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Is it true that holding weed in for too long is harmful and pointless?

Nooo

Nooo

Greenlighter
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I keep hearing that you should only hold it in for like 5 seconds because that's how long it takes for all the THC to get absorbed into your bloodstream, but that doesn't sound right to me. How does all the THC get absorbed within 5 seconds? Doesn't it make sense that where there's smoke, there's THC?

I know that holding it in too long gives you a buzz because of oxygen deprivation, but what if while you're holding it in you keep inhaling but you don't exhale?

It quit holding the weed in for too long because I don't want to cut oxygen off to my brain, but it feels like I'm just not feeling it as intense or as long as I did when I held it in for like 30 seconds.
 
Most of the thc gets absorbed pretty quickly. There really isn't a point in holding it in for 5 seconds or more. You're just damaging you're lungs
 
Nooo said:
I know that holding it in too long gives you a buzz because of oxygen deprivation, but what if while you're holding it in you keep inhaling but you don't exhale?
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Dude! That's how I've hit my bubbler for years now, man. Clear the chamber at about 3/4 lung capacity full, hold 5-10 seconds, deep inhale, another 5-10 seconds and complete exhale. When I was younger I made it a point to go for 20-30 seconds, but now I smoke that way mainly out of habit instead of it serving any kind of functional purpose I'm aware of.

Testimonially (is that a word?) speaking, I seem to cough up way more black & brown shit compared to your average run-of-the-mill toker and I blame my weed smoking habits moreso than cigarettes. My cigarette habit is almost non-existent when standing in the shadow cast by my weed habit.
 
try using a vape and see how long you hold that in for before it almost completely disapears, its really really fast because most of the vapor is THC and such not burned plant material
 
If a person can hold their breath for 2+ minutes and not be negatively effected, I don't think that holding in your hit for 10-15 seconds is doing any harm.
 
Uhhh, your logic is fantastical.

Holding in co2/moderately rising blood ph for two minutes isn't as bad as holding in the products of combustion for ten seconds. That I can convict.
 
Smoke sticks to substances. For example, ciggarettes create nicotine stains on fingers, teeth, or homes. Ciggarette smoke can be cleaned from the lungs over time through coughing.

Marijuana smoke builds up in the form of resin. Smoking weed does in fact build up harmful tar in your lungs. However, it is mostly entirely reversible and not cancer causing. It only reduces the efficiency of lung functioning.

Smoking the marijuana is one Route of Administration, by absorbing the THC through lungs. It can also be absorbed in other ways. The longer the smoke is held in ones lungs, the more resin that is built up in your lungs, similar to a smoking device, which in turn increases the amount of THC you will absorb.

Also, experienced smokers will be aware of specific characteristics of the lungs. Holding things in longer or sucking down deeper creating more of a pull, coughing causing small blood vessel breaks creating an easier THC absorption. Etc.

The differentiation is simply economical. Having the resources for steady amounts of bud, with an expensive water pipe or vaporizer, differs from small amounts in an environment with small amounts out of a small glass piece. A good analogy is one would most likely not propose to a significant other out to dinner and then beer bong the champagne.
 
I smoke my spliffs like I smoke my cigarettes. I've tried holding the smoke in for longer periods of time but never really noticed any difference.
 
Holding in more than five seconds is pretty much pointless unless you are trying to conceal the smoke. Pretty much all of the active compounds are absorbed very quickly. Holding it in for a long time just traps the solid smoke particles in your lungs. Not something that is particularly beneficial, though its definitely not the same as holding in tobacco smoke. I typically take a long, slow inhale from the pipe/joint/vape, so about a second or two after I finish inhaling, I exhale.
 
Ho-Chi-Minh said:
Uhhh, your logic is fantastical.

Holding in co2/moderately rising blood ph for two minutes isn't as bad as holding in the products of combustion for ten seconds. That I can convict.
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Sorry I should have been more specific. I meant in terms of oxygen deprivation.
 
Salutations FreeHugs,

freehugs said:
...in terms of oxygen deprivation.
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That's quite an interesting point to raise as seen from my own perspective, because i happen to have quit all smoking in 2007 and then converted to vaporism about 4 years later only to find that i still like fire after all - BUT i much prefer to leave appreciation of toxic waste qualities to actual smokers, etc. and now i use a modded version of the VG (vaporizing) pipe (before my driver was a slow dry electric table model, for 25 months), etc... Anyway, as a consequence this likely implies there may be some oxygen rarefication taking place in the necessary butane-burning process. Here's how: essentially speaking there's heat plus carbon dioxyde and water vapour; my "2-stones" personalized VG runs on a combination of radiant heat/pre-heated air, mainly with CO2 and H2O present in the cannabic stream. Trace amounts of butane-related compounds are expected since no butane actually burns perfectly, simply because the perfect lighter remains to be found (not to mention the perfect butane gas can)...

