In partnership with The Fresh Toast

You only need marijuana, a lighter and some rolling paper to get high, but these items will make your experience better and smoother.

Experimenting with a new activity is a trial and error process. Not everyone has the proper tools, and by the time you find out what you’re missing, your first crack at a new experience has come and gone, likely a little lackluster. This is the case with cannabis, which tends to be a messy, low-quality smoke session with friends the first time you give it a go.

While items like proper grinders and quality rolling papers are not necessary to smoke weed, they will definitely contribute to a better experience. If you’re new to the plant, a positive experience will greatly impact your relationship with cannabis, resulting in something that’s fun and easy, which is what most people are looking for when they’re first trying it.

Here are 5 simple items that cannabis newbies should have on hand before getting high:

cannabis grinder
Photo by Esteban Lopez via Unsplash

While grinders are not necessary for packing a bowl or prepping a joint, they make the end product a much more enjoyable one. When picking apart marijuana with your hands, trichomes will stick to your fingers, robbing it from some of its flavor. Using scissors will make it more likely for you to lose a little bit of marijuana and will also result in big chunks of weed that make it more difficult for the joint or bowl to burn evenly, making your marijuana last less and taste poorly.

Quality rolling paper

Rolling Paper
Photo by Flickr user Ian Burt

RELATED: Tear, Cut Or Grind: How Do You Break Up Your Bud?

Not all rolling papers are made equal. Quality rolling papers can make your marijuana last longer and can get rid of annoying and painful coughing fits. Raw rolling papers are made with organic materials, are cheap and can be found in most stores, making them one of your best options. 

Cigarette roller

5 Things About CBD Cigarettes You Should Know
Photo by Graham Hughes/EyeEm/Getty Images

A cigarette roller is a practical solution for beginners, doing most of the heavy lifting and providing you with perfectly rolled joints that are more likely to burn evenly.

A pen or pencil

blow job school
Photo by Angelina Litvin via Unsplash

RELATED: A Beginner’s Guide To Buying Your First Smoking Piece

While there are people who use pens or pencils to roll their joints, giving the paper its joint shape, pens can also be used to pack the weed inside the joint. This method ensures that everything is snug in your joint, making it last longer, burn evenly and hold steady as you smoke it.

Clean pipes/bongs

marijuana pipe
Photo by SharonMcCutcheon via Pixabay

Clean pipes and bongs are very important since they make it easier and healthier for you to inhale smoke and vapor and are also more comfortable to use. Before you start, make sure to thoroughly clean the pipe or bong you’ll be using by letting it soak in a solution of alcohol and salt or by washing it with soap and water. Can’t decide between a bong or water pipe? This is the one that produces a smoother smoke sesh.

Read more on The Fresh Toast

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.