Whether looking for a new way to relax, feeling adventurous, or exploring a different creative path, it’s time to try weed for the first time. Congrats! You’re about to enter the vast and unique world of cannabis. With the cultural language around weed, both negative and positive, this journey may seem a bit daunting. We’re here to help and provide intel on how to try weed for the first time.
Prep Time!
Like any new adventure, using weed for beginners thrives with solid preparation. As a first-timer, it’s best to decide how you want to use the product. If smoking doesn’t suit you, vaping, tinctures, or edibles are great alternatives. Deciding ahead of time what form you’re most comfortable with will help you prep. Here are a few things to think about when deciding.
Gotta Love Options
You’ve possibly spent time around others smoking weed, so the smell and sensation of smoking is part of the attraction. Or, smoke’s the reason you’ve avoided weed in the past. Thankfully, the current cannabis market has tons of choices. Tinctures and edibles are an easy way to try weed for the first time. It’s key to understand how different ways of consuming cannabis can impact your experience, and we’ll dig into that below.
Starting Slow
Another important preparation is to know your limits. The idea is to start low and slow to get acclimated. Peer pressure has no place in your first experience, and if you are smoking with more experienced users don’t try to match them. Like going out for a hike or walk, go at your own pace.
Get Comfy
Your head space when entering into this new experience is also important. Make sure you’re in a safe and comfortable place around trusted individuals. Ideally, being in your own home with good friends is a great environment for smoking weed for beginners. THC can cause anxiety if taken in the wrong environment. We strongly encourage you to have a partner or loved one with you for the first time. This can lead to a more enjoyable experience and often keeps stress and anxiety out of the situation.
When setting up your surroundings, make sure to have plenty of snacks and drinks around. You’re going to get hungry and thirsty, we’ve all joked about the munchies, and you don’t want to be digging through your fridge attempting to make a sandwich out of lettuce and cheese.
Another way to enter with a good head space and comfortable environment is to think about your plans afterward. The goal is to keep the stress low and avoid doing anything strenuous. Save that run for the next day and don’t plan on doing any work or studying. Watching lighthearted movies, playing video games, or even chilling with a coloring book are great ways to close out your experience.
image source: Cleveland Clinic
Setting Expectations
Alright, to prep is one thing, but a lot of us want to know, what can I expect my first time trying weed? This is where production selection is important.
For a relatively quick high, smoking or vaping are the best routes. If you’re going with tinctures or edibles these will take a bit more time to kick in. Knowing the different timing of these products also impacts how you want to dose them.
You can certainly get too intense of a high if you smoke too much in a short amount of time. You may wonder how much weed to smoke the first time? We recommend starting with one or two puffs and then waiting a full 15 minutes before smoking more. This should keep you from getting an intense high right away. And, with smoking be aware that you will cough, you will cough a lot.
When it comes to edibles and tinctures, look at the amount of milligrams in the product. We recommend no more than 5 milligrams for the first time eating a weed edible. Ideally, start with 2.5 milligrams. That may mean cutting the edible in-half or even in-quarter. Remember, these highs take longer to hit. It depends on a person’s metabolism, body size, and other factors to know when the high will “make landfall.” We recommend that like smoking, less is more for your first experience and give it a bit of time. It can take over an hour to feel the effects of the edible or tincture. Use that time to do a fun and chill activity like listening to stand-up comedy or hanging on the back porch. It may be hard if you aren’t feeling any different, but resist the urge to eat more for a significant amount of time after your first edible.
Alright, so you know how you’re going to enjoy cannabis, smoking, vaping, edible, or tincture. You know what to prep and how much to consume. Now, what can you expect when the high arrives?
You can expect to experience both a head high and a body high. What does this mean? Likely, you will notice your body relaxing and feeling at ease. Mentally, you may be quicker to laugh and also notice much more clarity and focus. But don’t put too much emphasis on this “first time.” Remember that you can use weed in many ways to relax, and it might take some experimentation to find the right combo of environment and product for you.
Grab the Goods
Now that you’ve gone through what it may be like, it’s time to get the goods. What is the best weed strain for beginners? Following the theme we’ve been hitting on here, we recommend easing into the products. What that means for weed is finding a low-THC and high-CBD cannabis strain. Simply put, THC is the intoxicating form of cannabis and CBD is most known for its relaxing effects. Starting with a strain that is higher in CBD and lower in THC allows for a less abrupt high and more relaxing experience.
Best Weed for First Time
If you are smoking we’d recommend our Lime Grape Soda Skunk flower. This is a 2:1 CBD to THC ratio and great for the first time smoking weed. If you’re still a little nervous and want to go with the relaxing side of CBD for your first time, our Calm Gummy 750mg Heritage Hemp is a great choice. Looking for a subtle THC focused edible to start your journey? The Heirloom Milk Chocolate Bar 50mg gets you there. And if tinctures are your focus we think the Heirloom Calm Tincture will serve you nicely. You can also go the purely CBD route with the Unflavored Tincture 1500mg Heritage Hemp. Get more recommendations for beginner-friendly strains on our 101 Beginner Strain Guide.
More questions or want a personal touch to your decisions? Visit an Heirloom Collective dispensary near you.
Remember, trying weed for the first time is an adventure. The joy of the experience is to relax your body, heighten your senses and amplify your current state of being. We are here to help you embark on this journey.
