June 7, 2022Having a sore throat is perhaps one of the most common health problems adults face. It causes dry mouth, and scratchiness, and makes it hard to swallow. Basically, dealing with a sore throat is quite an unpleasant feeling. The most common cause of sore throat is a viral infection, such as the cold or flu.
However, smoking cannabis regularly can also result in a sore throat. Whether you rely on it for medicinal purposes or enjoy the relaxing feeling it imparts, it can often leave this undesirable after effect. However, for those who really need it to get through the day, what’s the alternative?
Worry not, we’ve got you covered! In this blog, we will look at some helpful tips you can use to reduce the after-effects of marijuana on your throat. Additionally, we’ll look at the different methods of consumption that still allow you to get your daily dose of marijuana, without having to smoke.
You can also learn some ways to manage your cannabis high here.
How Does Smoking Cannabis Affect the Throat?
It is a commonly known fact that smoking impacts the lung. Marijuana smoke has substances like tar and carcinogens that irritate your respiratory tract, causing inflammation.
Moreover, the heat from smoking dries all the moisture in your throat and nasal passages. Common compounds of the cannabis plant, THC and CBD may also affect saliva production, responsible for causing “cotton mouth.”
An already dry mouth is further irritated by the substances in cannabis. Therefore, you develop a sore throat and cough.
Reducing the Effects of Marijuana on the Throat
Keep in mind that the tips below won’t get rid of a sore throat, they’ll just make it less noticeable so you can continue smoking without extreme discomfort.
Drink More Water
With a dry mouth being the most common side effect of having a sore throat, you can easily combat it by drinking more water. However, you have to make sure you drink enough water throughout the day, and not just before and after smoking cannabis.
According to the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, adult men should drink 3.7 liters of water a day, and adult women should drink 2.7 liters of water a day.
It is also advisable to avoid alcohol and drinks with caffeine as they will cause dehydration, which is what you’re trying to specifically avoid.
Saltwater Rinse
You may have heard about using saltwater rinse as a way to combat dry throat as a home remedy; however, it is actually backed by science.
According to a clinical inquiry, this method is recommended by doctors to get rid of a sore throat. Follow these steps to prepare an effective saltwater rinse at home:
- You can use 1 tsp of table or rock salt, and add honey for added benefits.
- Use 230ml of warm/ lukewarm water to easily dissolve the salt. It is also much better at soothing the throat than cold water.
- Put the water on heat and when it starts boiling, add the contents to it. Let it cool until it is lukewarm and rinse.
- Gargle each mouthful for 25-30 seconds.
Keep in mind that using too much salt will irritate the throat. If yours already feels sensitive, consider using half of the recommended quantity of salt.
You may perform this method before or after smoking marijuana.
Consuming Tea or Cough Drops
As mentioned above, honey helps with sore throats. Most of us were recommended tea infused with honey by our grandmas when we had a sore throat as a child. Turns out, these home remedies are quite useful.
Drinking tea (especially green tea) is great for anti-inflammation. It also helps reduce pain in the throat, while making sure you stay hydrated. You can also gargle green tea. This can be done in proximity to your smoking session, or anytime in the day when you feel your throat closing up, getting scratchy, etc.
On the other hand, consuming throat lozenges/ cough drops is also pretty effective in dealing with a sore throat. When you suck on a candy-like cough drop, it stimulates the production of saliva, keeping your mouth and throat moist. As a result, the action of eating counteracts the dryness imparted by having a sore throat.
Moreover, you will find that lozenges usually contain things like local anesthesia, antiseptics, or NSAIDs. All these substances are great at alleviating the symptoms of a sore throat.
These are the ways you can lower the effects of marijuana on the throat. However, you do not necessarily have to smoke in order to consume it. So, let’s look at the different ways of consuming marijuana that will help you avoid throat problems.
Edibles
One of the easiest ways to get a strong dose of cannabis without harming your body is by consuming edibles. They are easy to consume as you can buy CBD/ THC gummies, or use a cannabis flower in any recipe of your choice.
However, you need to be careful while consuming edibles as it is easy to overconsume them. You see, edibles get processed by the liver and produce the 11-Hydroxy metabolite, which is much stronger than THC of the same quantity.
Tinctures/ Oils
Tinctures are often bitter and come in
a dropper bottle that allows you to directly pour the desired amount below your tongue. You can find them in flavors too, to combat the bad aftertaste. They work much quicker in 15-25 minutes, as compared to edibles that require 1-2 hours to impart their results.
Oils can be directly applied to the affected area, or the area you wish to treat. Dealing with an injury or chronic joint pain? You can apply marijuana oil directly to the problem area. The same goes for balms and salves.
If you are willing to quit smoking for health reasons, you should get in touch with a healthcare professional for some advice. If you live in Nevada, we would suggest you talk to our doctors about Medical Cannabis Card NV. Nevada MMJ Card Doctor is the perfect place to get a quick and affordable medical card.
