smoking the straight dope

Factual Questions
1

My question…For years the accepted wisdom on smoking
Cannabis was to inhale deeply and hold for as long as
possible. Recently, however, a friend very educated in
this field told me that the true cognoscenti know that
the substance transfer happens very quickly and so
don’t hold their hits. Just inhale and exhale.

Could this be true? My world view has been shaken to
its green roots…and my lungs may never be the
same.Could millions of ganja worshipers be wrong?

What do you say? What is the straight dope on dope?

Befuddled in Berkeley

2

Where exactly do you go to get educated in this field of “Inhaling Marijuana 101”? I want to take some of those classes.

One thing though. Sometimes when I take a hit it will give me one hell of a head rush. Especially if I hold it in longer (hyperventilation perhaps?). But if I let it out (which is usually wise to do if you are driving and starting to get a helluva head rush from that last hit) then it subsides much faster and usually I don’t get the full head rush like you would if you held it in. I guess what your educated friend is saying that any smoke you exhale is completly absent of THC. Does that seem logical?

The ever insensitive, politically incorrect PitBullDawg.
Political correctness is a disease. Cure it with the truth.

3

I don’t have any wisodm to offer with respect to the OP. However, I’m not sure ‘wise’ is the most accurate word to describe any circumstance that involves using an mind-altering substance while driving.

  • Rick
4

Not being a dope fiend, I can only comment on the simple physics of it all. Put in plain english, entropy theory/ osmosis principles tell us that substances go from a high concentration to a low concentration given the chance to dilute themselves. Therefore, the highly concentrated THC in the lungs will diffuse into the bloodstream, and the LONGER its in the lungs, the more should diffuse (since the moving blood carries it away). If the THC did, however, violate the laws of equilibrium and somehow instantaneously diffuse into the blood, I certainly can’t think of why there would be any HARM in holding the smoke in longer… It should just have no additional ‘buzz’ to it.

And like the previous post, I have to agree that while I’ve heard the press that smoking pot doesn’t affect driver perception, I’d really rather not be on the same road with you while you’re lighting up. For all I know, I may have read that fact in a pro-marijuana study put out by some ganja smoking scientist.

5

As a long-ago grad of “Marijuana 101” I was taught that 2/3 of the gettin’ high was the TCH content of the pot, and the rest was lack of oxygen.

coff, coff

LIfe is a tragedy to those who feel…and a comedy to those that think

6

Good point, Rick. I used to smoke weed all the time whilst driving in my younger days.

I usually hooked very badly, and the ball always ended up DEEP in the rough.

7

Uke my friend, that’s very disturbing news for me to hear.

I alsohook the damn ball badly, and without benefit of ganja… which means I’ve been avoiding the weed for years for no good reason! Rats.

:slight_smile:

  • Rick
8

Actually three different studies have confirmed this, and one was actually done by the U.S. government.

And I can tell you you’re going to see more studies biased against marijuana than vice versa. Especially studies sponsered by anti-drug groups (who get most of their funding from the alcohol industry, marijuana’s biggest competition)