How to Smoke for Beginners

If you’re new to marijuana, smoking weed for the first time can seem a little bit intimidating due to your lack of experience. With cannabis becoming increasingly popular, you might be thinking about taking the plunge and trying it.

If you’re thinking about smoking cannabis for the first time but don’t feel like you know enough about it just yet, you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading for our tips on how to smoke for beginners.

Understand the Types of Cannabis
Before getting started, you’ll want to be familiar with the different types of cannabis that are available to you. The two main types of cannabis are Cannabis indica and Cannabis sativa. These two types of cannabis both have very different effects on the mind and body, which will affect the kind of high you feel after smoking them. We’ll explain more below.

Indica Strains
Indica marijuana produces a strain of marijuana that gives you a profound body high and is known for making you feel tired and sleepy. This strain is often used for sedating and treating anxiety, chronic pain, and insomnia.

Sativa Strains
Sativa marijuana plants produce a strain that sparks your creativity and gives you an uplifting mind high. This type of marijuana is even used to treat depression and can give you a higher level of energy and mental focus throughout the day.

Hybrid Strains
If you’re looking for a nice balance between these two strains, there are hybrid strains you can consider that combine the benefits of both plants. Hybrid strains are affected by the genetics of the plant. Hybrid strains include:

Primarily Indica: Used to treat daytime pain, increase appetite, and relieve nausea.
Even: Provides a high that is both felt in your body and in your mind.
Primarily Sativa: Boosts your creativity and mental focus without making you sleepy; best for daytime use.

Choose Your Preferred Smoking Method
Once you know which strain of cannabis you want to smoke, it’s time to choose your preferred smoking method. There are lots of ways you can smoke weed and each has pros and cons. The method you choose is entirely up to you and what makes you feel most comfortable.

Joints
Joints are cannabis cigarettes that are rolled in rolling papers. They’re easy to smoke and can be smoked almost anywhere. One of the main concerns that people have about smoking joints is the tobacco leaf rolling papers that are used to roll the joints.These papers may lead to an addiction to nicotine, and can also dull the taste of the strain you’re smoking. If you don’t know how to roll a joint or are worried about consuming nicotine, joints may not be the best choice for you.

Pipes
Pipes are the most traditional way to smoke weed and are a popular choice for a lot of people. You can get pipes in different shapes, colors, and materials, depending on your taste. If you want to extract the best results from cannabis, a pipe is one of the most effective ways to do so. When you’re packing your pipe, make sure not to pack it too tight. This will make it too difficult to smoke your pipe and you’ll have to inhale sharply to smoke it. You also want to avoid packing the pipe too lightly because the weed will burn too quickly and you won’t get to enjoy its effects.

Vaporizers and Bongs
Vaporizers and bongs are both very popular methods for smoking weed. When you smoke from a bong, you’re inhaling smoke, which can irritate your lungs. Smoking from a bong can be intense with a very strong flavor, so make sure to take it slow at first. A vaporizer is a device that looks like a pen and turns raw cannabis into vapors that you can inhale. This results in a smoother, tastier weed vapor. With a vaporizer, you aren’t inhaling smoke as you would be from a bong, and some people find it to be a more pleasant experience.

A Step-By-Step Guide to Smoking Weed
Now that you’ve chosen your preferred smoking method, you’re all ready to smoke weed for the first time. We’ve put together a helpful guide for you below.

1. Choose your method and grind your weed
Once you choose your preferred smoking method, you’ll need to grind your weed with a grinder. Grind the cannabis you’re going to use into small and uniform pieces so it’ll burn more consistently. You can buy a handheld grinder at any dispensary, but don’t worry if you don’t have a grinder. A pair of scissors or even just your hands will work to break up the bud of weed.

2. Start small
When you’re grinding your weed, make sure to only set aside a small amount of weed to smoke at first. It’s better to start small in the beginning rather than doing too much and overdoing it. This way you’ll have the best experience possible for your first time smoking.

3. Light the cannabis
Whether you’ve rolled a joint or packed your weed into a pipe or a vape pen, it’s time to light the cannabis. Use a flame source (like a lighter or a match) to light the joint or the bowl of what you’re using to smoke your weed (e.g. pipe or bong), and slowly inhale from the pipe or bong’s mouthpiece. If you see the cannabis start burning, you’re ready for the next step.

4. Inhale and exhale
After your cannabis is lit, start off by slowly taking smaller puffs and inhaling the weed into your lungs. You want to start with small, light puffs because for many beginners the inhalation can leave a tickle in your throat or just feel strange at first. The flavors and sensations can be intense, so make sure to take it slow. Don’t try holding your breath when you inhale because it can irritate your lungs and make you cough.

5. Take it slow
If you’ve taken your first few puffs and don’t feel anything yet, don’t rush to smoke more. The general rule of thumb to make sure you don’t accidentally smoke too much is to wait 10 minutes. If, after 10 minutes, you feel like you could use a little more, try a few more puffs. Follow the rule of “puff, puff, wait” to keep from overdoing it.

6. Have a glass of water on hand
Dry mouth is a common side effect of smoking weed. Also known as cottonmouth, dry mouth gives you the sensation that your mouth is parched and can make it harder to talk and swallow. Having a glass of water on hand when you smoke will help you avoid dry mouth and keep you hydrated.

7. Have an activity planned
Having an activity planned for when you smoke weed for the first time can help ease any feelings of anxiety or boredom. Being prepared with an activity will help you enjoy your experience and feel prepared instead of stressed.  There are plenty of activities that are great to do after smoking weed. You could listen to music, take a walk outside, watch a movie or show, or chat with a friend.

Important Things You Should Know Before Smoking
Before you jump into smoking cannabis for the first time, there are a few important things you should know. Here are a few things to keep in mind before you try smoking weed.

How much weed should I buy?
When you’re smoking for the first time, you can start by just buying a gram of weed at the dispensary. This should be enough for one longer session, or two shorter sessions, which is plenty when you’re first exploring cannabis.

How much weed should I be smoking for the first time?
As a beginner, it’s best to follow the “puff, puff, wait” rule. Take a few small puffs and wait 10 minutes to see how you feel. Once you’ve waited 10 minutes, if you (your body and your mind!) feel like you want some more, take a few more small puffs and wait again. It’s better to take it slow than to smoke more than you should and feel anxious.

What effects will I feel from smoking weed?
A lot of people who smoke weed feel a pleasant sense of relaxation, euphoria, and calmness. Other effects include laughter and heightened sensory perception, like seeing brighter colors, having an altered perception of time, and having an increased appetite (also known as the munchies). Don’t forget, though, that it’s a little different for everyone

How long does it usually take to feel the weed?
The effects of smoking cannabis kick in pretty quickly, so you’ll know soon if you’re feeling enough of the effects or if you want to smoke more. Weed enters your bloodstream faster when it’s in your lungs and it will take anywhere from two to ten minutes to start feeling the effects.

How long do the effects of weed last?
The effects that people feel from weed last a different amount of time from person to person, but in most cases, the effects can last from 1-3 hours. But some people can even feel the effects for up to eight hours.

Enjoy Toking Up!
Hopefully, this guide has given you a good idea of how to smoke for beginners, along with the types of weed, effects, and some beginner recommendations. So now that you know the basics, you’re ready to start enjoying weed responsibly!