How to Smoke Weed – The Best 5 Ways

The first few times you smoked weed, the last thing you probably thought about was the “best” way to smoke it.

You were not only learning how THC affected you, but you were also learning the basics of smoking: how to inhale properly, how to pack a piece or roll a joint, and how to know when you’d had enough. You simply smoked it the same way as the person who gave you your first hit.

As you gain experience, however, it’s natural for questions to follow. What’s the difference between sativas and indicas? Which are different strains like?

And, of course, “what’s the best way for me to smoke weed?”

There are so many choices that the decision can be complicated. The right approach is to start by figuring out what “the best way” actually means.

Let’s do that first.

The Best Way to Smoke Weed: Factors to Consider

Answering several other questions will help you decide which way of smoking is best for you.

Does Inhaling Weed Smoke Bother You?

Some people can’t inhale marijuana smoke without suffering discomfort or health problems. Others simply don’t like the idea of inhaling smoke at all.

The answer to this question will tell you whether you should continue reading or if you should investigate the pros and cons of vaping, edibles, and weed tinctures.

We’ll assume that you’re still with us, and we’ll move on.

Why Do You Smoke Weed?

You may smoke weed to help with chronic pain or other medical issues. It may be to get a pleasant buzz that helps you get to sleep. You might primarily enjoy the social experience of smoking with like-minded friends.

Or you might do it to get as blazed as humanly possible.

Your reasons for smoking up can help you determine the best way to do it. In the first three circumstances, you’ll probably want to choose the easiest or most social way to enjoy weed. In the last case, you’re more likely to be searching for the method that delivers maximum potency.

How’s Your Manual Dexterity?

If you have difficulty with screwdrivers, razors, or kitchen knives, you may not think that rolling a joint or blunt is the best way to smoke weed. You probably consider the process of rolling frustrating and difficult.

Do You Have to Smoke in Secret?

You may be fortunate enough to live by yourself or with friends or family who don’t mind that you smoke weed. (You’re even more fortunate if they smoke with you.) Otherwise, you may have to hide your activity.

But even those with the freedom to smoke at home can find themselves in a situation where they’re unable to light up. It could be in a non-smoking hotel room, or at someone else’s house, or (and we’re not condoning this) at work.

You’re probably not going to have much success staying under the radar if you choose to smoke out of a huge bong. Even a pipe or joint is likely to release enough pungent smoke to make your smoking difficult to hide.

Stealth mode requires a different approach.

So — where does all of this leave us?

The Best Ways to Smoke Weed

Clearly, there’s no single “best” way to enjoy cannabis. That’s why we’ve decided to break this list into categories.

Think about your answers to the four questions we’ve just asked, and you’ll be able to choose the best way to smoke weed based on your circumstances and desires.

Smoking Solo

Smoking a joint or using a “dry pipe” (often called a bowl or a spoon pipe) are the two best ways to smoke weed when you’re not sharing with anyone else.

Each allows you to pack or roll enough flower to toke to your heart’s content, and you don’t have to worry about the hygiene implications of sharing.

A joint is messier to prepare, of course, but there’s nothing left to clean up or pack away when you’ve finished or if you have to hide the joint quickly. Joints are also better than pipes when it comes to delivering the flavor of your weed, and they usually don’t have to be relit. It’s best to avoid pre-rolled joints, though; vendors usually use lower-quality herb to make them.

A pipe is a snap to pack but usually requires constant relighting, and cleaning it out properly is a must if you want to get the most out of subsequent bowls. A pipe also makes it easy to top your bud with a concentrate like wax.

Finally, both joints and pipes let you feel like you’re “smoking the traditional way.”

Smoking with a Group

There’s nothing wrong with sharing a joint or bowl if you don’t mind also sharing germs (and saliva) with the other people in your smoke sesh. In that case, passing a joint is more sociable and traditional.

If you’re inclined toward rolling joints, think about smoking blunts instead. They last longer, making it less frustrating when a friend hoards the smoke and there’s none left for everyone else. They’re also perfect for celebrating (even if you have to invent an occasion to celebrate).

In a party setting, sharing a bong is an ideal way to smoke. It’s fun, it’s sociable, and once you get the hang of using it, a bong allows you to take monster hits.

The Easiest Ways to Smoke

If your fingers don’t always obey your brain, rolling a joint or blunt probably isn’t the best way for you to smoke weed. That’s when pre-rolls would make more sense, and packing a bowl shouldn’t be too difficult for you, either. You can also consider using a dugout, which makes it easy to pack a one-hitter. (We’ll discuss those shortly.)

Otherwise, think about vaping or edibles.

Smoking in Stealth Mode

Perhaps the best choice is a one-hitter, a tiny pipe designed to hold (as its name suggests) just one hit at a time. It’s discreet, easily fitting into a pocket or purse. And since there’s no weed left to burn after you take your hit, there’s very little ambient smoke released into the air.

Some one-hitters come in a set called a dugout, which lets you pack the pipe in a flash. A dugout is still small enough to hide easily.

The other stealthiest alternative is a vape pen — but that’s not smoking, it’s vaping.

Smoking for Maximum Potency

OK, we’ll admit it. Dabbing weed concentrates also produces vapor instead of smoke. But since it’s also the best way to get the best high from weed, we’re making an exception and including it here.

Concentrates like wax, shatter, and rosin can deliver as much as 90% THC content, making each hit powerful and satisfying. There’s a sharper learning curve when it comes to using a dab rig, but if you’re looking for the best way to “smoke” weed, the time spent learning how to dab is time well spent.

Otherwise, the smoking method won’t matter all that much. Your best bet is to look for the most potent weed you can find.

Best Way to Smoke Weed: FAQ

Q: What’s the healthiest way to smoke?
A: Once again, it isn’t really smoking. But a vaporizer delivers all of weed’s “good stuff” without most of the contaminants created when flower is burned. Other possibilities for those who really want smoke instead of vapor: bongs and bubblers (which filter the smoke through water) and putting a carbon filter on your joint (if you don’t mind friends making fun of you).

Q: Are long pipes like Sherlocks better than small bowls?
A: We wouldn’t say they’re “better,” but many people think they do look cooler. And speaking of cooler, smoke cools as it travels down the long stem. That’s one more reason to give a Sherlock or Gandalf a try.