Smoking Weed for the First Time

So, you have made the decision to try cannabis for the first time. You have seen it in movies, possibly seen your friends enjoy it, and have noticed that familiar smell at concerts and parties but have never, “partaken.” However, today is the day. You’re going to get stoned.

The legality of cannabis varies widely in the US from completely prohibited to entirely legal for adults over 21. Whether you got your doctors blessing, walked into a store and purchased for recreational use, or asked an enlightened friend for a hookup, you’ve secured your cannabis. Now what?

There are a ton of words people reference for cannabis use. Getting high, baked, stoned, blitzed, even couch-locked are all terms for smoking up or otherwise imbibing cannabis. They all mean genuinely experiencing the effects of cannabis to a certain degree. So let's clear up what it means to get stoned.

How Does Weed Smoke Get You High?

The clinical explanation for the effect of cannabis is, “relaxation and mild euphoria (the "high" or "stoned" feeling), while some immediate undesired side-effects include a decrease in short-term memory, dry mouth, impaired motor skills and reddening of the eyes. Aside from a subjective change in perception and, most notably, mood, the most common short-term physical and neurological effects include increased heart rate, increased appetite, consumption of food, lowered blood pressure, impairment of short-term and working memory, psychomotor coordination, and concentration.”

Ask an Experienced Smoker

However, to fully understand what getting high is like, it is best to hear testimony from experienced users. Your best bet is going to be friends or family as well as budtenders or others who work in dispensaries or the legal cannabis industry. Open discussion with experienced users will give you a decent idea of what getting high is like and if it might be for you.

Choose the Right Set and Setting

So what is the best way for you to experience cannabis for the first time? Well, that depends a lot on your personality. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Risk taker or a little more cautious? When you’re not sure what your reaction is going to be to something it’s probably best to be in a comfortable space where you feel safe.

What to Smoke Weed With for the First Time

There are many ways to smoke, or rather use the inhalation method to use cannabis. For new beginners, we recommend a hand-pipe. The pipe is an ancient piece of smoking technology, dating back thousands of years. A pipe is any a smoking device with a bowl to put stuff in and a reservoir leading from the bowl to the user’s mouth. Some pipes are more advanced and have a hole in the side that allows for air intake, this hole on the side is called a carb. Covering the carb enables a hit build up in the hollow of the pipe. Releasing the carb clears all the smoke in the chamber as opposed to a long steady drag.

Hitting a pipe, or spoon is pretty simple. First, take your broken up herb and put it in the bowl. You can grind the bud in a grinder or break it up by hand. You will want to pack a loose wad of herbs in the bottom and then pile more Ganja on top more loosely until the bowl fills completely. Place your finger on the carb and hold the lighter to one side of the bowl, don't hold the flame directly over the bowl. A direct flame can combust too much at once and create a harsh hit or waste your herb. Inhale until you taste smoke in your mouth, this means the pipe has a full hit. Release the carb and continue to inhale. Hold it in for no more than a couple of seconds and then exhale and smile.

First Time Smoking Weed? How to Tell if Your High?

How can you tell if you are high or not? Ask yourself some important questions. Do you feel more awesome? Does music sound deeper and more interesting? Is TV funnier or otherwise hold your attention a little more? Is everything enhanced? Do you want some Nachos? Then good job because you are stoned, my friend. Chill out, don't operate heavy machinery and enjoy the cool vibes.

So you are high, now what? Don't panic. It may feel overwhelming at first but it will even out. Having some input is key, turn on some tunes. Be creative. We will get into what to do in another article. For now, just focus on relaxing and taking advantage of this new feeling. Congrats, you have done it!