Weed for Beginners: How to Smoke Weed

Have you recently received your medical marijuana card? If you’ve never smoked cannabis, you may be curious about smoking weed for the first time. While cannabis dispensaries offer everything from edibles and tinctures to capsules, smoking is still one of the most preferred consumption methods. To guide you through your first time smoking weed, we’ve pulled together a few important tips to know below.

How to Smoke Weed for Beginners

1. Choose your strain and smoking method

Work with budtenders at the dispensary to find a weed strain that will be good for you as a beginner. Also, consider your preferred smoking method. If you are comfortable rolling your own, make sure to pick up a cannabis grinder and rolling papers. If you prefer something simpler, consider purchasing a pre-roll, which is a cannabis joint that is ready to smoke.

2. Prepare the flower if needed

If you go with flower instead of a pre-roll, you will need to grind or chop the flower into smaller, consistently-sized pieces. This is done to make sure the flower burns consistently when you smoke it. A grinder makes this task easier—you simply place the flower in the grinder and twist it to cut the pieces. If you don’t have a grinder, you can break the flower apart with your fingers or a sharp pair of scissors. Then, you are ready to roll the flower into a joint.

3. Light the cannabis joint with a lighter

Light the end of the cannabis joint with a match or lighter while inhaling. Once the joint is burning, simply take a puff to pull a bit of the smoke into your mouth, inhale the smoke, and exhale. You do not need to hold the smoke in your lungs for it to work. You may cough a little if you’re not used to smoking, but simply focus on taking small inhales and take your time.

4. Take a few puffs and wait

Each individual can have a unique experience with cannabis. As a first-time smoker, it is a good idea to take it slow. So, take a few puffs and wait. One reason people enjoy smoking weed is the rapid onset of effects—you won’t have to wait long. Most people feel the cannabinoids working within just a few minutes. This can make smoking weed for the first time less intimidating than your first time eating edibles because you will know right away how you feel. The effects you feel can last anywhere from one to three hours.

Smoking Weed for Beginners FAQs

How much weed will I need?

You won’t need a lot of cannabis for your first smoking session. If you decide to roll a cannabis joint, the average amount used is about half a gram. Dispensaries sell cannabis in different increments, but the most common measurements are grams, eighths (an eighth of an ounce or 3.5 grams), quarter ounces, half ounces, or ounces. You will likely only need about a gram for your first time.

What is the best weed for beginners?

The best choice is usually a strain that’s not excessively high in THC. High THC strains are more intoxicating and may be a little overwhelming your first time smoking weed. Also, it can be helpful to find a strain that has a fair amount of CBD (cannabidiol), which can balance the psychoactive effects and deter side effects like the paranoia that can sometimes occur with too much THC intake. Leafly offers a few good options to consider, such as Sour Tsunami, Blue Dream, and Jack Herer.

As a first time weed smoker how long will it be in my system?

Cannabinoids are metabolized by the body relatively slowly and may be detectable for anywhere from 1 to 30 days. However, how long the metabolites of cannabis are detectable in your system can vary depending on how frequently you use cannabinoids, how much you consume at one time, and even your personal metabolism, diet, and more. Detectability also depends on the type of test. For example, if you only smoke cannabis once, the metabolites may only be detectable in urine for as little as three days.

Compassionate Care Consultants Is Here to Help

As beneficial as cannabis can be for a variety of ailments, we understand that weed for beginners can be a little overwhelming. Compassionate Care Consultants is here to offer sound advice along the way, from helping you obtain your medical marijuana card to offering reliable guides and education. Be sure to take a look at our blog to find even more helpful information about cannabis as you get started as a cannabis patient.