First time smoking weed? Start here
Any varsity stoner will tell you that now is a great time to get into cannabis. With recreational legalization sweeping the States, an introduction to cannabis no longer necessitates a clandestine search for a reliable dealer. Instead, novice users are faced with an abundance of cultivars bred for astronomical highs, sometimes intrusively knowledgeable budtenders, and shops full of customers decidedly confident in their selections. If you're a potential toker still working up the nerve to cross the threshold of your local dispensary, it can all be a tad overwhelming.
To all the canna-curious folks out there, this step-by-step explainer will help you feel like a ganga guru before you even step foot in a dispensary (or place an order online).
Choosing a strain for the first time
Spoiler alert: sativa, indica, and hybrid designations only marginally describe how a strain might affect you. For those not familiar with the folklore, sativa supposedly implies a stimulating strain, while indica indicates a more sedative strain. It is between these two poles that all hybrid strains fall, and those innumerable hybrids are bred for all manner of effects from deeply therapeutic to straight-up celebratory. In reality, unless you plucked it from a wild field in Nepal or Afghanistan, most all weed is a hybrid. And indica and sativa are designations more useful and meaningful to growers than consumers.
Choosing a flower product for the first time
Long gone are the days when a plastic bag of loose herb was your only option. From single pre-rolled joints to decadently branded jars of premium flower, you have many product types and price points from which to choose. When smoking weed for the first time, don't worry so much about the quality of the flower you choose. That may sound controversial, but as long as you're purchasing cannabis from a licensed brand and retailer, you can rest assured it's a quality product that has been tested for microbes, pesticides, and other harmful compounds.
Focus instead on how you would like to consume the strain of your choosing. Are you looking to roll a joint yourself or buy a pre-roll? Do you have a pipe you've been dying to use or are you looking to try ripping a bong for the first time? Whatever you choose, to light up, you'll need at least 1 gram of flower, a basic grinder, and a lighter or matchbook, in addition to a pack of rolling papers or bong or pipe.
Enjoying your first time
You've got your weed and you know how you're going to smoke it. The last thing to do is make sure you're equipped to deal with your high. A selection of snacks that range from petite nibbles to full meals, multiple hydration options like juice and tea in addition to H20, and a comfortable place to zone out and/or get weird are all necessary to a successful trip. Having some low-stakes activities at the ready before you get high like adult coloring books or video games are crucial as well.
