Cannabis for Beginners

It seems like yesterday. But it was the late spring of 1986.

“Can you get us some…some of the…you know, ‘the stuff?”

Let’s just call her Sue M because I didn’t ask her permission to tell this story; but to be honest, I’m not sure I could find her if I tried…it was almost 40 years ago. Sue and her friends wanted to know if my friends and I could help her find some pot, which was a pretty good term to describe the awful quality of most of the cannabis available at that time.

In New York City in the late 80s, pot wasn’t really hard to find; but having the nerve to go to the places where it was available, that was another story. Sue and her friends weren’t wired for a trip to 10th Street. One of the premier, illicit weed spots in the City at the time, the two blocks along 10th Street from 2nd Avenue to Avenue A, was kind of like an outdoor shopping mall, but for pot.

It wasn’t like it took any magical super powers to go to 10th Street. It helped not to look like an easy mark for potential muggers. But other than that, all you really needed was an eye (and a nose) for spotting the good stuff and $10 for a bag, a “dime bag,” in the parlance of those times. That said, if I had $10 for every person that went to 10th Street, and came back with nothing but a bag of oregano or without their sneakers (or both) I’d own that entire two-block stretch — which happens to be some of the swankiest real estate in the East Village today.

But back to Sue M… When we came back later to give Sue her “stuff,” she looked at the small zip-lock bag full of Mexican brick weed like we just had handed her some strange rock from outer space. “Um…can you guys like…make it for us,” she asked, “do you know how to make the joint?”

For the better part of four decades I have been helping friends who are either new to cannabis, occasional users or even some people who were looking to try it again after many years of refraining — or “Cann-abstinence,” as I call it — to find “the stuff,” “make the joints,” and otherwise curate and navigate them safely and enjoyably through their first experiences with cannabis.

So regardless of where you are in your cannabis journey, whether you’re brand new to this (the Canna-Curious), a light, occasional user (the Canna-Casual), or it’s been a long time since the last time you tried it (the Cann-abstainers), following is a guide to help ensure you have fun, play safely and enjoy an elevated cannabis experience.

THE BASICS

First, it’s important to acknowledge and remember where you are in your journey with cannabis. Any more than you would throw a young kid who never swam before into the deep end of the pool, if you want to help ensure you have a good time with cannabis — something you’d like to do again some time — you really need to respect your limits. The very worst thing you can do is OVER-DO it. Here’s five things to keep in mind:

1. Set the bar REALLY, REALLY low.

Cannabis today is much more potent than it was in 1986, 1996 or even 2006. Keep an eye on THC content — for now, the lower the better. Forget about strain names — Ice Cream Cake may sound delicious, but with THC levels as high as 25%, this definitely isn’t kid stuff. Unless, you’re looking to feel melted like a Carvel cake in the sun, a better choice might be Harlequin, which typically has THC levels under 10% and much higher levels of CBD, as high as 15%. We’ll talk a bit later about why this matters, but as a rule set your bar low when it comes to potency.

2. Be a tortoise.

Slow and steady wins this race.

Some like to combine this with rule no. 1 under the umbrella “Low and Slow,” which of course is a classic barbecue reference. In this context, I’m not sure that’s the best analogy unless your aim is to feel like a giant slab of brisket that’s been locked in a smoker for 10 hours. For now, the goal should be feeling good, not “stick a fork in me, I’m done.”

That’s why we unpack this into two rules: first, low potency; second, take it slow.

The basic etiquette of sharing a joint is to follow the “3 Ps”: “Puff, Puff, Pass.” For now, make it one puff and pass; and maybe let it pass you one more time — or two — before you take a second puff. No one in the smoking circle is going to make fun of you, and if anything they’ll REALLY appreciate your ability to handle yourself, versus overdoing it, having a mild freak-out and ruining everyone’s buzz — which, of course, would include your own buzz.

3. Don’t hike alone.

Like the Great Outdoors, this is a great rule to apply to your first experiences with cannabis. No more than you should hike an unknown trail on your own, you should have a buddy or two as you explore this new frontier; even better, someone who’s been down this road before and is familiar with the terrain.

4. Wet the whistle.

It’s a good idea to have something on hand to drink. Dry mouth is perhaps the most common negative effect people encounter when enjoying cannabis, and the easiest to overcome: it’s as simple as pouring yourself a glass of water before you indulge. And it’s MUCH easier to do it before you get high, the couch starts to “give you a hug” and you forget the recipe…“Do I put the ice in before or after I pour the water?”…;)

5. Have an end game.

At Upleaf’d we believe in something we call, “The Salt Principle.” Just as a little bit of salt enhances the flavor of almost anything it comes into contact with — making the savory MORE SAVORY, and the sweet a little SWEETER — we believe a little bit of cannabis makes everything in life better and A LOT more fun.

The point is to plan to pair your cannabis experience with another activity — have an end game beyond just getting high, and you will definitely elevate your cannabis experience.

