One of marijuana’s most infamous side effects is its ability to seemingly suck every ounce of moisture from a smoker’s mouth. And when this happens, a blend of thick mucus on the roof of the mouth creates the feeling that your tongue is touching cotton. This is why the effect is commonly known as “cotton mouth.”

There are a several ways to relieve cotton mouth when it unfortunately happens. Sucking on a lemon can jumpstart your body into producing saliva, but it will also damage your teeth’s enamel in the process. The most tried and true method involves you sticking your face under the kitchen faucet and slurping up as much water as you can (affectionately known as a “bachelor sip”).

With all of the miracles of science, why can’t we purchase an instant cotton mouth antidote yet? Hell, why does pot make your mouth so damn dry in the first place?

We took a look at what happens physiologically when you smoke and why your mouth turns as dry as a tumbleweed. MERRY JANE News has included a few tips that you can use to help mitigate the effects of cotton mouth, and (don’t get too excited), there’s some news that an antidote might be on the way sooner than you think.