Throwing the ultimate pot party is easier than you think, and your bud-infused blowout can be the high point of the year for everyone who attends.
You might not be willing or able to fully implement every ultimate pot party ingredient listed here, but the more of this advice you follow, the more likely you’ll be to take full advantage of the incredibly fun and social potential that cannabis uniquely provides.
Choosing The Ultimate Cannabis Party Location
Most of the cannabis-themed get-togethers I’ve attended have been held in spacious homes with large, sequestered yards in rural areas. In some cases, the hosts and participants pooled their money to rent a spectacular vacation home on a beach, in the mountains, near a ski area, or a similar scenic location. Some great pot parties have also taken place in national forests and outdoors areas with plenty of acreage on-site and around the perimeter, with guests staying in tents and RV’s.
These locations provide privacy, security and a breathtaking ambiance. And for sure, security-minded cannabis growers don’t want to host a party in their grow house, with cannabis odor representing a security risk, as does the discovery of your grow room by inquisitive attendees. When you host your party far from prying eyes and nosy noses, you increase the feeling of safety that makes cannabis more pleasurable.
Music To Enhance Your Cannabis Party
Creative party organizers may request their guests provide their favorite tracks, so the hosts can arrange those cuts into a party playlist. That way, instead of the organizer’s musical tastes dictating the vibe, it’s a democratic process that promotes sharing and familiarity. It also provides a more eclectic musical set.
Ask that each guest choose at least one of their favorite songs to reflect a cannabis theme. Emphasize the need for deep cuts, not the usual weed cult favorites such as Cypress Hill’s “Hits from the Bong,” or “Because I Got High” by Afroman.
To encourage deep cuts, why not set up a competition in which guests vote for the deepest, most obscure cuts provided, with prizes awarded for those who selected the winning tune?
At one cannabis party I went to, the winner of the deep-cut contest had offered a rare gem, the 1949 Spanish-language hit “Marihuana Boogie” by Mexican-American singer Lalo Guerrero. The winner had even gone so far as to print out an English translation of the lyrics! At another great party, the hosts had hired a cannabis-specific DJ, who brought her own deep cuts from all genres, including acid house, psychedelic rock and trance. And at another memorable event, there was a cannabis band playing songs about growing, consuming and selling weed. Not only were they a Phish-style jam band who displayed incredible musicianship, their lyrics were very in tune with cannabis culture.
Have a listen to Guerrero’s “Marihuana Boogie” below.
Cannabis-Themed Munchies And Beverages
Many cannabis strains promote a ravenous appetite, while combusted and vaporized cannabis creates dry mouth, so plenty of delicious food and beverages are essential pot party favors. One important food to serve is mango. This tasty tropical fruit is loaded with myrcene, a compound also found in cannabis, which potentiates and accentuates cannabinoid effects. Tasty mango lassi, a delicious Indian yoghurt drink, will likely be a big hit among attendees.
Although party hosts may feel compelled to provide junk food and beverages loaded with sugar such as doughnuts, fudge, cake and soda, the quality, length and clarity of a person’s high is better enabled by healthier foods such as fruits, proteins and vegetables. A sugar high can interfere with the cannabis high, while heavy, animal-derived foods such as meat, poultry and pizza can immobilize the eater, because nearly a quarter of the body’s blood supply and energy is spent on digestion at a time when the partygoer would rather feel light and springy to better enjoy dancing and socializing.
Providing green tea or even an espresso machine can potentiate the cannabis high, as caffeine is used to cut through couchlock cannabis effects.
It’s also very festive to provide protein smoothies, cool reverse osmosis water and chilled, naturally flavored carbonated beverages.
Avoid Serving Alcohol And Tobacco At Your Cannabis Party
I’ve never seen cannabis by itself make anyone violent or aggressive, but I have often seen alcohol do just that. When immoderate alcohol is mixed with cannabis consumption, it can create a weird, negative synergy. Alcohol’s corrosive effects on cellular structure and function potentiate rapid entry of cannabinoids into the body’s endocannabinoid system. Consuming alcohol and cannabis together may cause marijuana compounds to acutely affect body systems in ways weed by itself wouldn’t create.
Even chronic potheads can get sick, dizzy, vomit, faint, be panic-stricken and otherwise discombobulated due to consuming alcohol when they’re high. On top of that, alcohol can easily take over a pot party, and it only takes a few drunken, aggressive guests to ruin the kind, sensitive vibe cannabis is known for. Do yourself a favor and don’t serve alcohol at a cannabis-fueled party — the only exception being green dragon, the alcohol-based cannabis tincture that is consumed in small amounts, so that the potential negative effects of the booze contained within are thoroughly mitigated.
Similarly, it’s always a plus when party hosts prohibit cigarette smoking. Tobacco bring with it a foul smell, carelessly discarded cigarette butts and overflowing ashtrays, plus the potential for burnt flesh and even house fires. Guests who are addicted to nicotine can use an alternative delivery device outside the house to dose themselves, without bringing the taint of cigarette stank into the party.
Only Like-Minded Individuals Should Attend A Cannabis Party
Most regular consumers of cannabis would prefer to be around people who share their love for the plant when at a party. And conversely, people who don’t consume cannabis will likely feel out of place at a pot-themed bash. They often end up not being able to get into the hilarity, psychedelia and harmless lunacy that marijuana creates at a social event.
Trust me, if you go to a pot party and everybody there is a bud lover, then you’re going to have a way better time.
Activities For Stoned People To Enjoy
The sky’s the limit when it comes to group and solo activities you can provide for your guests at your ultimate cannabis party.
