The Chariot's Comprehensive Beginner's Guide

Hello fellow Blades!

Welcome to my comprehensive beginner's guide.

The beginnings of my experience with herb were dark days indeed. I remember feeling as if I was in the dark about everything that was going on. I was frustrated. There was so much that I didn't know about, and not many people were helpful in the beginning. I didn't realize that there was so much to know, and it was a bit overwhelming at first. That's what I'm hoping to remedy for a few of you newbies out there.

The guide will follow this structure...
1. CONDUCT
a. Personal
b. Friends
c. Public
d. Police (don't worry.)
2. SPOTS
a. On Foot
b. Vehicular
c. Safety
3. METHODS
a. Pieces
b. Waterpipes
c. Papers
d. Other
4. *FIRST TIMERS*
a. Effects
b. Tips





1. CONDUCT

Everyone loves to play it cool. It's fun to be a cool person. Think cool like, James Dean. Marlon Brando. Paul Newman. When you keep your head and think fast and intelligently, you're simply going to have a better experience, and moreover a better time.

a. Personal Conduct

Now that you know it's good to keep cool, let's try to help out with
that. Many things may happen in your travels, but if there was one
thing that I would stress, it's to USE ALL OF YOUR SENSES to ensure
a good and safe time to be had by all. It may seem like a rather
childish concept, but you'd be surprised how some things go
unnoticed unless you're paying close attention.

Keep your EYES open to SEE any problems before they come into
your vicinity. Be sure to pay attention to changes in lighting in your
general area. If you are indoors or in a vehicle, remember to check
your surroundings and clean up your area when you are done. Offer
to help clean up if a mess was made and either the apparatus or the
herb belonged to someone else. If it is your own, you should always
assume full responsibility for cleaning the area, apparatus, etc.

Keep a sharp EAR to HEAR movement when outdoors, or to listen
for voices, footsteps, etc., that may be important signals when
smoking privately. Your vision and hearing are very important tools
for having a safe experience.

Have a keen NOSE to SMELL for unexplainable odors, such as
something that may have been burned and went unnoticed,
(clothing, hair, etc., you'd be surprised). Also, it's usually a good
idea to have some sort of odor-canceling spray around if you want
to keep the areas that you smoke in smelling fresh, and to nullify
the smell of smoking in an area that may be public at other times.

TASTE is significantly less important as far as safety goes, however
it is more of something that is acquired over time. Take note from
the very beginning of your experience, the taste of the herb smoke.
In the near future, you will be able to identify the quality of the buds
by the taste and smell alone. (Taste and smell are very similar and
related senses, however smell relates more to safety and comfort).

Now, slightly differently, yet extremely important, how do you FEEL?
Making sure that you feel good, internally and externally, is a very
important aspect of the experience as a whole. First off, depending
on the temperature of the area, you may want to dress differently
and/or more appropriately. If it's cold out, and you'll be outside, or
may have to walk, wear layers and an over-coat. It sounds simple,
but remembering to dress for the elements and weather is a fairly
common oversight.
Secondly, focus on how you feel internally, and if you get nothing
else from this guide, FOCUS ON HOW YOU FEEL, AND THINK. Let the
thoughts that pop into your head grow and evolve. Write things
down, draw, paint, do whatever you feel like doing to get those
thoughts down into a shareable medium. This will help you grow as
a person and feel much better when you know you can think
creatively and get good ideas down when you smoke again.
Finally, if something doesn't sit right with you, odds are, it's not a
good plan. If you trust your judgement, and aren't easily swayed by
the opinions of others, who may not have the careful thinking
strategies that you employ.

b. Friends

I use the term friends to mean anyone who may be in your
immediate area while you are smoking. They may be in the circle
or just acquaintances close by. Firstly, smoking etiquette. For this, I
am going to forward you to an absolutely amazing guide by
The Legend. His guide has helped me through many tougher times
as a fledgeling. There is only a section in his guide on etiquette,
however, it's fairly comprehensive in rules of thumb, and I highly
(no pun intended) recommend checking out the whole rest of his
guide, it's extremely well done, and it got me interested in GC.
http://forum.grasscity.com/seasoned-tokers/283036-complete-connoisseurs-guide-enjoying-cannabis.html

c. Public

I myself, being a recluse, am not too fond of venturing out into
public after smoking. I just enjoy either solitude in my apartment
or the company of a few close friends. However, it is important to
know that you can easily handle yourself in public situations. If you
feel that you may have a hard time in public social interactions,
DON'T WORRY about it. I recommend a good spritz of cologne or
perfume, and eye drops to reduce redness of the eyes if possible.
No one expects you to be high at a glance. If you're uneasy, don't
show it, and keep things short and comfortable. Practice your skills
at a convenience store if you still feel uneasy about those situations.
Just walk in, grab a drink or something to munch on, say hello to
the nice man or lady at the counter, pay for your things, and then
tell them to have a good night. Odds are astronomically, they'll do
the same.

d. Police (don't worry.)

