Why Some People Don't Get High the First Time They Smoke Cannabis

If you’re new to smoking cannabis, chances are very good you might not get high the first time. It’s usually a question of ignorance. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t mean you’re stupid. But, chances are everything in the experience is new to you leaving you with little basis for comparison.

There are just a bunch of things you need to know to fully enjoy cannabis the first time, and those things will get out of your way with experience. Here’s six things you might consider:

1.  There could be something “wrong” with you. Your reaction to cannabis depends on your physical constitution. Your height, weight, metabolism, they all influence your intake and reaction to your first experience smoking cannabis.

Your system could produce chemicals that fight, mute, or otherwise interfere with the mechanism of action expected from THC, the endocannabinoid that produces the cannabis high. Or, you may have a medical condition that baffles the experience. For example, when smoked, the THC in cannabis enters the bloodstream through the lungs. If the respiratory system has weaknesses or is under medication for some other issue, that process may not be up to snuff.

2.  It could be your chemistry, too. Endocannabinoids are among the hundreds of chemicals making up the cannabis plant. Research continues to study and deconstruct they way they influence the human brain and body.

However, endocannabinoids, specifically THC and CBD, interact with neurotransmitters and hormone deployment. If you have current issues with the hormones that contribute to depression, anxiety, and/or bliss, cannabis may not have the expected or typical effect on your dopamine, serotonin, and the like.

3.  Maybe it’s the cannabis. The quality and nature of the cannabis strain have so much to do with the effects. Finding the “good” stuff means finding the stuff that works best for you. You can always grow into something more challenging, but you want to start with a cannabis strain you understand.

It’s why it helps to have friends with experience and the patience to teach you how to smoke. It’s so much better to have a mentor than to sneak your first toke behind the outhouse. But, it helps if you are familiar with some key signs:

• Seeds are not your friends. You will have some seeds now and then, but a lot of seeds means the plants have been poorly raised and processed.
• Sticky resins are signs of healthy cannabis, so it’s a good sign when the cannabis sticks to your fingers.
• Trichomes are signs of THC presence, what you are looking for in THC-heavy cannabis strains. The trichomes show as light crystals clustered around the buds.
• You don’t want buds that smell of mold. You are sniffing for bold fruity, piney, skunky, and other aromas.

4.  Maybe you need to smoke more. There is a rhythm to smoking cannabis and its results. If you smoke cigarettes, you get into a habit of chain smoking or pacing your nicotine hit. You smoke with your coffee or beer, and you smoke after dinner or sex.

Weed acts differently on human systems. All things being equal, you should feel high after three or four hits. You don’t finish a joint in the time or fashion you would a cigarette, and you won’t be needing another go at it for a while. As a first-time smoker, you should pay attention to the pacing which leads to and sustains the high you want to enjoy.

5.  Some smoke hits differently than other smokes. When you think of smoking cannabis, you usually think about rolling and smoking a spliff. But, smoking takes many forms. You might enjoy a blunt, bong, pipe, or vaporizer.

These other routes to consumption may provide the high you look forward to but starting with a joint may be the easier way to go. There’s not much fuss or gear to bother you. There’s no nail, no batteries, no risk of explosion. It’s just the traditional way to light and enjoy.

6.  You don’t know what you’re doing. For starters, you do not inhale cannabis the way you inhale cigarette smoke. You want to pull smoke into your mouth and, then, consciously inhale that smoke into your lungs, not the stomach. Pain in your stomach or the pressure to burp the up smoke are indications you have inhaled incorrectly.

The Key to Cannabis recommends, “As you begin practicing your diaphragmatic breathing, using a simple 4-2-4 count. Inhale softly for four seconds, pause briefly for two, and exhale gently for four. Repeat this sequence 10 times, 3 times a day to create a new breathing pattern in your subconscious. You can then call it into use every time you smoke.” Developing this habit does away with the notion that you must hold your breath as long as possible.

Why Some People Don't Get High the First Time They Smoke Cannabis

Some people don’t get high the first time because they aren’t ready for it. They resist it psychologically or mix it with other stimulants, so they cannot isolate the experience. With all the info on the internet about method and product available, you can learn what you need to know before working with an experienced friend to setup your best first experience.