If you’re an experienced smoker, you know there are some unspoken rules you have to follow in every smoke session. If you’re more of a novice, you may be nervous about mucking up the vibe, so we’ve put together a few tips to guide you through proper weed etiquette.

Don’t Be a Weed Mooch

This ~~might be~~ is the most important rule to follow. Not many smokers mind sharing their weed—in fact, most people are happy to provide for a good smoke session. But you don’t want to be that person smoking everyone's weed without ever contributing anything of your own. If someone invites you to smoke their weed, offer to bring some snacks or host the next session so that no one who consistently provides the bud thinks you’re taking advantage of them.

Relinquish Your Joint-Hubris

Everyone wants to show off their joint rolling skills, but if you know someone in the group can roll a better doobie, let ‘em. You won’t spend valuable smoke time trying to figure out who’s gonna roll and you’ll have the best joint for the group. Also, you don’t want to waste someone’s papers or weed by rolling an inadequate joint. If you don’t know how to roll a joint, ask someone who does to teach you! Someone who’s an experienced roller will love sharing their knowledge and maybe you’ll be able to help the group out one day with your new talents.

Don’t Hog the Bud

No matter how y’all choose to smoke your weed, “puff, puff, pass” is typically the rule when it comes to how much you should smoke. You take two hits then pass along to the next person. It’s also important to not take too much time in between hits, as you don’t want to keep the next person waiting or waste weed by not smoking it when it's cherried. This ensures that everyone gets their fair share of bud and keeps the joint moving.

Pass the Joint Properly

Once the joint is going around the circle, there are a few other things you should keep in mind:

Make sure you ash the joint before you pass it along. No one wants to take a hit and find a bunch of ash on their clothes.
Don’t drench the joint in your spit. This goes without saying...I hope.
Whether you’re passing a joint, bowl, or even a vape, it’s customary to pass to the left. There’s not really a rhyme or reason to it, but it keeps everything orderly and consistent.
If the joint is burned all the way down to the roach, put it out instead of passing it. No one wants to pick up a joint with no weed in it!

Don't Hit The Joint If You're Sick

Sharing weed, snacks, and other supplies is a requirement for proper weed etiquette, but there are certain things no one really wants. Germs, for instance, are inevitably going to get passed around if you’re all smoking from the same piece. If you’ve got a cold or coming off of some sort of sickness, let the group know before spreading it around. Some people won’t care, but if they do, you can wait to smoke until the bowl or joint is almost done. That way your germs don’t on the piece until everyone’s done and you can disinfect it. If you don’t wanna worry about that at all, just bring your own supplies. You can also avoid spreading germs by not blowing smoke in anyone's face. No one likes to be engulfed in someone else's cloud, so keep your exhales under control.

Reward the One Who’s Doing the Work

[caption id="attachment_14688" align="aligncenter" width="1253"] african american woman at home rolling marijuana joint from dispensary bought weed

african american woman at home rolling marijuana joint from dispensary bought weed

iStock / rez-art[/caption] Whoever is packing the bowl or rolling the joint usually gets the first puff, as they’re the one who put all the effort into the packing/rolling process in the first place. A lot of times, if the host and roller are the same person, they’ll offer a hit to a new guest as a gesture of welcoming them into the group, but if you’re the one doing the work, don’t feel bad about treating yourself to the first hit. Whether you take the first hit or not, if you rolled the joint, its courtesy to light it yourself, as well.

Don’t Peer Pressure

Not everyone has the same tolerance or experience, so respect when someone says they’ll pass on a hit or need a minute to regroup. If someone is abstaining from the next hit or needs some space because of too intense of a high, leave them be. Smoke sessions should be safe, non-judgemental spaces for everyone.

Know Your Limits

This isn’t so much etiquette as it is just a good tip for anyone participating in a group smoke session. A lot of times you’ll take one hit too many because the joint just keeps going around. If you get unpleasantly high, you’re not doing anyone any favors—especially yourself! Take it as slow as you need to and don’t be afraid to pass on a round if it's going to make the session a better experience for you.

Respect Your Surroundings

This is a no brainer. If you’re in someone else’s home smoking their weed, be respectful. Clean up after yourself, ask before you start raiding the pantry, don’t peer pressure anyone who is there, and respect the etiquette! Just because you’re smoking doesn’t mean manners go out the door. Being respectful of other people’s homes and weed will ensure that you get invited back to future sessions.