Hotboxing Your Room or Car – Does it Work?

Hotboxing has been a respected ritual for many cannabis enthusiasts for decades. And with good reason. 

It's a fun and intense experience, especially if you do it with friends. Thank the stoner genius duo Cheech and Chong for coming up with one of the most exciting ways to increase your high. 

According to Urban Dictionary, a hotbox is an air-tight room or vehicle containing one (or more) pot-smokers smoking one (or more) joints. 

Weed enthusiasts all over the globe hotbox in cars, their rooms, or bathrooms. However, if you're feeling adventurous, you can also hotbox a tent or even a closet. Creativity goes a long way.

There’s one thing that is absolutely critical for an excellent hotboxing session. You need lots of weed to fill that unventilated space with thick clouds of marijuana smoke. 

In this blog, you will find out how to hotbox and the benefits and risks of the practice. But before we get into the science of hotboxing, you probably want to know: does it actually make you higher?

Does Hotboxing Work?

Many weed enthusiasts enjoy a hotboxing session every now and then; it's been that way forever. It seems only logical that smoking lots of cannabis in a closed, unventilated space would lead to an extreme high. 

After all, hotboxing is cost-effective. You're wasting no cannabinoids through breathing in secondhand, THC-packed smoke into your lungs.

But does hotboxing make you higher? 

Scientists at John Hopkins University did a study on contact highs back in 2015 to analyze the effects of hotboxing. They observed and tested 13 volunteers before and after two smoking sessions.

During the first session, a group of smokers and non-smokers chilled in an entirely closed-off and airless room, a.k.a. a hotbox. In the second smoking session, the same group sat in a ventilated space.

Surprisingly, the levels of THC in the blood plasma in active smokers were the same during both sessions, which means hotboxing does not actually make you higher. Instead, data shows you simply don't get more cannabinoids into your bloodstream. 

Interestingly, this study showed that non-smoking people in a hotbox might experience some level of high. 

True, it's low-level, but the THC in their blood was noticeable. Which means they had a contact high. But, the non-smokers who were sitting in a ventilated smoking session did not get that low-level high or detectable amounts of THC in their blood.

Be that as it may, humans still genuinely enjoy hotboxing since it gives them a feeling of enhanced high. This is likely due to increased levels of carbon dioxide, which make you feel lightheaded and a bit more stoned.

Moreover, many weed lovers will confirm that hotboxing often provides significant psychoactive effects. In other words, a fun, trippy high.

Hotboxing a Car

Hotboxing a car can be an incredible experience. However, it comes with risks that require special attention. So, to organize a successful hotboxing in your vehicle, you need to plan ahead. 

First and foremost, hotboxing is not something you should do in a hurry. If you want an excellent hotbox session, the critical thing to do is find a good spot. 

Scout for perfect timing and location, making sure it's private and comfortable. Do this correctly, and you will be able to enjoy the experience without any stress or paranoia. 

Sure, cars are the most popular choice for hotboxing. However, the risk of getting caught is pretty high. So, think about it as realtors do – location, location, location. Once you start the session, it will be pretty evident to anyone potentially walking by. 

Choosing a discreet place like your own backyard or an empty parking lot near your house is the best option. We shouldn’t need to explain why driving isn't an option. If you can find a spot that you could walk home from, that'd be swell. 

Not surprisingly, the car fabric and your clothing are going to reek of weed. So be prepared that people will probably know what you've been up to if you run into someone the second you leave the hotbox.

How to Hotbox a Car

Gather a fun bunch of humans and bring your stash. That means lots and lots of weed, preferably a wide variety of it. 

Do not make a newbie mistake like hoping that you'll get more from your tiny stash by hotboxing. Unfortunately, you will not.

You actually need quite a bit to do this properly. First, the car must be entirely filled with thick cannabis smoke. 

Blunt or joint smoking is the best way to do it, so leave your precious bong at home. Also, have a few going around at the same time. 

Although the whole point is to smoke in an unventilated space, you should still ensure ventilation. So crack open a window if you need to, and enjoy the experience. 

Remember, the more smoke, the easier you'll get to that trippy high. That said, you should not make it crowded. Instead, pile up enough friends, so all seats are taken and spark that joint up. The hotbox of your car will fill up with secondhand marijuana smoke. 

Soon, you won't be able to look through the windows. 

Pro tip: When you're planning for a car hotbox session, roll a few fatties beforehand so you're prepared to spark them up. Leave your big stash home.

Also, do some snack shopping for when munchies kick in. And feel free to splurge; salty goods, sweets, sour. You never know what cravings might kick in. 

And whatever you do, don't forget lots of water to stay hydrated. A dry mouth is the worst.

Once you're high as a kite and done with your hotboxing session, the car is going to reek of weed. But, you can do something about it.

Roll down all the windows. Then, wipe your interior with a damp rag with soap and hot water, including the wheel, dashboard, and windshield. Some Windex and paper towels will do the trick.

The Hotbox Room Guide

To properly hotbox, the room must be completely sealed. Make sure you have all you need and that your friends are settled.

That means supplying the crowd with enough water and snacks.

Again, make sure you have enough weed to really get the job done. 

To clarify, you will not be able to hotbox with one joint only. You need enough supplies and friends to smoke to achieve the desired effect.

Crack open a window if anyone starts to feel too lightheaded. 

How to Hotbox Your Room

Creating a pleasant, relaxing atmosphere is one of the essential parts of hotboxing your room. 

So make sure you prepare everything beforehand and have it on hand to ensure everyone is feeling good. 

If the room is not appropriately sealed, put some towels under the door to keep the precious smoke contained. (Especially if you don't want people outside to know what you're up to.) 

Choose your favorite cannabis strains, get everybody comfortable in the room, and start lighting those blunts up. 

Your goal is to saturate the air in the room to hotbox. Meaning, you need a bunch of herb. Ideally, more than one person should puff to create a nice layer of smoke. The best thing to do is light a bunch of joints or blunts up at the same time. 

Sure, your room will smell of weed afterward. But, since you're here finding out how to do it, that's something you can worry about later. 

Pro tip: You can do a lot to boost your hotbox vibe by playing tunes that go along your trippy hotboxing journey.

Benefits of Hotboxing

For anyone looking to experience an intense, prolonged high, hotboxing is a compelling way to go about it. Although you won't actually get higher, the combination of lack of oxygen and lots of smoke will result in a more potent high.

Hotboxing will undoubtedly increase your smoking experience.

Stoners worldwide love hotboxing. 

The most significant benefit is undoubtedly the activity. If you gather a fun and open-minded group of friends, you might have some of the best dialogues and laughs of your lifetime.

All in all, hotboxing is a fantastic communal cannabis activity, and you should try it at least once. 

Risk of Hotboxing

Hotboxing is fantastic, but it's not a practice to be taken lightly. First and foremost, inhaling too much smoke and carbon dioxide can be dangerous. 

Pro tip: If you're hotboxing a room, light a candle. Since a candle needs oxygen to stay lit, you'll know that it's time to crack open a window if it goes out. 

Another critical thing to be careful of, especially if you're hotboxing a car, is the police. After all, a car is the number one place people get caught with cannabis. 

Conclusion

So, as research has shown, hotboxing won't actually make you higher. However, if you do it properly, you might experience an intense, prolonged high, which might feel a bit trippy. 

Wherever you decide to do it, make sure you come prepared. What you will need is lots of cannabis, snacks and water, and a good mood. 

And remember, mind the oxygen level. If anyone starts to feel nauseous, crack open a window and let some fresh air in. Happy hotboxing!