A Comprehensive Guide to Surviving Cottonmouth

There are a million and one reasons your mouth might be a little parched. Perhaps the air conditioner’s blowing on your face a little too hard at night, maybe it’s a side effect of your meds, or perhaps your deviated septum turned you into a mouth-breather. (Or, more likely, you sparked up a doob before work and now your lips are sticking to your gums during your all-hands meeting and you’re desperately chugging water, hoping it will quench your dry mouth at some point.) But, we all know that sometimes, water just won’t cut it.

Here’s today’s fun science fact: Cottonmouth from smoking weed is due to endocannabinoids blocking hormone receptors in your major salivary glands, leading to the familiar decreased saliva production when you’re stoned. Luckily, there are a ton of products on the market that were specifically designed to help with this terrible—er, mildly inconvenient—affliction, including mouth sprays, candies, lozenges, and more. Whatever the cause of your dry mouth may be, here are some innovative cottonmouth cures to throw in the rotation that stoners and other folks affected by dry mouth swear by for a better sesh.

I can personally attest to the powers of Biotène mouth spray. It’s been my tried-and-true dry-mouth cure since 2018. It’s like a sweet and minty lube for my mouth that gives it a not-unpleasant slippery sensation that lasts. It’s also alcohol- and sugar-free, making it clear why it’s the number-one dentist-recommended dry mouth solution brand. As JVN says, just spray, delay, and walk away.

If you’re not into mint, vVardis has a breath spray that comes in fruity and floral flavors that people swear makes their breath fresher and cures their dry mouth. One of its main active ingredients is Castor oil, which is commonly used as a natural moisturizer that also has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal powers, keeping it easy on those chompers. “It is very efficient & long lasting. I also like that it moisturizes my mouth so it is not dry,” writes one reviewer. 

This CariFree grape-flavored mouth spray was designed to combat oral health issues from poor dental hygiene, but users have also found it comes in handy combatting side effects of, uh, certain herbal medications. Created by a dentist, this spray works to moisturize the mouth and keep those pearly whites, well, pearly and white by balancing the acid levels in your mouth that vary based on what we eat. “It’s grape n works excellently!” one reviewer writes. “Works almost the entire night. I smoke and I’m diabetic. So diabetic medication, diabetes, and smoking herbs... I’m so happy and it opens up my sinus, so I breathe better while I sleep!”

Don’t let the playful packaging of these little suckers detract from the serious drool-inducing powers they hold. Originally designed for sufferers of chronic dry mouth from radiation treatments, these candies are a bona fide cure for your arid tongue. One reviewer writes, “This is an excellent product. I had 35 radiation treatments after I had surgery for throat cancer. The doctor also took out my tonsils and one salivary gland as a precaution. This product has helped me a great deal.” Not to mention they are fat-free, sugar-free, gluten-free, naturally sweetened, AND certified kosher.

Who knew that there were so many negative effects from chronic dry mouth? “I am a dental hygienist who suffers from dry mouth,” one reviewer writes. “I love the taste and it really works well! I always recommend these to my patients.” These lozenges contain xylitol, a form of artificial sweetener that also kills the bad kinds of mouth bacteria (that create cavities). The more you know.

For another mint alternative, these all-natural lozenges are sugar- and gluten-free as well as dentist- and stoner-approved. “As soon as you pop one in your mouth it's as if you just saw one of your favorite foods, your mouth begins to water,” one reviewer writes.

Letting some honey dissolve on your tongue is an easy and delicious way to help get the anti-cottonmouth juices flowing. While there are plenty of delicious ways to consume honey, these 100% pure, unfiltered honey straws from Homestead honey farm in Utah make both a great dry mouth cure and snack for when the munchies hit, and can also help soothe your sore throat after all that coughing. The brand makes sure its honey comes from happy and healthy bees, and contributes to the Pollinator Partnership annually to help #savethebees.  

This gum uses the power of electrolytes to lock moisture into your mouth, making it the cream of the crop when it comes to eliminating cottonmouth. “My mouth can get so dry with the breathing you do when working out,” one avid runner writes. ”This has changed that.” It stimulates saliva production and is intended to replace electrolytes lost while playing sports through sweat, and it comes in four mouthwatering flavors: lemon, fruit punch, orange, and grape. Just imagine the flavors bursting on your tongue post-sesh.

We’ve been saying it for years—drool is cool.

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.