The man in blue...
But as I said earlier, keep , and remember your senses, and
you may avoid police altogether. However, sometimes chance has
other plans, and you need to play with the cards you're dealt. Here
is another section in which I'll link you to a guide on dealing with the
police. Remember to be cool, and have RESPECT. Above all else,
KNOW YOUR LOCAL LAWS, keep everything out of view, smelling
fresh, and if possible, avoid smoking in a car that's driving. That's
just a personal call that I've made in my experiences, but I feel that
it minimizes risk. You do NOT want to get into any unnecessary
trouble. Thank you very much to 'sinsemillaplease', the author of the
following guide: http://forum.grasscity.com/apprentice-tokers/432942-comprehensive-guide-dealing-police-no-snitching-involved.html

2. SPOTS

Spots are one of my favorite parts of the whole experience. Finding a good place for you may drastically increase how good you feel. There are many wonderful places to smoke, and everyone has their own favorites!

a. On Foot

When you're on foot, most of the time you're looking for a reclusive
place to go. Somewhere out of view, more private for you and your
friends. Many people have a spot out in some private wooded area,
or something comparable depending upon where you live. As usual,
all of the previous information applies. If you pay attention and think
about having a good, safe time, you won't have problems. Many
areas outdoors may be regarded as public, and that's why I suggest
staying AWAY from parks, etc.
The most enjoyable (in my opinion), place to smoke is indoors. It's
always good to smoke in an area with good ventilation, and that is
easily cleaned.

b. Vehicular

Personally, I don't recommend smoking in a vehicle that will be
moving at the same time. It's very difficult to mask smoking if
pulled over on the road. However, if you know that you're safe,
such as in a parked vehicle, or in your driveway, etc., use your
own discretion and follow your gut feeling on what you do and don't
want to do.

c. Safety

As a final safety disclaimer, I personally do not recommend
smoking in a vehicle. Also, I want you to pay very close attention
when smoking in any area that you may be interrupted. As a
small fish in this pond, keeping your head and being careful now can
ensure that you become a larger fish in that pond.

3. METHODS

There are many ways to smoke. For this section, I'm going to be linking you to a few other guides. I'm hoping for this guide to not only be a guide for you to start up with a new sense of knowledge, but also to get you used to getting around the GC Forums. First off, here is a pre-existing comprehensive guide on the various smoking methods. http://forum.grasscity.com/apprentice-tokers/499889-comprehensive-guide-smoking-using-various-paraphernalia.html Again, thanks to Astrocheese for the guide!

a. Pieces

When I say piece, I'm usually referring to a chillum, glass pipe, or
bubbler. A chillum is also known as a one-hitter. This is usually a
straight pipe, with a bowl on the top or front end. A glass pipe, more
commonly referred to as a bowl, can be many different shapes or
sizes, and usually have a small hole, called a carb, that is used in
lighting. Proper carb use: Hold your thumb down and cover the carb,
light the herb, inhale while still covering the carb and lighting, then
when you have inhaled to about 70% of your lung capacity, remove
your thumb from the carb and continue to inhale the smoke from the
smoke chamber. Don't keep the lighter on for too long if you're
smoking with others, as this is called 'torching' the bowl. You burn
a lot of bud, and it is considered greedy amongst smoking partners.
A bubbler is usually used in the same way as a glass pipe (dry pipe)
, however water may be poured into the smoke collection chamber
to cool it down for a more smooth hit.

b. Waterpipes

More commonly known as 'bongs'. Here, I'll link you to a different
guide. http://forum.grasscity.com/apprentice-tokers/335267-apprentice-tokers-guide-bongs.html
Thanks to Sparticus63.
c. Papers

Papers refers to 'joints' and 'blunts'. Joints can be rolled with rolling
papers, while blunts are rolled with cigars, cigarillos, or Black &
Milds. Less efficient than pieces, some people prefer a paper to
using glass. This is a guide on how to roll by Mat369. Thanks for the
guide! http://forum.grasscity.com/apprentice-tokers/404549-perfection-rolling-guides.html

d. Other

There are many other ways to indulge. Hash, oils, and edibles are
all alternatives, however I won't cover them all in too much detail,
because honestly, I don't have very much experience with them.
They are often viewed as stronger variants of smoking normally.
An array of information on these other methods is included in the
guides that I've linked to this one.

4. FIRST TIMERS

So it's your first time smoking. Don't be nervous, be excited! It may seem
tough and like a lot to remember, but after a short time, it all becomes natural. Like anything else, once you start and begin practicing (lol), you're guaranteed to get better at it. Let your feelings flow, and remember to write down your ideas through whatever medium you feel expresses them best.

a. Tips

I've included many of my tips throughout the guide, but here I'll list
a few more.
- Always have some refreshments and food on hand. It's easy to
forget them beforehand, and you can avoid a trip to the store if
you plan ahead.
- If covering up scent, don't always trust the first spray. Come back
to the area a few minutes later. If the smell still lingers, spray
again. Rinse and repeat.
- Be clean. Wash up before you handle herb or any smoking
apparatus. I recommend cleaning your piece after every use.
I clean my glass pieces in a Ziploc bag. Put the piece in the baggie
, fill it with rubbing alcohol until the piece is about half covered,
then pour in a few tablespoons of salt. Seal the bag and shake it
up. Be careful not to damage your piece or let the bag open. Rinse
your piece when done, and allow it to dry before use.
- Explore. Let's face it. Being high is great. It's great for pain
relief, stress relief, and creativity. So go on, explore. Do
something fun. Come up with your own favorite high activities.
Learn about something new, learn to play an instrument, write,
paint, go for a walk, do whatever makes you happy. That's the
key to enjoying yourself.

I really hope that this guide helps some people out. I really wish that I had a guide like this before I found GrassCity. I've put quite a bit of thought into it, and I'd like to know what you guys think, and leave me some feedback if I helped you out! If not, please tell me what I can improve upon when I write another guide, this is my first one! Now it's time for me to roll one up and hit the hay. I really hope I helped!