Cotton mouth is a phenomenon that happens after smoking certain cannabis strains. Shortly after the exhale, the mouth becomes a desert. Those experiencing this may have a dry, sticky mouth that may feel they no longer produce saliva. These experiences are why many wonder, can cannabis dehydrate you?
Marijuana users may notice that their water intake goes up and their mouths get dry after they smoke weed. With that happening regularly, it is easy to assume getting high leads to dehydration. Despite these correlations, there is no evidence that this is true. However, in certain circumstances, smoking marijuana could be a factor in fluid loss.
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Though cannabis might not directly cause dehydration in a classic sense, dry mouth is definitely real.
Dry mouth does not always equate to dehydration
Before jumping in on cannabis-related instances where dehydration occurs, let’s talk about that dry mouth feeling. A dry mouth void of saliva is one of the common side effects of certain weed varieties. This does not happen because of dehydration. It is a function of the endocannabinoid system responding to an onslaught of cannabinoids.
When cannabis users inhale or eat weed, compounds bind to and activate cannabinoid receptors in the salivary glands and all over the body. These receptors work together so that the system can reach equilibrium. For the salivary ones, that means controlling spit production. After smoking weed, THC will bond to these submandibular receptors, and they will stop creating spit until the cannabinoids wear off.
A dry mouth can be one of the signs of dehydration, along with thirst, dark urine, headache, fatigue, and more. However, the reason someone feels this differs from why a person experiences weed-related dry mouth.
When someone has this as one of their symptoms of dehydration, it is a mechanism that keeps the body from losing more fluids. Salivary glands stop producing because there is no more water left to do the job.
Meanwhile, a perfectly hydrated person might puff on a joint and still experience a dry mouth. They are not the same. Neither experience is particularly fun, but they are different bodily mechanisms and should not be confused.
Those other times that weed is dehydrating
Can cannabis dehydrate you? Consuming cannabis alone should not be dehydrating, but some circumstances could lead a person there. Chronic, daily cannabis use sometimes leads to cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS). This syndrome is marked by cyclical nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramping.
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Those diagnosed with CHS often do not find relief until they quit all weed in perpetuity. People who throw up a lot may end up dehydrated, and in CHS cases, it could be said that weed is causing it.
Another instance where someone might find themselves lacking fluids from the pot is during a weed hangover. It is believed that drinking water might help offset the haziness and dry mouth that could occur the day after a supremely high night. While water is a satisfactory response to this experience, this dry mouth still qualifies as a cannabinoid issue and not classic dehydration.
Can cannabis dehydrate you?
The short answer is no. Smoking weed, vaping, or eating edibles alone is not dehydrating. Cotton mouth is real, but a cannabis-related dry mouth is not a sign of dehydration. It is an indicator that salivary endocannabinoid receptors are full up. Those who experience classic dehydration after consuming cannabinoids probably entered the sesh without enough fluids in their system.
A dry mouth is not fun, whether from dehydration or not. Those who have friends over to smoke weed should continue supplying fresh water to drink, even if this weed myth is officially debunked.
