If you also hold your hits until your face goes blue I’m guessing it’s for one of three reasons; Trying to play it cool, getting your money’s worth from your grams, or finally, you just really want to get high. Well whatever it may be, it turns out that the length of the hit doesn’t mean a higher hit !
So like me you probably think, "Well, more is surely better” and things like “If there’s no smoke when I exhale then I’m definitely going to get even higher”… Unfortunately not, studies show that you’re actually going to get just as high with smaller hits and it’s probably healthier. Here’s why:
Our lungs contain certain vesicles; called alveoli, and what the alveoli does is take all the components that enter the lungs and send them to the blood stream. So when you’re taking a hit from a joint, the chemical-rich smoke entering your lungs gets picked apart by the vesicles, taking the oxygen and THC, and everything else and sends them to the blood stream then to the different body parts accordingly, the THC for example, heads towards the brain, creating the effect of being high.
When smoking some of the magical Mary Jane; the THC, once entering the lungs, gets absorbed immediately which essentially means you don’t need to inhale for anymore than 3 seconds before exhaling. So don’t worry, you've just passed your superbly rolled joint to that newbie and he’s just taken three mini-hits - and you’re there thinking he’s wasting your weed - Well turns out he might not be (you should probably take it back now though, he’s had enough) !
The reason for such efficiency from such small hits is due to the fact that the lungs are designed to absorb Oxygen and release Carbon Dioxide - not get high - For this reason only 5% of the elements entering the lungs are processed during the time of one inspiration/exhalation. So no matter how long you hold your breath for, your body will only need/use a limited amount of substances.
Unfortunately (for me too) if you smoke more splifs than greens (a.k.a joints mixed with other substances) then you’re just giving the other substances more time to enter your system and potentially harm it. This isn’t great is it, so let’s (me included) cut back on the unnecessary breath holding !
So now you’re probably thinking, “Well now what, how CAN I get higher??”
Luckily it’s not rocket-science: It’s actually quite simple, take more smaller-hits, just without inhaling so deeply. More THC, less chemicals.
Or if you’re feeling adventurous there’re so many different ways of getting “lit” whether it’s greener joints, edibles or dabbing (no not the dance, the extraction; that usually beholds a much larger concentration of THC).
Or .. Want a weird suggestion? Eat a mango.. Yep. A mango. 1hour before smoking cut up some slices and munch away: Myrcene, a terpene found in cannabis plants as well as in Mangos enhances the effects of cannabis. It’s healthy, delicious and helps get you baked.
Stop fighting the reflex of holding your hits. Enjoy your cannabis and protect your lungs.