It doesn’t need to be anything high impact, and you don’t even need to get off the couch if you don’t want to. Watch a movie — maybe something funny or intense, psychedelic and/or mind-expansive, whatever you think is going to appeal to you in that moment (don’t pick Citizen Kane if you don’t like old movies just because someone once said you should; you probably won’t like it any better when you’re high.) Play a board game or a video game, if that’s more your thing. Pick up your guitar. Grab your brushes and water colors. Make brunch.

But HAVE A PLAN in advance — don’t wait until you’re high to pick a movie; unless the activity your planning is channel surfing.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT?

Depending on how you consume cannabis — for instance, smoking a joint or eating an infused gummy — and a number of other variables including your body chemistry, personal tolerance level, and even when you ate your last meal, you can expect the effects to begin to kick in within a few minutes of smoking or vaping, or up to one to three hours of ingesting an edible; and last about two to three hours for the former, and six to 10 hours for the latter.

How you can expect to feel is based largely on the type of strain you consumed. Aside from odd names like “Mendo Breath” and “Red Headed Stranger,” which mean nothing to the uninitiated and not much more to the most highly seasoned cannabis user, in general, cannabis comes in three basic types: Indica, Sativa and Hybrids. While there are significant differences from strain to strain, in general Sativa-based strains tend to have more “active” effects, sparking creativity, enhancing focus, boosting energy and improving mood. Indica-based strains tend to relax the body and mind, promoting relief of stress and anxiety, stimulating appetite and reducing pain. To keep it simple, think of Sativas as “Good Vibes” cannabis, and Indica as “Chill Out” cannabis. And as you may have guessed, Hybrids have been genetically bred to offer a little bit of both.

If you play by the rules, you’re probably going to have a pretty good time; for some, their first experience with cannabis can be life-changing in the most positive sense.

To keep the science simple, the human body is equipped with something called the Endocannabinoid System, which is responsible for helping to manage a number of basic life functions, from appetite and digestion, to mood, energy and metabolism, memory, sleep, reproduction and fertility, cardiovascular function, immune response, and more. The Endocannabinoid System is largely responsible for maintaining homeostasis in the body, which basically means ensuring that all of the systems in the body remain in balance; if some external factor should impact an internal function, the endocannabinoid system exists to help counter that. For example, if you’re suffering from insomnia, THC binds to the cannabinoid receptor in the brain (there are A LOT of them by the way) responsible for sleep, which is why that Indica-based strain made you sleepy.

For someone who has battled insomnia, or has had difficulty managing stress and anxiety — more than one-third of adults in the U.S. these days — the introduction to cannabis literally can be life-changing. But even for people who just want to trade off that glass of chardonnay — and the calories and the toxic effects that comes with it — for a better way to relax after a long day, the switch to cannabis is often a game-changer, helping to improve sleep, mood and disposition and energy levels, which in turn, leads to improved quality of life, relationships and even career performance.

WHAT SHOULD I CHOOSE?

As you may have started to figure out, there are a lot of different choices these days when it comes to how to consume cannabis. In another blog we will discuss the various delivery forms and different types of cannabis products that are available today in more detail.

But for the purposes of this discussion, we’ll focus specifically on the best forms for new and light cannabis users in our opinion.

If you’re new to cannabis, we recommend sticking to what is commonly referred to as “Flower,” which would be the smokable buds most people think of when speaking of cannabis, or a lower-dose edible product containing 5mg or less of THC.

If you do choose to go the edible route, we recommend starting with half a dose — cut that gummy in half and eat one half first, wait an hour or two to feel the effect, and if it doesn’t seem to intense, then maybe eat the other half. But one is probably going to be enough the first time. If you know you have an unforgiving sweet tooth, resist the urge to have another and make sure to also have some non-infused candy instead. Psychologically, it probably makes sense to pick a candy that is similar in form and texture to the edible you enjoyed — so if it was an infused gummy make try regular gummy bears. But take it easy with that too…we won’t be responsible for any sudden weight gain…;)

Some might also suggest vaping for new users because it tends to be less harsh on the throat, and that is certainly true. Rather than burning, vaping heats cannabis or cannabis oil at a much lower temperature, literally vaporizing it into a mist which is inhaled into the lungs.

But we believe — especially for new and light users — that the cough is your friend. Think of it like a speed bump; it’s a reminder to go slow, and that one puff is probably enough for now. Because vaping is so much smoother on the throat, it is easy to find yourself dragging on that vape pen way longer than you should. Further, because cannabis oils — which tend to be more prevalent in the vape category — generally have very high THC concentrations, anywhere from 60% to as high as 95%, making it very easy for a new or light user to “over-serve” themselves. By contrast, the most potent flower strains average under 30% THC.

And if you’re like my old friend Sue, you don’t have to worry about having to “make the joint.” Today, pre-rolls — which are exactly what they sound like, joints that are sold already rolled and ready to smoke — are widely available. Just not on 10th Street. That was a long time ago. ;)

Still have questions? Feel free to email me — just hit the “contact us” button and we’ll do our best to get back to you within 24 hours.