Does Hookah Get You High? What's a Hookah Buzz?
Does Hookah Get You High?
No. There is no intoxicating effect from smoking hookah. Almost all modern shisha consist of natural and artificial flavoring blended with natural tobacco leaves.
Do you get a buzz from hookah?
The short answer is yes. The majority of shisha flavors will give you some kind of buzz, but the strength of that buzz will be something that is determined by the specific brand or type of tobacco that you smoke.
Many hookah smokers consider how much of a “buzz” they get from hookah to be one of the primary selling points for different brands of tobacco. Whether it be a low buzz, a high buzz, or no buzz at all, the level of buzz you want to experience is something to think about when searching for your next shisha tobacco flavor.
So what is a “buzz” and what causes it?
It is actually somewhat difficult to describe what a buzz feels like, as everybody experiences it differently. Some have described the feeling of a buzz as slight lightheadedness, dizziness, a feeling of relaxation, or somewhat of a “tingling” sensation throughout your body. These feelings can be very slight, or a bit more intense, depending on your personal body chemistry and reaction.
As far as what causes that buzz, we can definitely point to one key factor: nicotine! Nicotine is a naturally occurring chemical that appears in tobacco leaves and is the most common reason why you experience a buzz during your hookah session as it can cause all of the previously mentioned feelings.
But what do different brands have to do with it?
Great question dear reader!
While nicotine will be naturally present in the tobacco used in most shisha, different brands use different blends of tobacco leaves which can cause some variance in the nicotine levels of your shisha.
Some brands, such as Starbuzz, Social Smoke, and Al Fakher, use a very light, “blonde” color leaf that is naturally very low in nicotine, so the buzz that you experience will be relatively low as compared to some other stronger, more robust shisha brands.
On the other side of the spectrum, some brands use a more burley, “dark” leaf for their tobacco. You will find this type of leaf in brands such as Tangiers Tobacco, Trifecta Dark Tobacco, and Azure Black Shisha Tobacco. These brands will have an obvious, much darker color to the shisha and will contain a higher nicotine level than the aforementioned “blonde” leaf tobacco, giving you a much stronger, more intense buzz.
A good, general rule to follow is that More Nicotine = More Buzz, so depending on your own personal nicotine tolerance, your experience in hookah, and your personal preference, you will want to pick out a shisha brand that meets your desired needs.
What if I don’t want any buzz at all?
If you are not looking for that nicotine buzz at all, don’t worry, you still have several options at your disposal!
While tobacco is the most common form of shisha that is smoked out of a hookah, there have been a number of brands that recognized the need to have tobacco free and nicotine free options for all the hookah heads that DON’T want to consume tobacco or nicotine. Companies such as Hydro Herbal, Fantasia Herbal, and Urth Tree have all stepped up to fill this tobacco free niche.
These tobacco free brands are often referred to as “herbal shisha” options as they primarily use an “herbal” alternative to tobacco leaves such as sugar cane or fruit pulp. Made in a similar fashion to tobacco shisha, the herbal base is combined with honey, molasses, glycerin, and flavoring that provides a similar experience as standard shisha tobacco.
The main difference is that, because tobacco leaves (with the naturally occurring nicotine) are left out of herbal shisha, you will not be getting any nicotine in your system, so you will not experience any kind of nicotine buzz.
This ultimately means that the primary focus and purpose of herbal shisha options are going to be FLAVOR! These herbal brands still have plenty of flavor to them and give off smoke and clouds in the same way that your standard shisha will, just with no nicotine or buzz!
Does Hookah Show Up On A Drug Test?
As long as you are using your hookah for its intended purpose, i.e. smoking legitimate brands of shisha tobacco, and they aren't testing for nicotine, then no, hookah won't show up on a drug test! The main ingredient in shisha tobacco is, you guessed it, tobacco, so unless the test is specifically for tobacco/nicotine then hookah will not cause any problems on a drug test. Of course, if you are using your hookah to smoke substances other than shisha (which we DO NOT recommend doing), then results may vary, however as long as you stick to shisha then you'll be just fine!
Any questions?
We recognize that there are a ton of different shisha brands on the market, and many of them will have varying amounts of nicotine in them, so it may seem somewhat daunting finding your ideal shisha that gives you the buzz you’re looking for.
As always, we are here to help!
If you have any questions about nicotine levels or the buzz you’ll experience from all the different brands, reach out to us! We are available every day of the week via phone, Livechat, or email and we are more than happy to answer any questions you may have!