A fun but educational guide to cannabis manners—passing rotation, joint rolling karma, and what not to say when you're too high.

The Unspoken Rules of Getting High in a Social Setting

Perhaps the most nuanced area of social cannabis consumption is how to communicate when stronger effects than expected occur. “I think these edibles weren’t working,” immediately before their onset is becoming a joke we can all relate to in cannabis culture. Just like asking “Am I acting weird?” repeatedly adds to the awkwardness we are navigating, I think stating the obvious – “I might need to step back a little bit” – can sometimes help make it easier for others to deal with your discomfort than trying to hide it.

The Role of Host and Guest

Cannabis social gatherings provide specific roles for both host and guest. The host is traditionally responsible for making a space comfortable and having the required elements to do so: sufficient seating, music at a volume conducive to good conversation, and water or other drinks that are accessible to guests. As a guest, it is appreciated when they can give something back and be respectful of the host’s space. This type of reciprocity is what makes for good storytelling and convivial experiences, each doing their part to create a comfortable space for everyone’s enjoyment.

Technology in the Circle of a Session

A modern challenge for cannabis social gatherings is figuring out how to manage technology, challenges that previous generations never had to deal with. The person who lives to take photos of the session and continually posts to social media is often the most disruptive person in the session. The person who picks up their phone after every rotation sends a message that they are disinterested in the conversation and would rather not be there. 

Cross-Consuming

Now that cannabis is joining most social gatherings most often accompanied by alcohol, it is important to understand how to navigate the complexities of cross-consumption. Those who choose to mix cannabis and alcohol consumption bear responsibility to know their limits, while remaining aware of others’ sober enjoyment becomes crucial only when that concern is warranted. The person who pressures others to consume cannabis or alcohol like they do conveys disregard for one of the cannabis community’s most important values – respecting individual agency around our consumption choices.

Finding Your Way Back: The Too High Protocol

Even seasoned consumers miscalculate their limits sometimes, so the ability to find your way back to graciousness can be beneficial social skills. What not to say when you are too high is often less important than how you respond to the situation. Rather than calling out your distress with verbal cues and attention-seeking behavior, choose discreet avenues such as drinking water, taking a moment alone in a quiet space, or chewing gum, to display your self-awareness. Friends usually prefer honest statements “I need some air” over overly detailed explanations or poorly veiled attempts to disguise your discomfort by behaving more erratically and sharing increasingly bad ideas.

Like many social dynamics, cannabis consumption events continue to evolve as the umbrella under which they fall evolves, and public expectations about cannabis consumption evolve. But the basic principles of cannabis social gatherings continue to be consideration, reciprocity, and honest communication, so that sharing cannabis still is what it has been for human beings for thousands of years: a meaningful ritual of sharing in a social context.