Can a Singer Smoke Weed?

As a singer, smoking weed or marijuana is bad for you.

This is because regardless of how it is inhaled, every inhaled agent will definitely mess with your vocal cords.

Another thing you need to know is that it is different for everyone

There are some singers I have worked with who were heavy smokers with some weed thrown in the mix who have had no problems recording awesome songs

And as a sober observer and outsider, I totally agree with here 100%

But we should not forget here that she is a natural talent with one of the biggest voices I have ever heard.

Hers is a type of talent that even with a nasty cold or flu, she still destroys most singers on her worst days.

I, on the other hand, have had to really work at it to become a good singer.

Not zero, but very little natural ability. 

There was a period of several years during my 20s where I smoked pot as often as possible.

During those years, I still made it a point not to be high during performances. 

For me, it made me sing just flat enough to really annoy me, and although the effect was small enough to usually go unnoticed by the crowd in a loud club with a good mix, I knew it was flat and I think the drug amplified my perception of it being flat. 

The worst part was that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t make the necessary adjustments to fix it while under the influence.

If I quit Smoking will my voice improve?

Yes if you quit and cut out smoking your singing voice will definitely improve

This is because when you smoke, the inhaled air goes in and damages your vocal cords and your lungs.

And you definitely know that to be able to sing high notes and sing effective, you need your vocal cords and your lungs to work properly

What will happen is that as you quit smoking, your vocal cords will start to heal and get back to singing all that beautiful notes and tones that you are used to.

One thing you can use is this product call Vocalzone

Vocalzone is not a quit smoking aid and will not heal your damaged vocal cords.

What it does is that it helps to soothe the irritation caused by smoking.

And don’t forget, Vocalzone which you can get here from Amazon.com should always be used as a complement with your voice care routine.

Does weed help you sing better?

No weed does not make you sing better

Here is my personal opinion without going into a long debate on the political and moral implications at hand

Some of the commonly known side effects of smoking marijuana are sleepiness, reduced ability to perform tasks requiring concentration and coordination, dry mouth and throat and memory and speaking impairments. 

While smoking pot will relax an otherwise “up tight” individual, lethargy is not a desired state of being for any singer that cares about intonation or vocal coordination. 

Simply put, when you are tired or feeling lazy you are less likely to sing in tune or accurately blend in and out of your registers. 

Middle or high notes in the mix will be harder to coordinate for most cannabis junkies. 

A solid performing voice needs a steady amount of high vocal energy. Obviously it’s an uphill battle for anyone feeling the extreme high of inhaling marijuana smoke.

Overall, one of the most glaring problems with smoking pot is the dehydration of the body during and after a smoke. 

Specifically the mouth and throat can become severely dry with symptoms of cottonmouth, an uncomfortable feeling of dryness in the mouth. 

With any logic, one can see that a dry mouth and throat means a dehydrated set of vocal folds. 

In my experience as a vocal coach, I’ve seen two notable tours cancelled because of the lead singer (no names mentioned…) smoking marijuana and losing his voice because of the consistent singing on a dehydrated voice. 

Dehydration affects most Americans already and it’s not helpful to engage in activity that exacerbates the problem. 

For some singers no amount of water can rehydrate a voice in this state.

Does smoking weed make your voice crack?

Yes smoking weed, marijuana or tobacco of any sort can damage your vocal cords and make them to crack

There’s no easy way past just spending time slowly working your voice back to singing condition.

Keep working with a voice teacher and practice healthy vocal habits like not smoking, avoid long term exposure to extremely arid or frigid air etc. but there’s no quick way to a good voice.

There’s the possibility of there being permanent damage, but even if the worst of it is temporary it will still take some time to work it out of your system. 

3 years is a long time for a non-oxygen substance to permeate your cells. 

Just be patient. 

And if possible, I’d strongly recommend consulting a laryngologist.

Just drink water, eat healthily, and just try and be patient.

It is possible you have permanent cord damage but unlikely. 

The simplest explanation is that you are simply very, very out of practice.

Imagine if a promising young athlete completely quit exercising for years. 

It would take them a very long time to get back in the shape they were used to, even though they were still talented & whether or not they also picked up a possibly-damaging habit. 

Keep studying voice; if you’re able to, make an appointment with an ENT so you can go ahead and rule out a voice injury; but keep the faith and push through at least a couple months of disappointing singing without getting discouraged. 

If you put in the work, I bet you’ll be back in shape soon!

Conclusion

Smoking weed as a singer is a very bad habit and in my personal opinion should be avoided.

It does terrible things to your lungs and your vocal cords, and also has so many side effects that are really not good for you as a singer.

Written by Uche Ibe

Uche Ibe is a passionate Singer, Studio Engineer and Blogger. I enjoy teaching people how to sing and helping them become better singers. When I am not singing, you can catch me at the Tennis court.

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