Here’s How to Make the Best of Your First Time Smoking Weed

2 joints, marijuana flower, a grinder, and a marijuana leaf ready for when you smoke for the first time

So, it’s your first time smoking weed but don't know where to start?

No worries, with a little research and some good advice even beginners to weed can come across as seasoned stoners. You don't have to make the same mistakes like countless stoners before you. Instead, learn from the coughing fits and failed first times of other cannabis enthusiasts. After all, they coughed dirty bong water onto their friends so you don't have to!

Make your first time smoking weed products as easy as it is fun by learning all the tips and tricks for when you smoke weed for the first time. Every step from planning to purchasing to puffing is detailed here, so read up and enjoy your first time smoking weed!

How to Prepare for Your First Time Smoking Weed

hands lighting a joint showing the easiest way to smoke when its your first time smoking weed

Your first time smoking weed should be a fun and easy experience, which is why preparation is important! Taking that extra time to research and gather your supplies makes the difference between a good first experience with weed and a great one. The first step of preparing for when you smoke weed for the first time is simple: find someone you trust and see if they are willing to keep you company and initiate you into the world of cannabis. Smoking weed with a stoner friend is usually the best way to try the drug safely. An experienced cannabis consumer will know what to do, when, where, and (most importantly) how. If you don't have a stoner friend, see if one of your buddies has at least tried weed before. At the very least, don't try weed alone for the first time and instead invite over another beginner who is willing to share their first experience with you. Since cannabis can cause paranoia, anxiety, or occasionally allergic reactions, beginners should only smoke with people they trust.

Just as important as who you smoke with is what you smoke and where from. Choosing the right weed is essential for when you smoke weed for the first time. Make sure your cannabis is from a trusted source and is not cut with other drugs. Beginners should try to get their hands on a joint since it is the easiest way to smoke cannabis. Pipes, bongs, and bubblers are more complex to operate but not too difficult for a beginner to figure out. Either way, make sure to research the various smoking apparatuses and how they work before you try smoking weed for the first time.

How to Smoke Weed for the First Time

hands lighting a bong with cannabis to show what to do when you smoke weed for the first time

How you smoke weed for the first time depends on what you plan to smoke your weed from. Pipes are a popular choice for first-time cannabis consumers but joints are easier to use and usually result in a stronger high than a pipe would. Whatever smoking apparatus you have, make sure to do your research and study the proper way to operate the device. No matter what you’re smoking from, there are some general tips that can save you from some of the most common mistakes novice smokers make. First and foremost, do not inhale too much smoke your first time. Even if you think you're taking it slow, you should go even slower because your first weed cough will be unpleasant at best. If you're smoking from a device with a bowl (like a bong, bubbler, or pipe) then aim to “cornerthe bowl which simply means you light as little of the weed as you can. Instead of holding your lighter over the entire bowl, try tilting it over the side. This not only saves weed but also ensures your hits are neither too harsh or too potent.

Packing and lighting your bowl is only half the challenge of smoking weed for the first time. Getting the smoke into your lungs, in fact, is the other. You've probably heard the famous quote from Bill Clinton about his use of cannabis in which he said he smoked but didn't inhale. This may sound weird to anyone who hasn't spent time smoking, but the difference between inhaling and just holding the smoke in your throat and mouth is huge. If you smoke weed and don't inhale, you probably won't get high! Why, you may ask? Because the THC in weed (the stuff that gets you high) doesn't absorb through your mouth or throat. You'll still taste the weed and feel the smoke but you won't feel high. When you take your first hit of weed, make sure to leave room for an extra inhalation after smoking. In other words, before you exhale the smoke, take another deep breath to hold all weed smoke into your lungs. Unless you're a politician, this is the best way to get the most out of your weed.

What to Expect from Your First Weed High

two people eating a lot of snacks after their first time smoking weed

If you have to ask, "Am I feeling it yet?" then you most definitely are not. Your first weed high will hit you within a few minutes of smoking, commonly presenting with inexplicable giggles, a staggering desire for munchies, and probably hooded red eyes. Many cannabis smokers claim they felt nothing their first time, or even the times after that. While most of these instances are due to incorrect inhalation, bad weed, or just not knowing what being high feels like, there’s still a chance that you will not get high the first time. Since the side effects of smoking weed present almost immediately, you can easily smoke more if you think you're not feeling the effects. If after ten minutes you still do not feel high, you should try again and really focus on getting the smoke into your lungs. With the proper preparation and planning, your first weed high should be nothing but a pleasant experience. Bring a good weed strain, music, munchies, or even Mad Libs along to your first smoking session to get the most out of your first high. You only get to smoke weed for the first time once, after all – might as well make it special!

Warnings for First-Time Weed Smokers 

cannabis nugs on a rustic table

Some mistakes happen more often than others and first-time weed smokers tend to make the same exact mistakes every time. Be prepared for all the potential hazards like uncontrollable coughing, being caught and having to hide your weed high, or just getting way too high your first time smoking weed. If you’re smoking with an experienced stoner friend, ask them to demonstrate the best way to smoke weed so you can watch and learn. When you light the weed, start small and work your way up to avoid singing your lungs, coughing, or getting too high. Also, make sure to give yourself some time to let the weed kick in after smoking before you try more. If you do cough, try not to cough into the pipe/bong/smoking device since it wastes weed and could result in someone getting soaked with stinky bongwater. And as a final warning for first-time weed smokers, have fun with the experience but do remember that cannabis is a drug. A safe drug, yes – but a drug nonetheless! Just respect the cannabis, come prepared, and, most importantly, enjoy that moment when you smoke weed for the first time.