Why Does Weed Make You Cough? Risks And Prevention - Healthline

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Why Does Weed Make You Cough?

Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT — Written by Kirsten Nunez on August 12, 2020

Why it happens
Lung damage
Lung cancer
Chronic cough
Preventing coughing
Soothing your throat
Takeaway

If you’ve experienced a coughing fit after smoking cannabis, you’re not alone. It’s a common, natural response to smoke inhalation.

Sometimes, though, coughing can occur even when you’re not smoking. This is more likely to happen if you regularly smoke cannabis.

To learn why smoking cannabis can make you cough, read on. We’ll also explore how smoking cannabis might affect lung health, along with the risk of lung cancer.

Why does it happen?

Your throat and lungs are lined with sensory nerves. They work to detect irritating substances, like smoke, in your airways.

If you inhale an irritant, the nerves send signals throughout your respiratory tract. This produces a cough reflex, which helps you get rid of the irritating substance. The goal is to protect your respiratory tract, and ultimately, your lungs.

This is what happens when you smoke cannabis. The smoke irritates your airways, causing your nerves to trigger a cough reflex. It’s a normal reaction to inhaling any kind of smoke.

Does cannabis damage your lungs?

Research suggests that coughing related to cannabis smoking is usually due to short-term effects, rather than long-term damage. Let’s take a look at the research.

Bronchitis

According to a 2013 review, smoking cannabis causes tiny injuries to the large airways, or bronchi. Your bronchi are the passages that connect your trachea (windpipe) to your lungs.

This increases your risk for chronic bronchitis, or inflamed bronchi, which causes frequent coughing. Chronic bronchitis typically goes away when you stop regularly smoking.

Defense against infection

Habitual smoking also decreases cilia in the airways. Cilia are small hairs that filter out particles and germs. And though habitual smoking reduces your lungs’ defense against infection, it isn’t associated with long-term damage, according to the 2013 review.

Long-term lung function

A 2012 study specifically examined the link between smoking cannabis and long-term lung function over a 20-year period. The researchers found that occasional smoking wasn’t linked to adverse lung function.

Though they speculated that heavy smoking can cause lasting damage, they weren’t able to make a solid conclusion. The study lacked enough participants who heavily smoked cannabis.

It’s worth noting that smoking cannabis is associated with lasting lung damage if you also smoke tobacco. In a 2016 study, people who smoked cannabis and tobacco were more likely to have impaired lung function than those who only smoked tobacco.

Despite these findings, scientists are still learning how smoking cannabis affects lung health over time. More long-term studies are necessary.

Does smoking cannabis cause lung cancer?

According to a 2020 study, cannabis smoke contains 110 compounds with potentially toxic properties. Sixty-nine of these compounds are also found in tobacco smoke. As a result, many people wonder if smoking cannabis can cause lung cancer.

The research is mixed. A 2015 meta-analysis found a weak link between long-term cannabis smoking and lung cancer risk. An older 2006 study also found no association between long-term smoking and lung cancer.

However, a 2013 study, which spanned over 40 years, found that frequently smoking cannabis doubles the risk of lung cancer. The association persisted after the researchers adjusted their data for tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and respiratory disease.

Similarly, an older 2008 study found a connection between cannabis smoking and lung cancer after adjusting for cigarette smoking.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that it’s difficult to confirm a solid link. That’s because cannabis use often occurs alongside other behaviors that increase lung cancer risk, including cigarette smoking.

Therefore, more studies are needed involving people who smoke cannabis and not cigarettes.

It’s also possible for lung cancer to cause coughing. In this case, the coughing will be persistent or get worse over time. Other common symptoms of lung cancer include:

coughing blood
chest pain
hoarseness
poor appetite
unexplained weight loss
fatigue
new wheezing
shortness of breath

Keep in mind that coughing has many potential causes. If you’re concerned about your coughing, visit your doctor.

Chronic cough

As mentioned earlier, regularly smoking cannabis can lead to chronic bronchitis. Bronchitis is considered chronic if you have coughing and mucus for at least 3 months for 2 consecutive years.

Since chronic bronchitis causes persistent coughing, you’ll likely cough even when you’re not smoking. The cough might come and go, and it might get worse on some days. You may also have wheezing.

If you have chronic bronchitis due to smoking cannabis, quitting will decrease your symptoms.

How to prevent coughing

According to people who smoke cannabis, there are several ways to minimize coughing after smoking. You can:

Take smaller doses. Smaller “hits,” or breaths, of cannabis will reduce the amount of smoke that enters your airways at once.
Inhale deeply. This will prevent smoke from getting stuck in your throat, which can cause coughing.
Inhale and exhale softly. Avoid forcefully inhaling and exhaling. Even as you inhale deeply, do so gently.
Drink water. It’s recommended to drink water before, during, and after smoking. This may help minimize coughing by easing irritation in your throat.

Want to avoid any and all coughing? Consider eating cannabis and avoiding smoking altogether.

How to soothe your throat

If you’ve already been coughing and your throat is sore, here’s what you can do to relieve it:

Gargle salt water. A saltwater gargle is ideal for discomfort and pain in the throat. To make it, mix 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of salt with 4 to 8 ounces of warm water.
Sip cold water. Drinking fluids will decrease dryness in your throat. Cold water is especially soothing.
Drink warm liquids. You can also drink warm fluids, like broth or caffeine-free tea, to relieve throat soreness.
Eat hard candy. Sucking on hard candy can increase saliva production and ease coughing.
Eat cold foods. Consuming ice pops or ice cream may help.
Use a humidifier. Humidifiers are ideal for reducing dry air, which may worsen your symptoms.
Take a break. Limit smoking cannabis until your throat feels better.

Takeaway

When you inhale cannabis smoke, the sensory nerves in your airways produce a cough reflex. This is your body’s way of protecting against irritating substances. It’s a normal response that occurs when you inhale any kind of smoke.

Scientists are still learning how cannabis smoke affects the lungs. Currently, research has failed to find a solid link between smoking cannabis and long-term lung damage. It’s unclear whether it increases the risk of lung cancer.

Still, it’s possible to develop chronic bronchitis due to smoking cannabis. This causes chronic coughing, phlegm, and wheezing. In most cases, these symptoms will go away if you quit smoking cannabis.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

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Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT — Written by Kirsten Nunez on August 12, 2020

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