Ten most widely practiced rules of proper weed etiquette

Cannabis loving folks may be some of the nicest people that you ever meet, but most still follow an unspoken set of stoner rules that help to keep smoking sessions rolling smoothly. While some of the most popular like “puff, puff pass” are highlighted in movies and commonly understood as pass the weed evenly and efficiently, and all will go well, there is a bit more to practicing proper weed etiquette that everyone should know. Here we will cover ten of the most commonly practiced and expected stoner rules to prepare you for what’s expected when you join a smoke session.

1.   Puff, puff, pass

Don't bogart the joint, bowl, spliff or blunt or your comrades will likely go from having a great time to feeling displeased. It’s not a microphone folks. Puff, puff and pass the weed!

2.   No slobbering

No one wants a soggy anything covered in slobber put into their mouth. It’s unsanitary, can completely cut off the airflow, and just plain gag-worthy. While it’s often expected to be eating or sipping on drinks during a session, do everyone a favor and make sure your lips are dry before taking a hit. If you are using a bong than a quick wipe of the mouthpiece should be sufficient once you’re done.

3.   Pass to the left

We can call this blunt rotation (or joint rotation). While not everyone adheres to this one and it’s not likely to get you booted from a circle, the flow of a smoking session can quickly become a mess if no one knows which direction to pass it next. To avoid this, the general rule is to always pass the weed to the left. Makes it easy to remember in a fog rather than trying to remember which direction it just came from.

4.   BYOW

It’s never polite to join a smoking circle that you cannot contribute to. That doesn’t mean you can’t join in if invited but inviting yourself to smoke someone else’s green is just plain tacky.

5.   The joint roller is the joint sparker

He (or she) who rolls the joint should smoke the joint. If you see someone else's joint just chilling on a table, it is incredibly impolite to light it up yourself. Unless you have contributed the weed for it, it’s safest to wait for the roller to return to ignite his (or her) own masterpiece.

6.   No pressure

No peer pressure. Stoners are some of the most chill people you will meet, but none of us are ok with pressuring those who don’t want to partake. It isn’t funny and just might be enough to get you booted from the circle so just don’t do it.

7. Personal space

Cannabis has a way of filling an entire room quite quickly, but that doesn’t mean that anyone wants a second-hand toke through a cloud of smoke someone has blown at them. If you are in a crowded room and there isn’t a safe direction to turn to avoid everyone, then blow it upwards to prevent an uncomfortable look or comment.

8.   Don’t ruin the bowl

Fresh green is essential to experience the full taste of bud when it is smoked in a bong. When a bong is lit, it’s relatively common weed etiquette to only light a portion of it. A corner is all that is required to get a good full toke which leaves fresh grind for the next person to enjoy.

9.   Take your whole toke

When using a bong or a glass pipe equipped with a carb,you should always clean it out. To do so remove your finger from the carb hole and give a good deep inhale from the mouthpiece. Leaving stale smoke is one of the most broken stoner rules and one of the easiest to avoid. Residual smoke will affect the harshness and taste for the next person so empty it out.

10.   How to ask someone if they smoke weed

While this isn’t one for a smoking circle, we found it to be one of the most asked questions regarding weed etiquette online. When deciding how to ask someone if they smoke weed the best approach will depend on the individual. Are they your boss? Friend? Family member? How gently you broach the subject should depend on the possible repercussions of discussing this particular interest. If you have nothing to lose well, weed is legal so just nicely ask just like you would ask someone if they liked camping or fishing. If you are slightly concerned but would like to give it a shot anyways, try bringing up the subject of marijuana itself and providing your point of view. That alone is enough to get a confession or some sort of answer. If they appear uncomfortable than try again later. Best not to ask someone that isn’t giving you good vibes. That’s just asking for trouble.