Ah yes, the age ol' marijuana smoke sesh. What a delight and how fun!
Friends and family gathering together to let a load off by releasing the daily stresses through the combustion of fine marijuana buds. Such bliss.
But, like in other aspects of life, marijuana comes with some said and unsaid rules.
Human culture is surrounded by unsaid guidelines; use the right lane when driving, other than to pass, and cover your mouth when you sneeze. Just to name a couple.
Cannabis culture is absolutely no different.
Much like with ways to set a dinner table, weed has its own set of etiquette to abide by.
Let’s remind ourselves to be polite stoners through weed etiquette.
Our focus is mainly on seshs (sessions) and dispensary trips.
To help get your next toke session off without a hitch, here’s the ultimate guide to weed etiquette.
Get it right and your night is certain to be a relaxing journey through a hazy mist, get it wrong and you might find yourself out in the cold.
Here are our unwritten rules of weed etiquette.
Simple concept really. This is a huge part of acting as a good host; making those around you feel comfortable.
The best kinds of smoke seshs begin an experience which allows people to just be together.
Easy. Just holler, “Yo, it's time to smoke!” Simple as that. Just make sure to tell those who are sensitive to smoking whether a strain you are smoking is particularly strong.
If you are lucky enough to have some stash on you, share! You don’t have to provide all your bud by any means. Maybe just a joint or something similar.
Marijuana is amazing at helping with many different ailments. Fighting sickness from viruses is not one of them.
Especially in the pandemic era we find ourselves in, keep a distance away from others and don't spread it!
Smoke the joint, don’t suck on it! If you have a case of juicy lips, wipe them. Sometimes pinching the joint with your fingers and inhaling through the fingers is the best way to keep a joint dry and shareable!
The nice thing about a bong is that you can get multiple green hits from one bowl.
So, if you’re passing glass and are first in line, control your flame and only light a small corner of the precious pot. Don’t “roast” it! That way, the next few tokers can experience the same joy of “greens.”
Don’t ask me, just the way it is. Pass that dutchie to the left-hand side.
During the sesh, are you constantly yelled at for chilling with the bowl? You’re camping! Also known as bogarting.
Take a good, deep hit and let her go.
Puff, puff, pass.
Tell your story after you’ve passed it.
I feel like those who share bongs don’t share this enough. These devices are typically a little on the pricey side. Treat this thing like a baby because chances are, it probably is your friend's loved one.
The most important aspect of weed etiquette is respecting choices.
Cannabis culture is a compassionate and considerate culture.
It’s also about acceptance/compassion.
That being the case, leave the peer pressure out of it.
Everybody is different.
Now that we’ve reviewed some proper weed etiquette during sessions, let’s have a reminder course on some DOs and DON’Ts while at your nearest dispensary.
Like alcohol, marijuana is 21 and up. IDs will be checked, but a state-issued, non-expired license will get you right through those doors.
As for bringing cash, marijuana is not federally legal and therefore doesn’t play nice in the card department, yet (some places they’re accepting debit, though).
It’s good to look up prices online and get an estimate of the cost beforehand.
Don’t be the person expecting the budtender to cover you with their tips, get cash.
Though there are a lot of rules to legal marijuana, most budtenders will absolutely love to set you on your marijuana journey correctly. If you have questions, have them prepared or perhaps written down. They’ll answer every single one you have!
You may feel insecure because you’re new to dispensaries, but you don’t want to overcompensate. Once again, everyone’s been a greenhorn before, so it’s ok if you’re a little lost.
While you may feel embarrassed to ask “stupid” questions, it’s still a whole lot better than being flippant with a budtender. Walking in and demanding the strongest strain they have can sour the whole experience for everyone in the establishment.
Sure, you may have a good grasp of marijuana, but it’s always useful to chat with the budtender and get their opinion on things.
Budtenders are there to help, not challenge you. If you try to go past your limits against the advice of budtenders, you’ll just end up feeling foolish — and queasy!
Dispensaries have fairly strict “No Camera” policies. Plus, you can probably go 10-15 minutes without it.
Like you would a bartender, you should tip your budtender. You can show big appreciation for your budtender with such gestures.
I know, you NEED to smoke that weed you just bought immediately but laws on public consumption of cannabis still vary. Wait until you're home.
Happy smoking, you polite stoner, you!
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