How To Make The Most Of Getting High By Yourself

We've all been there: eager to smoke, but with no one around. "Guess I can't smoke, then", you might think—especially after everything you've heard about people smoking alone. In the past, smoking alone was seen as a sign of dependence or even a contributor to psychosis, but this regressive way of thinking has faced major pushback in recent years. As antiquated studies are verified for accuracy and new studies continue to unveil the potential of cannabis and its chemical constituents, it seems that solo smoking might just have more benefits than drawbacks.

In any case, when smoking in the company of one’s own self, there are some best practices to keep in mind. Below, we’ll go over the statistics, benefits, and how-tos of getting high solo.

One Isn't the Loneliest Number

Despite the stigma that comes with smoking alone, the amount of solo cannabis users is actually larger than you might think. Nearly half of all Californian stoners, and 42% of those in Colorado, are already lone stoners. Ricardo Baca of The Daily Beast believes this stems from the prohibition of weed, and thus the figures are bound to fall. This is just conjecture, though; while legalization may indeed cause an influx in social smoking, it doesn’t threaten the existing regimens of those who like to smoke by themselves. And yes, solo toking is actually a more attractive choice than it's made out to be.

The Benefits of Getting High Alone

If you want to hear a trustworthy voice endorse getting high alone, might we suggest Carl Sagan? The astronomer and astrophysicist submitted an anonymous essay to a book called Marijuana Reconsidered in 1971, under the pseudonym “Mr. X”. In the essay, he discusses how cannabis assists his introspection and allows him valuable personal insights. He claims to experience "...a different sense of the absurd, a playful and whimsical awareness that we spend a lifetime being trained to overlook and forget and put out of our minds".

Bob Marley felt a similar way, saying "When you smoke the herb, it reveals you to yourself". He's not saying weed inherently makes you self-aware. Instead, he's referring to how our inhibitions crumble when we smoke. Unless weed makes you paranoid or anxious, “high you” will tend to beat “sober you” in terms of openness and abandoning personal hangups. Sending those to the side, weed can help people explore themselves independent of social performance. You can learn things about yourself in social situations, sure. However, your inner self is always masked when you're putting on a social performance. Even with our closest friends and family, true introspection is impossible while we're interacting. For that reason, there's no better way to explore the true you than by sitting with yourself and breaking down your barriers.

How to Make the Most of Smoking Weed by Yourself

Alright, now for the fun bits! Here’s how to go about smoking weed by yourself, and some suggestions for what to do while high!

Get the Right Accessories

As far as essentials for smoking flower, you'll need a grinder and either papers or glassware. We say either/or, but most stoners will have both on hand, depending on the situation. Concerning the former, you'll usually want to search for papers that come with tips. The tips will be optimised for roaches, and you'll have a much easier time rolling and smoking as a result.

You can follow your heart as far as glassware goes, but a bong or bubbler (i.e. any piece involving water) will treat your lungs best (with regular cleaning, of course).

The grinder is essential either way, in our opinion. Material matters, too: plastic ones function, but metal grinders are far superior.

For quick solo sessions, we also can't recommend a nice one-hitter enough. You'll get the most out of your hits, meaning your stash will last much longer than usual.

Lastly, for those who can't roll, but still want a joint, a rolling machine can be a life-saver. They come in a range of sizes, and some are even small enough to fit in your pocket! As long as you have papers, weed, and one of these, you're well on your way to a picturesque joint.

Go on an Adventure

If you're smoking by yourself, why not go wherever you please? Not everyone lives somewhere they can wander around high, but those who do should never waste the opportunity. Whether it's just walking along a path, heading to a park, or hitting the beach or forest (if you're lucky), an easy journey can be the perfect complement to a stoner's solo exploits.

Get Comfortable

Besides an adventure, there's nothing better for a stoner's body and mind than a blanket fort. Pillow forts are valid too, of course. No matter the method, whether you're putting on layers or taking them off, comfort is the priority here. After all, you're not at someone else's place, you're not at a party, and you're not outside. Why be in any position except the exact one you want to be in?

Indulge Your Munchies

Continuing on that train of thought, part of achieving maximum comfort is filling your belly. It's a difficult task when you have to share snacks, but you can take the express train to Munchietown if you're rolling solo. Want a couple burgers and a large shake? Follow your heart! Maybe a heap of sour candies? Why not?! The only limits are your wallet and stomach.

Watch and Listen to Whatever What You Want

While you sit down with your snacks and beverages, go ahead and put on whatever you want. Listen to the new Carly Rae Jepsen album or put on the entire Sharknado series, all without your friends judging you. No need to feel guilt about a "guilty" pleasure. Besides the enjoyment factor, there's a long-term benefit to it as well. When you have free rein to pick what you want to watch or listen to, you learn a lot about your own taste, and eventually yourself in general.

Collect Your Thoughts

That brings us to our last point, which we also discussed earlier. When we sit with ourselves after smoking, self-assessment becomes more honest than usual. Struggling with how you feel about a friend? Figure out how you truly feel when they aren't around. If you find yourself fixating on the issues you have with them, there might be trouble. That trouble was always there, though; all you did was discover it before things got worse.

Independent from others, you can also use this time to explore how you feel about recent events and your approach to life. Are you interpreting life positively, or do you carry a negative perspective? Are you making the most of opportunities, or is something holding you back? All these questions are necessary to answer. Thankfully, you can make a lot of progress by sitting down with nothing but some weed, and yourself.

Steven Voser

Steven Voser is an independent cannabis journalist with over 6 years of experience writing about all things weed; how to grow it, how best to enjoy it, and the booming industry and murky legal landscape surrounding it.

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