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Well, it's been about 3 months now so perhaps it's time i share my impressions!

There's been a period when i experienced nasal congestion and repeated sneezing but that may have been more about contaminants than the lack of oxygen. All symptoms have passed since about a week and i believe it was at least a partial consequence of my previous pipe modding, with more heat-diffusing material - which translated as slower sessions with possibly higher levels of contaminant intake... Those reactions finally appear to be over so i gather the reason why i remained affected (for a little while) after the last VG modification just had to do with cumulative effects (concentration buildup vs sensivity threshold). This would mean i needed a few days to get clear of that and it seems making the heat-exchanger lighter (thinner = less mass) must have helped to corrected the problem i guess.

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But oxygen deprivation? I dunno. In order to limit inconveniencies i've started to account for a new factor: the top "foamy stone" turns red and then i can stop inhaling/heating sooner, making my session shorter and also more aerial.

The point about oxygen is that i'm certainly getting some from surrounding air captured simultaneously to that around a butane flame (which has to be sustained...) - hence the idea that oxygen deprivation might be a concern although perhaps only remote IMO.

As for holding for too long, there's got to be some trade-off possible. After all, i don't suppose a fine wine connoisseur would rush it just to spit it out quick, because it's harmful and pointless, etc. Well, maybe not that pointless, euh... I mean, how does one "sample" (read "taste") without being first "impregnated" a bit?...

=D
 
I would really love to see studies on how lung tissues absorbs multiple substances, everyone always claims THC and all compounds are nearly instantly absorbed into the lungs, which makes sense in certains as I honestly don't have highly indepth knowledge on lung functioning, though I'd imagine it some manner or form it would too be changed in some manner. Like there might be a minute difference in how the lungs would absorb FB vs salts, or chemicals with different solubilities, though like I said this may be negated by some functioning I am unaware of in the lung where it indiscriminately picks up whatever is offered regardless of anything really...

I would have to really say its simply a weighted scale, if its true that the majority is rapidly absorbed within seconds, then the only reason to keep it in is nill really, however if there is a bigger variance than is seemingly being presented, for instance, ex) 10mgs of THC is absorbed in 10 seconds, whereas 6 seconds can only get you 6 mgs of THC, that is a large difference. While its not medically sound to tell someone to hold their breath, in most instances, unless their doing it a lot and holding it in for more than 15-20 seconds, then I really can't see it being to large a deal. They will get more resin or tar dependent on what they smoke but the difference between something like 5mgs of say JWH-018, and 10mgs of JWH--018 is astronomically huge for those even with tolerances usually......on the other hand with some things its less worthwhile which is mainly why I said its like a sliding scale anyways....

I will add though that i've never attempted to look up any study on lungs absorption of chemicals because I don't really care that much whether the results are as stated or not but it may be interesting for other people to finally be proven, I mean I see way to much "Yeah yeah its simply known the lungs absorb material so fast." and such without ever having seeing a valid study to back this up, or studies to back up the formation on tar and how its effected by the amount of time left in a users lungs/etc. I'm sure there are and it would really do much better to end this debate that is waged a million times a year by a million different people.... ;)
 
Salutations,

Help?!?! said:
...if its true that the majority is rapidly absorbed within seconds, then the only reason to keep it in is nill really, however...
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The shorter the better with a pipe such as mine; plus, i can't "recirculate" for more than about 4 or 5 expirations anyway. Last but not least, i don't personally like to "hold" a lot as it's through movement that my herb's fine qualities are perceived, before reaching the lungs on the contrary. One could argue there's some similitude with wine i believe.

Help?!?! said:
..."Yeah yeah its simply known the lungs absorb material so fast."
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Maybe it's because expectations vary wildly. For example i'd say i'm only concerned by potential health issues while my purpose is a different matter entirely. As a result i'll welcome studies too.

Help?!?! said:
...like a sliding scale...
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An evocative analogy!

=D
 
Ive always been a guy that holds it in for 5 seconds then exhales. Partially because my lungs are fucking pooched from all the shit I used to smoke, and after 5 seconds I'm coughing my lungs up. But also because many times I've read that the THC is absorbed in about 5 seconds (for the most part) and the excess smoke you're exhaling is just burnt plant matter. That's how I understood previous posts on this subject at least.
 
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