Smoking Marijuana - Beginner’s Guide to Everything You Need

Today we are talking about smoking cannabis flower. After you picked your strain, whether on your own or with the help of a budtender or a friend, you will need to figure out how to consume it and how much.

Cannabis and its different forms

First off, let’s look at the product and its forms. Most commonly the cannabis plant is sold in buds or nugs. This where the highest concentration of cannabinoids - THC, CBD, etc. - is found. It can also come in shake - ground cannabis (also called grinds) that may not look as great as buds but is basically of the same quality. This is most commonly used for making your own edibles and to roll into prerolls / joints. At Silver Stem we also offer popcorn which is just small nugs of the same high quality flower we sell. 

Read More: 12 Most Common Questions About Cannabis Consumption
 

How to Smoke Marijuana?

As you can imagine, there are so many different ways but before you do it, you need to make your product ready. Shake and prerolls are ready to use. With shake you will need an apparatus and with prerolls which are basically a ready to use marijuana cigarette but with no tobacco, all you will need is a lighter. If your flower came in buds you will need a crusher or grinder to make it smokeable.

Once your product is ready, you will need to light it up. Here your two main options are:

Pipe. Usually made of silicone or glass. Cheap, easy to use, easy to clean. 

Bong. These come made of various materials like silicone and glass. They are more expensive, harder to clean and are for home use only, but they provide a much smoother smoke due to water and/or ice added there for cooling.

How much weed do I need to smoke?

This depends on numerous factors - from the strain’s potency to your metabolism. It also depends on the device you use to smoke. The most important thing to remember is that you do not want to overdo it. Especially on your first try. Pack a bowl with about a pinch of your product, light up, inhale, and give it 15 to 30 minutes to see how it feels. Again, the time might differ depending on the factors mentioned above. And remember - you do not need to hold the smoke in for a long time as you see it done in the movies or you remember your friends telling you. This is one of the most common mistakes - the THC is absorbed through your lungs in a matter of milliseconds. 

It is always best for your first time experience to be with friends, especially those who know their way around cannabis. And of course, our staff is always there to help you - you can use our webchat on the site or ask one of our knowledgeable and experienced budtenders for advice and we will be happy to help!