Facr or myth: Holding smoke longer absorbs more THC?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=related&v=Tc52xeInMkE

Lots of discussion on the latest posts of this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=related&v=Tc52xeInMkE

ummmm. would have to say yes... but thats just an educated geuss

i reacon yes also

I would say yes as well, do the experiment yourself, if you hold it in longer, the less smoke you blow out, that is because you absorbed more than you would with exhaling immediately after drawing in.

And also if you smoke salvia you have to hold it in for awhile else you won't absorb enough to feel the effects.

the psychotropic ingredients in weed (THC etc) is absorbed in the first few seconds of inhalation. You will get some more by holding in for a while, but I think the 'buzz' you get from holding it in is more a case of the carbon monoxide and lack of oxygen than anything. Holding it in will also allow more tars to settle in your lungs as well, which may not be a good thing. When I pull a cone, I usually hold it for about five seconds, all you really ned I think (in my experience at least...32 years worth).

Facr! for sure!

Gryphonn said:

the psychotropic ingredients in weed (THC etc) is absorbed in the first few seconds of inhalation. You will get some more by holding in for a while, but I think the 'buzz' you get from holding it in is more a case of the carbon monoxide and lack of oxygen than anything. Holding it in will also allow more tars to settle in your lungs as well, which may not be a good thing. When I pull a cone, I usually hold it for about five seconds, all you really ned I think (in my experience at least...32 years worth).

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He's correct, it's a myth. The THC is absorbed within 3 seconds of it entering the lungs. Holding it in for longer than 4-5 seconds will accomplish nothing but starving yourself of oxygen.

SocataSmoker said:

He's correct, it's a myth. The THC is absorbed within 3 seconds of it entering the lungs. Holding it in for longer than 4-5 seconds will accomplish nothing but starving yourself of oxygen.

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I'm not so sure man,

because I know there is THC exhaled because how else would you shotgun somebody or get your little pets high?

So if there is THC being exhaled that means you didn't absorb all of it, which makes me believe that if you give it longer time in your lungs you'll absorb more rather if you didn't.

Let me clarify the statement I made. The alveoli in your lungs can only hold so much air/smoke etc. Once the alveoli have been filled, you can't absorb anymore of whatever is in the passageways to your alveoli. The reason a shotgun works is because there is still THC in all the myriad passageways that go to the alveoli. When you exhale into the lungs of your shotgun recipient, that's what they get, the leftover THC that your body can't absorb.

Remember, there are a lot of passageways to the alveoli, including your trachea and the bronchi (the passages that lead to your alveoli).

If you hold your breath long enough, all you'll do is reabsorb the carbon dioxides and monoxides that your lungs are designed to expell when you exhale, because they (the carbon dioxides etc) replace the THC and oxygen that your body absorbed from the alveoli originally. Plus, the tars will settle in your alveoli and start to block them, leading the way to emphysema and other nasty lung diseases/conditions.

I hope this little biology lesson helps clarify the shotgun thing.

Gryphonn said:

Let me clarify the statement I made. The alveoli in your lungs can only hold so much air/smoke etc. Once the alveoli have been filled, you can't absorb anymore of whatever is in the passageways to your alveoli. The reason a shotgun works is because there is still THC in all the myriad passageways that go to the alveoli. When you exhale into the lungs of your shotgun recipient, that's what they get, the leftover THC that your body can't absorb.

Remember, there are a lot of passageways to the alveoli, including your trachea and the bronchi (the passages that lead to your alveoli).

If you hold your breath long enough, all you'll do is reabsorb the carbon dioxides and monoxides that your lungs are designed to expell when you exhale, because they (the carbon dioxides etc) replace the THC and oxygen that your body absorbed from the alveoli originally. Plus, the tars will settle in your alveoli and start to block them, leading the way to emphysema and other nasty lung diseases/conditions.

I hope this little biology lesson helps clarify the shotgun thing.

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Very interesting

Is this true with salvia as well? Because if you exhale that to quickly you won't feel anything.

ZenMaster said:

Very interesting

Is this true with salvia as well? Because if you exhale that to quickly you won't feel anything.

