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Mind Your Marijuana Manners

Mind Your Marijuana Manners
PHOTO Gracie Malley for Cannabis Now

Books

Mind Your Marijuana Manners

A guide from an old-school name in etiquette teaches readers how to be polite with pot.

The ultimate guide for minding your marijuana manners has just arrived from America’s most respected etiquette brand: The Emily Post Institute. “Higher Etiquette,” written by Emily Post’s great-great-granddaughter Lizzie Post, focuses on the cannabis etiquette that has developed in post-prohibition landscapes. The guide provides a light-hearted and thoughtful look at the many customs that cannabis consumers have developed to be considerate to others in just about every situation where cannabis comes up.

From well-known rules for smoke sessions, like “puff, puff, pass” or not bogarting a joint, to more subtle etiquette situations, like how to approach playdates as a cannabis-using parents or come to agreements with roommates about smoking in shared spaces, this book is full of realistic cannabis scenarios and advice for how to navigate them with consideration and respect. And hey, it also teaches you how to throw an amazing cannabis dinner party!

Post, a cannabis consumer herself, says she had the book idea for a while, but it became a reality after interest from its publisher, Ten Speed Press. “I had a woman reach out and say, ‘Hey, I know of someone looking to do a book on this topic. I didn’t think it was right for you, but thought it might be right for someone you know.’” Post recounted laughing. “I literally did raise my hand, alone in my office, to no one and was like, ‘Right here. I’ll write that book!’”

From there, Post started her research phase. “It was honestly the best research of my career,” she said. “Go book a ticket and visit legalized states. Buy weed and hang out with people who enjoy it.”

Still, it wasn’t just the great cannabis that Post enjoyed during her research. Post says etiquette can be a really negative space, because “everyone is complaining about something.”

But in the cannabis sector, things were different. She says the etiquette was more focused on consideration, respect, generosity and sharing. “I think those are things that we really need now, as a country,” she explained. “I was very excited to work in this space for a while.”

While no one expected the Emily Post Institute to take on the topic of cannabis, Post explains that the project actually fits right into the institute’s values. “We have seen how based the cannabis community is on sharing, on respect, on being aware of the people around you,” she said. “It just falls so in line with the Emily Post principles of consideration, respect and honesty. That is something that I find really inspiring.”

This spirit of consideration and generosity is reflected throughout “Higher Etiquette.” While readers might think of an etiquette book as a big list of rules and judgments about what they are doing wrong, in this book, the conversation is more focused on considerations for how to make everyone feel comfortable, respected and understood. Far from a list of rules, “Higher Etiquette” leaves room for personal style and preferences. Instead of telling people what to do, it simply describes situations that might arise and offers helpful tips on being kind and thoughtful to everyone involved.

When asked to give just a single piece of cannabis etiquette advice, Post’s was this: “No judgments.” Post said that people use this incredible plant in such a wide variety of ways, “the biggest takeaway is we really need to try to not judge each other.”

TELL US, do you puff, puff, pass?

Originally published in the print edition of Cannabis Now. LEARN MORE

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