The perpetually weeded Wiz Khalifa says blazing bud helps him breathe as he works out.
“I honestly think smoking weed helps my wind a little better because I have breath control, and I’m able to take these deep, long breaths that normal people who don’t drag strong marijuana — they don’t experience that,” Khalifa said in a recent interview with GQ, according to Insider.
He even used the moment to plug his own branded strain, Khalifa Kush, which he said is the key to his physical stamina.
“It’s not couch weed and it won’t lock you down and make you not be able to move,” he said. “It’s really strong and gassy. It’s like an original OG-type of weed, whereas a lot of weed these days are a little bit more fruity, and they’re not on the gassy side. That’s how I like my weed. I like it to be straight gas.”
Is there science to this, or is it all in Khalifa’s head (and lungs)?
A 2021 review study in New Zealand’s journal Sports Medicine noted that while there haven’t been many studies on breathing while lit and exercising, one paper did look at patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and vaporized weed. That study found COPD patients did not experience any more breathlessness nor lack of exercise compared to COPD patients who did not vape weed.
A 2022 survey in the Journal of Cannabis Research received mixed results. Some respondents found that combining weed with exercise kept them on track, so to speak, while others reported “an undesired experience when pairing cannabis with exercise.” Among those undesired experiences: accelerated heart rate, lightheadedness, paranoia, and anxiety.
However, an earlier study in the Journal of Cannabis Research found that some subjects reported higher energy levels or lack of pain when they got lit before working out.
So, maybe Khalifa is onto something about choosing the right strain for the best workout.
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