What to Know Before Smoking Weed for the First Time

Before your first time smoking weed, stick to four rules: be 21 or older and legal where you are, take one or two small puffs, wait 10 to 15 minutes before any more, and keep a sober friend nearby. Most rough first experiences come from too much THC, too fast, in a place that feels unfamiliar. Smoking hits within minutes, so you can feel the effect and stop before you overdo it.

first time smoking cannabis effects

Before you start

• Check your age and local law. In the US, legal recreational sales require 21 and older.
• Pick a safe spot: your home or a friend's place, with a seat, water, and snacks.
• Clear your schedule for 3 to 4 hours. Do not plan to drive.
• Skip alcohol, and tell your friend about any medication or heart condition.
• Ask the budtender for a low-THC flower or a balanced THC/CBD strain.

How to smoke your first time, step by step

1. Read the label and note the THC percentage and strain name.
2. Eat a light snack so you are not running on an empty stomach.
3. Grind a small pinch of flower, about enough for two puffs.
4. Pack a small bowl or roll a thin joint. Keep the amount small on purpose.
5. Light the edge and draw smoke into your mouth first, not straight into your lungs.
6. Take a shallow breath of air to push the smoke down, then exhale after one or two seconds.
7. Set the joint or pipe down and start a timer for 15 minutes.
8. Drink water and check in with how you feel before you take another puff.
9. Stop at two puffs if you are new. You can always take more on another day.
10. Stay seated for the first 30 minutes and let the peak pass.

Common mistakes

• Holding smoke in for a long time. It does not boost the high; it irritates your lungs.
• Chasing a high you cannot feel yet. Smoked effects peak in about 10 to 30 minutes.
• Mixing in edibles the same night. Edibles can take 30 to 120 minutes to kick in.
• Smoking on an empty stomach or after drinking alcohol.
• Driving, or going somewhere crowded and loud.

If you feel too high

1. Sit down and put both feet on the floor.
2. Slow your breathing: in for four counts, out for six.
3. Sip water and eat something mild.
4. Remind yourself the feeling is temporary and fades within a few hours.
5. Tell your friend what is happening and stay with them.
6. Skip more cannabis, alcohol, and caffeine until you feel normal.

Who should skip smoking weed

Talk to a doctor first, or skip it, if you are under 21, pregnant or breastfeeding, have a heart or lung condition, take medication that interacts with cannabis, or have a personal or family history of psychosis. Cannabis can raise heart rate and can trigger anxiety or paranoia in people who are prone to it.

how long does a first time high last