Wiz Khalifa says smoking weed gives him more 'breath control' during workouts than people who don't smoke

• Rapper Wiz Khalifa opened up about his new diet and exercise routine in GQ.
• "I honestly think smoking weed helps my wind a little better," the rapper said about his breath control.

Rapper Wiz Khalifa recently opened up to GQ about his strenuous workout routine and said he believes smoking marijuana benefits him while exercising.

"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 when reporter Christopher Cason asked if he ever gets winded.

In addition to rapping, Khalifa (born Cameron Jibril Thomaz) founded his own brand of marijuana, Khalifa Kush, based on a strain he developed in the 2010s and kept in his personal stash, according to the brand's website.

"It's not couch weed and it won't lock you down and make you not be able to move," Khalifa explained in GQ. "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. "

Smoking marijuana has always been a part of his public persona, and with recreational marijuana now legal in many states, Khalifa thinks people are celebrating his weed.

"Everywhere I go, everyone is so happy for me to light up and make their situation smell like more weed. I love that because before, it used to be a problem. Now, everyone loves it and I'm with it," he said.

As previously reported by Insider, there are many potential health benefits to smoking the drug that go beyond pain relief.

It may help relieve anxiety, according to Harvard Medical School. Marijuana could also potentially be responsible for preventing certain types of cancer from spreading, per a study at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. It's also used to treat some inflammatory bowel diseases, muscle spasms, and seizures.

However, a small study last year suggested that marijuana smokers may be at an increased risk of lung issues compared with cigarette smokers, Insider previously reported