As someone who’s no stranger to joints, you’ve probably faced or heard of the bane of indulgence sessions: the long-lasting marijuana aftertaste. The good news? You are not alone – and definitely not the first person looking for the best way to get the weed taste out of your mouth.
The acrid flavor that is left on your tongue after a smoke session or eating edibles can affect your social image, mess up a drug test, or simply make you feel uncomfortable. Here’s how to protect your palate and taste buds.
How to get rid of weed taste in the mouth the fastest way
If the company you’re working for frowns upon weed smoking, or you’re about to see someone weed-intolerant, you want to eliminate or mask that aftertaste. After all, even die-hard aficionados don’t always love the everlasting cannabis flavor.
Here are some quick-fix tips to help you kick unpleasant olfactory sensations out of your palate:
- Drink, drink, drink. Beverages are your best friends when it comes to dealing with a nasty cannabis aftertaste. Around 0.2-0.5 gallons of water will flush out most weed residue. Coffee can also come in handy, but it’s more about masking the taste rather than removing it.
- Eat flavor-packed foods. Get some sugar-free gum, mint candies, or anything that has a pungent taste to get rid of weed sensations and breath. Not into sweets? Grab an apple or a citrus fruit for a natural breath freshener.
- Keep your mouth clean. You don’t have to carry a whole dental kit to do it (though you can if you smoke too much and too often.) A quick mouthwash can do wonders for your palate.
These methods are great when you occasionally have a weed taste in your mouth. If it lands on your palate after every single session, a more serious approach is required.
How to get weed taste out of my mouth if it’s persistent
Even if there’s no life-changing event around the corner, you may still feel uncomfortable about that lingering sensation in your mouth. It may be caused either by smoking or devouring cannabis products, leading to dryness and an unpleasant aftertaste.
Although it’s more an exception rather than the rule, some folks may have a cannabis-flavored palate for weeks after the session. Here’s how to get the weed taste out of the mouth when it’s hanging around like an unwelcome guest.
Preserve oral freshness
As a smoker, you should double the care you give to your oral hygiene. Pay special attention to your teeth, gums, and tongue, and they’ll thank you with fresher breath and a less lingering weed taste.
However, maintaining oral freshness may not be enough if you already have dental problems. If a post-smoke aftertaste has been bothering you for weeks, speak with your dentist or GP. They can pinpoint underlying causes behind the bad taste, which doesn’t necessarily stem from consuming cannabis products.
Experiment with other buds
Switching to organic and GMO-free buds is the best way to get the weed taste out of your mouth. The thing is that non-organic strains may be loaded with additives that inundate your olfactory system and breed sensory disturbances.
Choosing marijuana flowers that are proven to be cultivated without chemicals and GMO stuff can spare you from unwanted flavors.
Give edibles a try
To forget about the bad weed taste without forgetting about your sessions, you can go for edibles. Most of them pack fewer terpenes and cannabinoids than pure flowers, so they don’t usually shake up your taste receptors that much. Plus, cookies and gummies can help mask unwanted sensations with their own flavors.
The reason behind the alarming aftertaste
Are you wondering why weed vibes stay with you after you put a joint out? The reason is terpenes and THCA, the prima donna of pre-rolls, flowers, and other smokables. The cannabinoid comes into full power when turned into THC and can stick in your mouth long after you’ve had your hit.
However, terpenes and THCA are not the only ones to blame. They barely leave any aftertaste in most situations. That’s when individual factors come into the picture:
- Lack of saliva. Marijuana has a way of affecting saliva secretion, drying it up faster than you say ‘weed.’ When your mouth gets parched, there’s no saliva to wash out cannabis flavors, so they linger and give you that perpetual smoking sensation.
- Leftover particles. Your mouth may take a hit after smoking because of the remnants of weed or resin in your throat or airways. This is also the case with undigested edibles – if they don’t go down smoothly, their flavor echoes from your stomach to your oral system.
- Weight loss. Sometimes, when you decide to stop your smoking therapy and start a diet, you may find yourself fighting the lingering weed taste, too. This is because your body shifts into the highest gear of burning fat, releasing leftover cannabis chemicals that may be felt in your mouth.
- Mind games. If you’re a frequent smoker (or used to be one), the sections of your brain responsible for olfactory sensations may remind you of the weed taste. This is a psychological thing that may occur for no discernible reason or when your brain associates certain daily situations with cannabis flavors.
The aftertaste of marijuana is usually harmless. However, if you find it disturbing or it doesn’t go away for months, it may be indicative of health disorders. A healthcare professional is the most trusted source to tell you how to get the taste of weed out of your mouth and prevent well-being issues that cause it in the first place.
How long can weed taste hang around?
The duration of cannabis-induced sensory disturbance depends on how you use weed, how often you indulge, and individual factors like your health condition and weight.
Commonly, you feel it for 1-3 days from the last smoking session. Then, the aftertaste vanishes on its own. However, if weed flashbacks haunt you after months, you may have a nutritional imbalance or other problems triggered by THC.
