly what these filters do.
In this day and age, we’re all a bit more conscious about germs than we used to be. Mooselabs are the perfect solution to cutting down the spread of germs during smoke sessions. Every person can have their own Mooselabs mouthpiece, allowing you to keep your bacteria to yourself. (Just kidding — kind of.) They make pieces for bongs, pipes, and even joints, so there’s no reason to be swapping cooties anymore — especially in the middle of a pandemic, just saying.
You can head on over to Mooselabs’ website and check out the super cool color and design options they have for their silicone mouthpieces. With these nifty filters, you can inhale your cannabis with a sigh of relief knowing your hits are much, much cleaner than they once were.
Take Tolerance Breaks
We know, this is the piece of advice no one wants to hear. However, taking a quick tolerance break from smoking cannabis is a great way to give your lungs the time they need to clear out and relax. The more cannabis you smoke, the more resin and tar you’re going to build up in your lungs. So, if you take breaks — maybe trying some edibles in the meantime — you’re allowing the opportunity for your lungs to clear out the excess substances and breathe clearly again.
Of course, once you go back to smoking, you’ll start this build-up process over again. Thus, consistent breaks paired with filtered hits can help keep your lungs feeling better daily.
Clean Your Pieces Often
You’ve probably noticed how dirty your glass pieces get after smoking from them. Well, imagine how your lungs must feel! An excellent way to prevent these excess chemicals from creeping into your lungs while smoking is by keeping your bongs and pipes as clean as possible.
A combination of isopropyl alcohol, coarse table salt, and warm water is a great way to clean your bong thoroughly. Make sure you wash it out rigorously once you’re done (as you don’t want to taste any rubbing alcohol, ick). Doing this will rid your pieces of resin build up, giving you purer, cleaner, and tastier hits every time you smoke.
You should aim to change the water in your bong daily, and giving it a nice clean weekly (or biweekly, depending on the frequency of use) is a great way to keep your lungs feeling better.
LEARN MORE: Medical Marijuana and Asthma
When Smoking Cannabis, Try a Bong!
Speaking of bongs, this is one of the best, cleanest ways to smoke if you enjoy inhalation the most. Pipes and pre-rolls do not have much filtration. While you can add a “filter” to your pre-roll, this isn’t going to do much in terms of filtering out any carcinogens or chemicals; it’s just going to prevent too much flower from coming through. And, with pipes, you simply don’t have a filter at all — it’s just pure, unadulterated smoke. This simply isn’t the case with bongs.
While the water in your bong doesn’t filter out any bad stuff as some people might claim, the percolators inside the piece do provide assistance. These perks help to provide fresh air to your hits, making your hits smoother and easier to handle on the lungs. Pair this with a Mooselabs mouthpiece and filter, and you have the perfect recipe for a clean smoke sesh.
Why Do My Lungs Hurt After Smoking?
If your lungs hurt after smoking, it could be due to irritation caused by the heat and particles from the smoke itself. Cannabis smoke contains plant material, tar, and other substances that can irritate the lung tissues, especially if you smoke frequently or inhale deeply. For some, this discomfort might be temporary, but for others, especially those with pre-existing lung conditions, it could become more pronounced. It’s crucial to pay attention to how your body responds, and if the pain persists, you might want to try other consumption methods or take a break.
Does Resin Build Up in Lungs?
Yes, just like how resin builds up in your bong or pipe, it can also build up in your lungs when you smoke frequently. This happens because cannabis smoke contains tar and other particulates that can accumulate in your airways over time. Taking breaks, cleaning your pieces regularly, and using filters can help reduce the amount of resin and tar reaching your lungs.
How Long Does It Take for Lungs to Heal After Quitting Smoking Weed?
The healing process for your lungs after quitting smoking weed varies depending on how long and how heavily you’ve smoked. Typically, your lung function may begin to improve within a few weeks to months. However, for your lungs to fully clear out residual tar and toxins, it could take anywhere from a few months to over a year. Staying hydrated, exercising, and taking steps like using the best lung detox for weed smokers can help speed up the process.
How Long Does It Take for Your Lungs to Heal from Vaping
Healing from vaping also depends on your frequency of use. In general, you might start to feel improvement within a few weeks of quitting, but for your lungs to fully heal, it could take several months. Vaping is often perceived as less harsh than smoking, but it still delivers particles into the lungs that take time to clear. How fast your lungs heal can also depend on your overall health, hydration, and how long you’ve been vaping.
Keep Your Lungs Healthy While Smoking Cannabis with Elevate Holistics
Again, we have to stress that smoking cannabis simply comes with risks. There’s no getting around it. While we cannot discredit the fact that many studies have pointed towards cannabis’s anti-inflammatory properties on the lungs, we still can’t say that smoking is entirely healthy for anyone. Fortunately, we’re learning more and more each day about ways to improve our smoking experience, giving our lungs the protection they need.
For now, if you’re someone who finds the most benefit in smoking cannabis, that’s great! Just make sure you take these extra precautions to help protect your lung health and keep you feeling your best day after day. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any other questions about medical marijuana or getting an MMJ card. It’s what we’re here for!
