Whether or not you use weed yourself is irrelevant to its place in the world, so why not be a proactive friend and incorporate cannabis into your host repertoire early on when planning a meetup?
Many of us grew up learning how to provide food, drink, and amenities to people who visit our homes, regardless of what we prefer for them. Do you not serve coffee because you prefer tea? Not if you are a good host! While some people enjoy cannabis as a Friday night treat or as a way to relax, like a low-stakes wine habit, others consume it in a daily ritual, like drinking a cup of coffee. You can accommodate both.
If you do, you’ll be up there with the men who store tampons in their bachelor pads and the folks who have veggie burgers ready for their meaty BBQs. Consider it another way to show your guests that you care about them and appreciate the free time they spend with you.
Already on Team THC? This guide applies to you too – anyone offering cannabis to their guests needs to ensure that anyone consuming it is familiar with the basics of having a good (and safe) time with it. So, before you get caught off-guard (or empty-handed), figure out your canna-hospitality game plan with these tips from two industry experts dedicated to making weed safe and delicious.
Why you should entertain with weed
Christina Wong is CEO of Fruit + Flower, a cannabis media company that brings together everything delicious into beautiful content, and she has hot advice for newbies, seasoned cannabis fans, and anyone looking to shower guests with a good time: it’s more than just a way for people to get high.
“Cannabis use has never been more accessible and public than it is today,” Wong said via email. “There are many reasons people use cannabis in social spaces: to manage their stress and social anxiety, to relieve pain and discomfort, to have fun and laugh, and to relax and unwind, to sleep better, to just to name a few.”
As the stigma around the drug cools, it will continue to normalize and appear in more and more places. As Wong noted, “a cannabis-infused mocktail or canned fizzy drink easily replaces alcohol at parties and events. It’s popping up alongside wine and cocktails as an alternative option at weddings and at the celebratory table.”
But don’t forget the newcomers: Providing the inexperienced with accessible ways to engage with cannabis in the safety of their home is also wonderfully inviting, whether it’s their first time or their first time in a long time, she added.
Set yourself up for success
Until dosing cannabis has become second nature and people have a daily measure of their personal limits, take the guesswork out by using clear plating techniques or serving individually dosed and packaged goods. Small signs or even a menu are great ways to answer questions before people even know to ask them.
Pre-portion and label food and keep it away from children and pets. As with alcohol, you should not leave weed-infused foods where children can taste them, even accidentally. Don’t launch a marijuana spread without letting people know exactly what’s in what, specifically the amount of THC or CBD in each serving of food and the size of each recommended serving.
Advice is crucial for new consumers, Wong noted, but anyone can go a little too far, especially when the treats are tasty. “Educate guests about the products and cannabis they will be consuming, and provide suggested dosages and recommendations,” she said. “Someone with a low tolerance can enjoy a 5 mg THC drink so much that they forget and grab it for a second, not realizing it might be too much for them.”
Don’t put an infused cake in the middle of an uninfused spread or you risk people unknowingly eating it and panicking when they feel the effects. Instead, consider a closed container and pre-cut or weigh treats to avoid over-serving.
Treat it like any other adult substance
Just like serving alcohol, you provide the access and context, but you also need to trust people to be adults and exercise self-control. While you cannot actually be physically harmed by the effects of too much cannabis, driving while under the influence is a major taboo and you can certainly be harmed by your own actions while high.
Overdoing it is generally not a pleasant or positive experience, and certainly not in a social setting. It can be uncomfortable for both beginners and pros, so be careful to avoid turning green.
For Wong, this starts with knowing your audience: “A party with Snoop Dogg, Seth Rogen and Dave Chapelle is a very different experience than a wedding celebration with family members,” she said. “Unless you’re hosting an experienced group of cannabis users, it’s best to keep whatever is infused at a low dose and allow guests the opportunity to dose themselves according to their own tolerance.”
Serving cannabis at your wedding or other family gathering doesn’t have to be mysterious. Choosing products that fit into social settings is a great way to offer alternatives to alcohol. One drink making waves is MXXN, a non-alcoholic cannabis elixir that comes in flavors reminiscent of some of the most popular spirits like gin, mezcal, and whiskey. MXXN creator Darnell Smith designed his product with social consumption in mind.
“The key to being a good host is offering options for your guests’ evolving needs,” Smith told us in an email. “From a beverage standpoint, with alcoholic, non-alcoholic and infused beverages, there’s something for everyone.”
Entertainment comes with a flow of drinks: moody cocktails, after-dinner coffee or espresso, palate cleansers like amari and digestifs, sugary party punches, sodas, and of course, beer and wine. Many of these social drinks contain our favorite “classic” addictive substances like sugar, caffeine and alcohol, and cannabis has a neat corner waiting in this category – but there’s one key difference to keep in mind.
“With most other substances, your guests have a reference point and a story,” Smith said. “Some guests will not be as familiar with cannabis as [so] It’s important to know your audience and have low-dose options on hand. The best advice we can give is to start low and go slow.”
Other ways to offer cannabis to partygoers
You don’t need to provide consumable cannabis if you’re worried about blurry lines or mistaken binge eating—smokable (or vape) cannabis is one of the oldest and most popular forms of indulgence. For a fun DIY vibe, “create stations and areas with plenty of rolling trays, rolling papers, flowers or pre-rolls, ashtrays, and lighters,” suggested Wong.
It’s also good to know how to do it administer People who are high and the side effects of taking them. “Provide plenty of water and non-infused beverages because people can get cotton balls and thirst when they’re high,” advised Wong.
To help your guests unwind, Wong also suggested serving CBD-infused nightcaps instead of THC. “Since dessert is often served at the end of the event, people are pretty high at this point and a dessert with more THC might be too much,” she warned. Make the experience similar to a typical dinner party, with build-up and relax moments.
Normalize it already
Even after reading this, the idea of providing your guests with weed for Mike makes you feel a little shabby. But whether you’re offering smokeable, edible, or drinkable cannabis at your next gathering, you’re helping to reintroduce one of people’s favorite plants back into the mix, and doing a service to those who still face the stigma of putting it down to let in what is now a legal pastime in almost half of US states. Use this advice to make your guests feel welcome and safe when weed is on the menu.