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It really depends on how easily the active chemicals/molecules are absorbed by the lungs. The larger the molecule, the harder it is for the lugs to absorb them. I don't know much about salvia, so couldn't tell you why it takes longer to absorb. I'd be guessing.

smart guy you

Gryphonn said:

the psychotropic ingredients in weed (THC etc) is absorbed in the first few seconds of inhalation. You will get some more by holding in for a while, but I think the 'buzz' you get from holding it in is more a case of the carbon monoxide and lack of oxygen than anything. Holding it in will also allow more tars to settle in your lungs as well, which may not be a good thing. When I pull a cone, I usually hold it for about five seconds, all you really ned I think (in my experience at least...32 years worth).

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That is real impressive man. Thanks for confirming this for me, it seems lots of people believed the myth that the longer you hold it the higher you get.

You're welcome. Thanks for the compliment.

That really was amazing dude I really thought I knew that the longer you hold it in the higher you got because all of the air that's in your aveoli gets exchanged with air not in them absorbing more thc getting you higher cause when you hold it in for a long time no smoke comes out

To0 Much Dr0 said:

That really was amazing dude I really thought I knew that the longer you hold it in the higher you got because all of the air that's in your aveoli gets exchanged with air not in them absorbing more thc getting you higher cause when you hold it in for a long time no smoke comes out

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Yep, I used to think the same thing, but I have one of those heads where I need input, like Johnny 5. I found out that info a long time ago and now you've got me thinking again. The lack of smoke would be due to the crap in the smoke settling on the mucous membranes in your airways and brachia (sp?). Bummer...

socata you're absolutly right.

my understanding is after the thc is absorbed, the carcenogens are immediatly absored there after
this closes the capillaries so no more thc can be absorbed til the next breath..

thats how i feel it works, but i know i get just as high blowing my hit out immediately after inhaling, and less of a headache than depriving myself oxygen

SocataSmoker said:

He's correct, it's a myth. The THC is absorbed within 3 seconds of it entering the lungs. Holding it in for longer than 4-5 seconds will accomplish nothing but starving yourself of oxygen.

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I mean if you think about it, it seems to make scence, giving the thc longer time in your system seems like it would stick in you more, an you just look like a bitch if you can't hold it =P

The alveoli in your lungs do two things.
1: They absorb what has been sucked into them
2: They exchange what they've absorbed with CO2 and other toxins from your blood.

They can't absorb anymore than what they originally had because they've exchanged that for the toxins so that your lungs can exhale them.
All you do by holding the smoke in longer is get a headrush from lack oxygen and let the tars and shit settle on the mucous membranes of your brochii and in the alveoli. The tar molecules are too big to be absorbed by the capillaries that are around the alveoli, so instead, they stick to your lungs.
If I recall correctly, THC is absorbed within the first 3 to 5 seconds after inhalation. Holding it in any longer does nothing. Have a look at my posts further up the thread for a better explanation.

so when you blow out smoke, you are blowing out THC that your aveoli could not hold. i believe that. then why does a BIGGER hit still get you more high?

a gravity bong hit or waterfall hit will get you more high than a regular small bong hit. suppose i only hold them both for exactly five seconds. then i exhale. the grav hit will certainly get me more high. yes, i will blow out more THC into the air when i exhale. but i will also be more high. so, when i take that small hit, according to your theory, i should have absorbed the most THC and blew out considerably less THC and therefore conserved more weed to get more high.

i believe if a grav hit gets you more high, then there is room for more THC in the aveoli to hold. so... maybe i will hold it for more than five seconds... but certainly not as long as i possibly can because that is still much worse for my lungs.



also i would like to point out that, even if it is much worse for you to hold it in, and it does get you more high, then that means it is true you do get more high for holding it in. so the real answer is Yes, you do get more high for holding your marijuana smoke in longer. the more complicated answer is no, because it is actually the lack of oxygen and more of a head rush. also you may get high more quickly by holding it in longer, because your heart will pump faster and therefore your blood will pump faster. when this happens the high comes on more quickly, and so you will feel like you get much more high or at least high much more quickly.

so if you read everything i said, you can take it one way or the other, and now you know the facts!


smoke out!

-Joseph L
PetRilJoe