Some useful tips for first-time cannabis use
As with any new experience, using cannabis for the first time may give you new and surprising sensations that you’ll need to learn to handle. It may seem surprising, but it’s true: you need to follow a few basic safety rules when you want to experiment with cannabis. In this article, we’ll give you the best advice to ensure that your first steps into the world of cannabis are enjoyable—and not the opposite.
Any new experience brings with it some doubts and anxiety about the unknown—all of which is completely natural, normal, and, above all, human. That’s why we think it’s important to share a few tips that will help you be as prepared as possible for your first time using cannabis, whether for recreational or therapeutic purposes.
It’s important to ask yourself a number of relevant questions to ensure that you’re in the best possible frame of mind to enjoy yourself. Otherwise, you run the risk of having experiences that will leave you with bad memories—often unfairly—because certain key factors weren’t properly considered.
1) Is this the perfect time in your life to try cannabis?
It is essential to feel comfortable with yourself in order to have this kind of experience, especially for recreational use. When it comes to therapeutic use, the situation is different and more challenging, because you will naturally be concerned about your impaired health.
So let’s get back to the idea of recreational cannabis use. If you feel you’re going through a difficult period in your life, or if you’re preoccupied with various problems, it’s best to put it off for now. The same goes if you’re feeling extremely tired or aren’t eating well at the moment. It’s important to maintain a good overall balance so that your experience is positive. Cannabis acts as an emotional amplifier in anyone of sound mind—no more, no less. If you have important things to do during the day—in public, institutional, or professional settings, or in any serious context—it’s best to avoid using cannabis altogether. Your state of cannabis intoxication—let’s call a spade a spade—with red eyes and an altered, slowed-down perception of reality, will not help you in any way with your various activities; quite the opposite, in fact.
You’ll only reinforce the stigma and the negative perceptions held by those who are most resistant to cannabis. It would be like drinking alcohol before doing those same things—you’d give people you meet a negative impression of you, and rightly so. As they say, everything should be done at the right time.
2) Am I in the best place for my first experience with cannabis?
One situation in which using cannabis is strongly discouraged is when you find yourself in an unfamiliar, anxiety-inducing environment—such as an unpleasant place where you don’t feel entirely at ease, surrounded by strangers. If that’s the case, it’s best to postpone your experience.
This is a situation that typically occurs among adolescents or young people, who overlook what seem to be minor details but are actually not. The psychoactive effects caused by THC is, let’s not forget, a new sensation for these first-time users, who may be unpleasantly surprised by the effects they experience in an unsuitable setting.
This is what’s known as “set and settings” in English—the importance of one’s state of mind and the surrounding environment for this kind of experience. It’s an underlying factor that younger and less experienced people are often unaware of.
3) The possibility of not experiencing any effects
The intensity of the effects produced by cannabis depends directly on your biochemical makeup. We are not all the same in this regard, and rigorous, in-depth scientific studies still need to be conducted on this topic.
That’s why the effects experienced can vary greatly from one person to another, and it’s even possible for someone to feel nothing at all when they use cannabis for the first time. This may seem strange, but it’s actually not unusual. Many more people than we realize frequently experience this situation. But keep in mind that in most cases, the effects become noticeable with subsequent uses.
4) Avoid taking multiple drugs at the same time
We strongly recommend that youavoid mixing different drugs together under any circumstances, as this could create a truly harmful combination for your body. On your first try, this could lead to such a bad experience that you would definitely not want to repeat it later, to the point of (wrongly) developing a distaste for cannabis. Yet this is exactly what happens to many people, who then blame cannabis directly, when in fact it is their own lack of knowledge and misuse that are primarily responsible for this adverse reaction.
Furthermore, you must avoid mixing alcohol and cannabis at all costs. A very common bad experience is drinking a fair amount of alcohol and then using cannabis. In most cases, the result will be unpleasant—you’ll experience nausea, vomiting, and a strong urge to lie down immediately. And this doesn’t just happen to beginners; even regular cannabis users suffer the same consequences. If you try the same combination with “harder” drugs or prescription medications, it will be even worse. It should be avoided entirely.
5) Variable distortion of reality
Consuming alcohol or cannabis alters your perception of reality. This is a fact that should not be overlooked, because all your usual sensations will seem strange to you—and that’s normal. Your five senses will experience things very differently—whether it’s sight, hearing, taste, smell, or touch. Your perception of space and time is also altered, which is something to keep in mind.
When using cannabis for the first time, you might feel as though you’re rediscovering a place you already know well, and the passage of time might seem much slower than usual. Of course, all of this should be taken with a grain of salt, as it depends on each user’s tolerance, their overall condition at the time, and the quality and quantity of the cannabis consumed.
