Andrew Ward - The Art of Marijuana Etiquette: A Sophisticated Guide to the High Life

Copyright 2021 by Andrew Ward

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

Skyhorse Publishing books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or .

Skyhorse and Skyhorse Publishing are registered trademarks of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

Visit our website at www.skyhorsepublishing.com.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by 5mediadesign

Cover images: Getty Images

Print ISBN: 978-1-5107-5465-2

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-5466-9

Printed in the United States of America

Id like to dedicate this book to my friends and family, as well as the incredible cannabis community that has taken me in. Thank you for allowing me to be part of this movement... even when Im not living up to all the rules I discuss in this book.

Contents

Introduction

Dont let it get twisted: the era of cannabis prohibition is what is scientifically referred to as the weird time. Not really, but it sure is an outlier in human history. Its a black eye on decency in all its forms.

Just when times couldnt get any more off-kilter than a world that outlaws cannabis and its terrible consequences, 2020 rolled into our lives. The combination of the COVID-19 virus and the renewed efforts for racial and social justice reform completely upended just about every aspect of lifein and out of cannabis. From community etiquette to verbiage to inclusion, everyone is faced with a changing landscape. In many cases, change is overduenamely social and criminal justice reform. But for a cannabis community so steeped in sharing, the shifting times during the pandemic can also be far from welcome.

Amidst a sea of uncertainty, the cannabis community must also continue to advance the reform of the plant. While many now support the restorative justice and medical options marijuana could provide to millions, there are still opponents of its reform. The Reefer Madness-era opponents are dwindling, but they still remain in prominent positions of power. While advocates must continue to push back against these prohibitionist notions, we should also understand why these people think the way they do... and it isnt always because theyre getting paid off!

For the past few generations, the public has been taught something very few had been led to believe before: that cannabis was a problem. Generations raised on propaganda, D.A.R.E. and after-school specials were told that consuming marijuana leads to addiction, harder drugs, murder, death, and, most terrifying, according to the movie Reefer Madness , you may even end up playing the piano at ridiculously fast speeds. Truly terrifying stuff.

On a much more serious note, that government-led brainwashing began the passing of numerous drug laws. These laws led to the incarceration of millions, including scores of people of color, particularly Black men, and others from disadvantaged communities. Many such regulations remain in practice today, continuing to affect those same communities.

Thankfully, the tide has begun to shift to a degree. With hope, it should continue on this course for the foreseeable future. Society is gradually ending the weird times. Legalization is spreading. Uruguay and Canada have already legalized adult use laws, and both Israel and Mexico appear on the verge in 2021. In America, all but six states have passed either medical or adult use cannabis laws as of November 2020. Countries across the globeand on each livable continentnow have laws too.

While the authorities play catch-up, much of society has lapped their governing bodies in warming to pot. In fact, it is safe to assume that, if youve picked up this book, then you most likely support ongoing reform as well.

Pro Tip: While many of the tips in this book can also be seen as Life Tips, take into account that you may either be stoned, carrying, or at least under the influence. You want to be as incognito as possible and not draw attention to yourself. For one, you dont want to spark any potential paranoia, and you also dont want to catch the attention of those who may make problems for you.

Rapid cannabis reform across the world may lead to a further culture shift within the community as it expands. Such a shift is expected, to a certain degree, whenever legalization becomes a reality; evolution is a reality for everything in life. That said, it would be a shame to see marijuana shift so far that the culture and ethics that brought the plant back from global prohibition would be lost in the process. Ethics and culture are central to what made cannabis more than just a marketplaceit played a significant part in building a community.

When talking about the culture and ethics of the cannabis community, we should remember that it has continued to develop and evolve since the plants first use thousands of years ago. Be they short-term or permanent, 2020, 2021 and the years ahead will reshape those values in substantial fashion, whether we like it or not.

We cannot control the path forward entirely. However, the cannabis community can continue the ethics and etiquette set by early proponents of the plant with our own modernized takes thrown in. Whatever the landscape, it should always be a goal to set values around community and respect for all.

* * *

Now, this next part my editor probably wont like. And perhaps they wont like this fourth wall break of a setup, either. But the former, unlike the latter statement, is rather essential to the next point.

The tips and essential rules for cannabis etiquette have been done before. This book isnt the first of its kind. Others have tackled the subject, with most providing more of a broad glance of the community and its rules. However, I believe that this etiquette book is the first to offer a guide to the ethics of the cannabis community created by the cannabis community.

And thanks to the calamity of a year that was 2020, I believe it may be the first to address marijuana etiquette in a current and, hopefully soon enough, post-COVID-19 world.

To create a communal discussion, I relied on personal experiences, research and a range of people in the community to offer their insights on how to have a good time while upholding the cooperative cannabis spirit. Through a collective lens, the goal is to provide the community, novice and experienced alike, with a primer on how to be a valued contributing member to the cannabis community, and society as a whole.

Now, check the area for any expecting parents, children, and pets. Then, get high and kick back. Lets explore what makes todays cannabis community tick and how you can help contribute to its continued evolution.