The Biggest Pitfall to Avoid for Cannabis Beginners

Written By Ginja Club

There are many great things about cannabis, so many great things in fact that this entire blog (and my profession in general) is dedicated to covering the beauty of this plant. However, being a self-labeled ‘stoner’ for more than 13 years, I know there are plenty of drawbacks to smoking cannabis as well. I’ll share with you my experience and advice on how to avoid these pitfalls.

The Problems

Munchies

Freshman fifteen was more like freshman thirty for me. I’m pretty sure the IHOP staff knows my blood type. I’ve spent many late nights scouring the kitchen cabinets in an attempt to satiate my insatiable hunger. Incase you haven’t heard, the munchies are real, especially for beginners. But that doesn’t mean veteran smokers don’t struggle with it as well. To avoid any future damage to your waistline, read on.

Money

It’s an expensive habit and if you are a stickler for quality, the price point can seem ludicrous. I think my accountant would have a stroke if he knew how much money I’ve spent on cannabis over the years (if I had an accountant). I mean I still spend a lot, but my choices allow me to find a sustainable balance between money and marijuana. For beginners who are still figuring out their consumption habits, they can spend a lot of time and money exploring this space.

Risky

For people living in states where recreational cannabis is legal, this might not necessarily apply. But public consumption and driving under the influence is still prohibited. In other states where cannabis is illegal, possession and sale of marijuana can lead to hefty fines and lengthy jail terms.

When I was consuming cannabis, before legal recreational use, I had numerous encounters with local law enforcement. I made mistakes that you could easily avoid.

Motivation

Probably the most notorious of the bunch; Cannabis use is constantly being associated with laziness.

Social events would become unappealing unless a blunt was involved. Exercising would seem like a chore and going to classes was an everyday battle. I was applying to med schools and while I eventually got in, the path was much longer than it needed to be.

This issue is parroted in the image of the stereotypical stoner, but this doesn’t have to be the case for you. I’ll give you some early tips on how you can avoid the “demotivation” factor.

Addiction

I will be honest, cannabis is addictive. It’s not so much a physical addiction as a mental addiction. Your body and mind crave an escape from everyday stress and it can easily become a habit, whether or not this is a bad thing is another debate altogether. Me? I’d smoke every day, all day and I won’t pretend like it didn’t affect my daily routine. There are many ways you can approach this issue, I will explain how I tackled this problem.

The Solutions

Munchies

I eventually outgrew the munchies as my tolerance developed and I managed my eating habits. I wrote an entire blog on how to combat the munchies with expert advice on healthy munchy alternatives. The jist, plan ahead. Keep healthy snacks in your fridges, exercise, and know your strains.

Money

I used to buy $500 Ozs and $100 eighths. Don’t laugh at me, I didn’t know better.

As I gained experience and connections in the cannabis scene, I eventually found better sources for quality products and began making better purchasing decisions. I even started to monitor my dosage, weighing the amount to be rolled in every joint. For heavy consumers, some great advice would be to buy in bulk, which tends to save you a lot of money in the long run.

Nowadays products and prices are easily listed online. I would suggest putting in the effort to do some research. The more time you put in, the more money you will save. Checking reviews on weedmaps is a great way to know if you are getting a good deal. But once again, keep in mind that in both the legal and illegal market, quality is always proportional to price.

Motivation

I said it before, and I’ll say it again, know your strains. I used to smoke anything that was put in front of me. If it looked good and smelled good it would find its way into my lungs. I credit this indiscriminate method of consuming different strains for my lack of motivation. I would ignorantly smoke “indicas” during the day and find myself struggling to keep my eyes open. But this holds true for many of the negative effects you might be facing in your consumption routine. If you find yourself struggling to be creative, there is a strain for that. If you can’t sleep at night, there is a strain for that as well.

Today, I curate what I smoke and when I smoke it. I put in the time to research the strains I enjoy, to ask the budtenders for advice, and even titer my doses accordingly. Leafly is a great resource to find strains that match your desired effects and vice versa.

Risky

Simply said, be smart. Don’t consume cannabis in states or countries in which it is illegal. Respect those around you, don’t smoke in areas with minors, and do your best to follow local regulations. Even in states where cannabis is legal, it is best to know your rights in case you are faced with local law enforcement.

If you feel the absolute need to find some green in an area that isn’t so keen on it. The only advice I can give you with any certainty is to never assume local law enforcement are “ok” with it (even if it is accepted socially). A simple misunderstanding can become a criminal case when the laws are not on your side.

Addiction

This one was a little harder for me to speak on, as I would consider myself still currently addicted in the technical sense. If you use cannabis as medicine, then this topic might also be relevant, but to a much lesser degree.

Cannabis in itself is not very addictive. Many people can consume cannabis reasonably and responsibly. Some people choose to consume it only socially, or specifically to treat their medical conditions. Others treat it as a quick break from life events, like a beer or glass of wine. But for people like me, who have always had an addictive personality, cannabis can be easily abused.

However, the question is if that addiction is more harmful than beneficial. I used to be addicted to cigarettes, cannabis helped me kick that habit. I used to let emotions cloud my judgments by taking actions that were based on feelings rather than logic, cannabis helped me calm down and see things from a different perspective. This beautifully written blog by

Evelyn Martinez

discussed coming to terms with one’s cannabis addiction.

For now, I’m okay with being a marijuana addict because I’m better than I’ve ever been. If smoking marijuana makes me a happier, more productive person, there are worse things I could be. —

Evelyn Martinez

The silver lining? Out of all the substances, one can become physically or mentally addicted to, cannabis is probably the safest and easiest to kick. For people who smoke regularly, physical withdrawal symptoms are minor and only last 48–72 hours. Meanwhile, withdrawal symptoms from alcohol, which is much more addictive and which is federally legal, can lead to death in certain cases.

With all the tools and information available to you online there is no reason why you can’t consume cannabis and avoid the common mistakes any novice consumer might make.

Every cannabis journey is unique and similar at the same time. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, do some research and test things out. For me, the good outweighed the bad, and that is why I continue to consume today. For others, that may not be the case. As long as you approach cannabis consumption in a responsible manner, you can avoid the pitfall that may come with it.

Ginja Club
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