One of the easier, more relaxing activities is to set up a screening room with a banging sound system and a large high-res screen for playing classic stoner movies and TV shows like Pineapple Express, Up in Smoke, Weeds and High Maintenance on endless loop. Sprinkle in top stand-up comedy (Eddie Murphy Raw), concert films (Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii), and eye-candy movies with lots of visual and music effects (WALL-E, Minority Report, They Live) and you’ll likely have the best chill-out zone for stoners that was ever created.
An alcove for playing video games, virtual reality and Xbox is also great fun, especially when you load up on games like Rock Band VR. Check out cannabis-related game apps, many of which are focused on growing or becoming rich through selling. You can find cool apps for Android and iOS devices at Free Apps For Me. Also consider weed board games like Weed-Opoly, a marijuana version of Monopoly, and the Pass the Grass toking game.
Dancing, Frisbee, yoga, swimming, hot tubbing, karaoke, flag football, Rock ’Em Sock ’Em robots, kite flying, soccer, volleyball and charades all have enhanced entertainment value when you’re high. These kinds of sharing activities encourage interpersonal bonding, which makes for an even better party.
Cannabis Party Favors To Serve Your Guests
The most successful cannabis parties have access to growers, because that’s the easiest way to procure affordable, ample quantities of several strains of whole bud and cannabis products. After all, marijuana variety is the spice of any pot party.
I like to lay out a buffet menu including premium buds from across the cannabis strain spectrum, green dragon ethanol tincture, at least one type of dab product, along with dry sift, bubble hash or non-solvent cannabis concentrate.
Some parties provide edibles and drinkables, but I don’t recommend that — too many guests risk consuming too much too fast, leading to a sea of sickness and logistical headaches for hosts.
Be sure to label each cannabis product, so consumers know exactly what they’re getting.
Along with product, make sure you have on hand organic rolling papers, a high-quality dab rig, professional vaporizer, lighters, matches, and several unbreakable bongs and pipes. Handi Wipes for sanitizing pipes and bongs are also a nice touch.
If you don’t have the funds or access to sufficient quantities and varieties of cannabis, ask each guest to bring their favorite marijuana product, and set a minimum gram amount so you get usable amounts from each attendee and enough to provide cannabis for everyone for the duration of the party. Probably the worst thing that can happen at a pot party is to run out of pot!
Cannabis Party Safety, Comfort, Liability And Security
Cannabis is still illegal federally, and a weed-themed party can create legal or personal risks and hardships if you don’t take precautions.
For that reason, you don’t want to disturb neighbors with loud noise, rowdy people, profanity, shouting, vandalism and parking overload. If your party bothers people who live nearby, they may call the police. Even in the most legal of states, police can create terrible problems for you and your guests.
Remember that cannabis affects everyone differently and some people will imbibe too much or otherwise become uncomfortable. Some people may green out from being too high. Be sure to have a quiet, comfortable, private, safe space for people to retreat to if they need to ride out an overwhelming high.
Don’t allow pets at your pot party. Fish in aquariums, birds in cages, reptiles in terrariums — all OK. But dogs especially can cause big problems in a party setting, and there’s also the issue of dogs and cats getting dosed with second-hand smoke or from guests who deliberately try to hot box them.
Make sure all your guests are at least 21 years old. There are serious legal penalties for providing cannabis to minors.
Before your cannabis soirée begins, create a plan for monitoring, emergency evacuation and contraband disposal that’s easy to activate in case of police interference, medical emergencies, guest conflicts or inclement weather. This plan requires that at least one or two of the party hosts remain sober enough to frequently check the party house and grounds, evaluating guest comfort and interactions, street parking, noise and commotion, potential security threats or unwelcome party crashers.
Be a step ahead of any problem so you can deal with it before it happens. An early-warning network and agreed-upon signal that all guests know about can help people clean up, pack up and escape swiftly, should something bad be on the way.
In our litigious era, you have legitimate reason to be worried about lawsuits when you throw a party. Some hosts have guests sign a legal liability release waiver, stating that whatever happens at the party, the guests won’t sue or otherwise make claims against the hosts.
Explain the party’s rules, activities, ethos and logistics to potential guests when you invite them. Make it clear ahead of time that the party is for cannabis enthusiasts, no extra guests can be brought, leave your dogs, booze, cigarettes and guns at home, treat everyone with respect and discretion, how long the party will last for, etc.
Especially if your party will have growers, celebrities or black-market suppliers in attendance, preserve people’s anonymity and security by banning devices and smartphones. Many people who have ties to the cannabis industry do not want to see their images or identities shared on social media. I’ve witnessed several conflicts at pot parties when people were taking photos or filming video and guests didn’t want to be in the frame. Make sure everyone understands that what happens at the pot party stays at the pot party.
Know your guests well enough to set up a salubrious mix of socially adept people. As with any party, a major key to success is choosing the right number and mix of attendees. Parties with a disproportionate number of males to females or social demographics can be disappointingly dull.
Bring together a group of well-adjusted, intelligent, respectable stoners who know how to handle being high in social settings. Avoid drama queens, narcissists or hostiles who risk spoiling all the fun.
Sure, you could invite a few people over to sit around smoking weed and watching TV. But when you want to elevate your gathering to an ultimate event that takes full advantage of cannabis’s potential for interpersonal fun, it takes planning, funds, effort, research and discretion.
But trust me, it’s worth it. The right location, people, party favors, activities and cannabis products will create an uplifting vibe that’ll take you higher than a kite.