Other temporary effects that also occur in many people include red eyes and short-term memory loss. The way cannabis heightens our senses is expressed through the discovery of new and very pleasant sensations when we listen to music, watch a good movie, enjoy a delicious meal, or make love with our partner, for example.
The cannabis plant offers the potential to greatly enhance all these sensations in humans. However, to remain completely objective, it’s also necessary to point out that if all the factors aren’t favorable, then the resulting experience will logically be negative. For all these reasons, it’s important to listen to both your body and your mind before engaging in this type of experience, regardless of the psychotropic.
6) The effects you experience do not meet your expectations
You may notice that your friends have a fairly positive reaction when they use cannabis, but that doesn't mean you'll experience a similar effect. As we mentioned earlier, every user has a unique biochemical makeup that reacts differently.
This is something to keep in mind, regardless of your current overall condition. It may simply be part of your natural disposition. It’s entirely possible that the effects of cannabis are not beneficial for you, causing a certain degree of physical lethargy, but nothing more on a mental level.
Others may experience anxiety, paranoia, or even delirium in the most acute cases. In such cases, it is best to stop using cannabis or any other psychoactive substance immediately. The cause of the problem may be a temporary condition or may reveal a deeper underlying issue in the individual concerned.
In some cases, this is a warning sign that it is necessary to consult a healthcare professional who specializes in this area. It could be a concrete underlying symptom of an obvious psychological or psychiatric disorder that has not yet been detected in that person. This is a situation that must be addressed with particular responsiveness, or else there is a risk that the user will continue to exhibit this behavior over the long term.
Another useful tip for anyone wishing to try cannabis for the first time is to practice microdosing to avoid being caught off guard by the intensity of the effects. Using this method, you can always gradually increase the amount of cannabis you consume.
7) Learn to enjoy it by starting slowly
No matter which method of consumption you’ve chosen to take your first steps into the world of cannabis, the key is to do everything you can to make your experience as enjoyable as possible.
If you want to eat a cannabis-infused treat, for example, start by eating a small piece and wait at least 45 minutes to 1 hour to allow the effects to gradually set in before considering taking another dose. The most common mistake is to take another dose too soon after the first one, which can lead to an overly strong effect due to accumulation.
When making a “spacecake” or cannabis cake, be careful not to use too much, as the effects can be intense even with a small amount. The concentration of active ingredients is what poses a problem in this specific case. Ingested cannabis always takes longer to be absorbed than smoked cannabis.
"Sugar really helps you clear your head and regain your strength."
When you inhale cannabis, the effects kick in more quickly—on average, you’ll feel them within 5 to 15 minutes. Our advice here is exactly the same as for ingestion: take it slow when smoking, and allow enough time between each puff for the effects to take hold. A great way to start off gently might be to use a vaporizer.
At the same time, it’s important to have a sugary drink and a few cookies of your choice on hand, in case you feel lightheaded or unwell. Sugar goes a long way toward helping you regain your composure and strength in those moments.
We strongly advise against consuming cannabis on an empty stomach. This can lead to a drop in blood pressure caused by hypoglycemia and/or orthostatic or postural hypotension. These conditions can result in a feeling of extreme fatigue, and in severe cases, even cause the person to faint.
8) Learn to listen to yourself to figure out what’s right for you
One concept—not necessarily the best, but inherently human—is the desire to “do what our friends do.” When we’re young, we’re often vulnerable, inexperienced, and open to new experiences, and our ego—still underdeveloped—drives the vast majority of us to take actions that ultimately won’t bring us the happiness, well-being, or feelings that best suit us. In most cases, we just go with the flow…
It is for these very reasons, then, that it’s essential for everyone to learn to observe and analyze their various cannabis experiences, so you can determine for yourselves what brings you the greatest pleasure. This will help you get to know yourselves better and understand what’s right for you. It’s important, for example, to figure out whether you’re more of a fan of Sativa or Indica, or perhaps both, depending on the occasion.
It’s also possible that you might prefer vaporizing over smoking cannabis or ingesting it. Everyone is free to enjoy cannabis at the time that works best for them. Depending on a person’s profile, it’s entirely possible that someone might prefer to use cannabis in the morning, because their personality, personal abilities, or schedule allow for it (a creative artist, for example).
Conversely, another person might hold a high-responsibility position that requires extreme concentration during the day and would appreciate the powerful effect ofa good Indica in the evening to unwind. Everyone is different and therefore has needs of a similar nature.
