First times are the most memorable times. For any big event, the first time you do something can set the tone for every subsequent experience. With legalized marijuana spreading across the country, thousands of people are using marijuana for the first time. Hundreds of thousands, actually.

Using Marijuana for the First Time

A bad first experience won’t ruin you for life on cannabis. But it’s like buying a clunker for your first car. Why go through it if you don’t have to?

Why, indeed. That’s why the following offers a few tips and words of advice for the first time marijuana user. It’s not a complex thing. But since it’s the first time, there’s no harm in going over a few basics.

In this case, the focus is on adult-use marijuana. Medical marijuana is a completely different subject.

Where To Get It

This should be obvious, but make sure recreational marijuana is legal where you are. If you think that’s ridiculous, simply scan the Internet for people asking if marijuana is legal in places as far apart as Miami and Omaha. Not everyone keeps up with the latest legislation or voter referendums. So while this is akin to telling someone to take the wrapper off a frozen pizza before putting it in the oven, there it is.

Don’t buy cannabis from the guy down on the street corner, your cousin or over the Internet. Simply look for the legal marijuana dispensaries in your area and chose one that looks the best to you.

Choose A Strain

Back in the old illegal days, a person bought a bag of weed and that was that. Legalized marijuana is more like buying a craft beer – there are many varieties, each with its own impact on your body. For first timers, it’s a very good idea to consult with the budtender at your local dispensary.

What you get depends on what you want. Do you want energy or relaxation? Do you want to get up or chill out? Maybe you just want to try it before bedtime, thinking it could help you sleep. It can, if you choose the right strain. Consult the experts.

Choose a Method

Smoking a joint is the time-honored way for a person to use marijuana. That is far from the only option these days. Vaping has increasingly become a popular alternative. Rather than smoking burned marijuana, vaping heats marijuana to just below the level of combustion, providing a smoother experience.

Edibles also are an alternative. In this area, the variety is huge. A person could stock a grocery store with the choices. The main thing to remember with edibles is that the effects take longer to be felt. Don’t eat a gummy bear and then eat more because you don’t feel the effects. Depending on the person, it could take as long as an hour to feel the effects of cannabis when using edibles.

Don’t Drive

Again, an obvious thing, but it needs to be said. Find a comfortable place to try marijuana and then stay there. Much like with alcohol, that moment you feel you can drive is the exact moment you should not be driving.

A Comfortable Place

Because you have never felt the effects of marijuana before, pick a place where you are comfortable to try it for the first time. Typically, this is going to be at home. For those with a love of nature, being outdoors is the way to go.

Make sure it’s a day or night where there are no obligations on the horizon. The idea is to relax and enjoy yourself. After all, people use adult-use marijuana for a reason. It makes you feel good. So set things up where you can just enjoy yourself.

Common Issues

You can read 500 articles about marijuana, but really the most likely negative aspects of the experience revolve around anxiety, a touch of paranoia and an increased heart rate. Those three things all tie together. It’s a lot like the cave in “The Empire Strikes Back.” Whatever you bring into the experience impacts what happens. So, again, the idea is to be comfortable, calm and relaxed. Try to get to that place before using marijuana the first time.

Friends

Toward that goal of being at ease, it’s a good idea to not do this alone. Invite some friends over who you know well and ideally have some experience with cannabis. That can set the right mood for a great experience.

Those are some of the basic tips for using marijuana this first time. It’s not rocket science. And it’s nothing to fear. If you are curious about the effects of cannabis, following these simple steps can make the experience that much more enjoyable.

And that’s the key word. This is meant to be enjoyed.