Toking in secret all the time. why?

[HighAndMighty]

Gang,

I'm new to 420 these past 15 months. Good times. Enjoy much.

Question: why do pot-heads go through so much trouble to do it in private? Even at parties where it's clearly accepted?

For example: My poker game is enjoyed by the same 10-15 regulars (all good friends) every Thursday. Half of them smoke 420. The game is held in "the Man-Garage" of a friend's place, 100 yards down the long driveway from his house. Nothing but guys in the man-garage playing poker; all of us between 21 and 51. All the wives and g/fs, if they bother to come at all, are all hanging out in the house far down the hill. They never come into the man-garage during poker.

But nonetheless, any guy who wants to toke, still they usually pair up, and they always go outside the garage to do it. Like it's a secret. But they often go out in pairs, or 3 or 4 at a time. It's an "open secret."

(by the way, I only eat the stuff, so I openly eat my happy-cookies at the poker table, and this is a known thing)

Why the "secrecy?" I understand the "hush hush" in other places, but I don't get it here. And I've observed similar attitude at other parties, such as tonight. Tonight I was in a small party with 6 people sitting around talking - 4 of us regular users. The 2 who chose to light-up tonight could not bring themselves to do it in front of others, so they hid down the hall and smoked.

Thank you for any insight into the psyche of the 420 user.

 

[talty09]

Re: Toking in secret all the time... why?

I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that some people are self concise. I mean they probably are smokers for a while and have maybe done it for multiple years. 90% of that time is done with really small groups and trusted friends. So some people dont feel comfortable in a large group and smoking. They feel like they may be patronized even though it is accepted. Or, they just get more comfortable in a small quieter setting.

 

[420 towelie]

Re: Toking in secret all the time... why?

I will do it in private even around people that I know are cool with it. I'm normally pretty liberal with sharing of weed, but too many scavengers in large groups who wont even consider smoking you out later. Karma.

 

[Aberration]

Re: Toking in secret all the time... why?

When I go to my bro's house, he always has a lot of friends over and there's no hiding. I just roll two. I light the first, take a few hits to get it lit and pass it. I'll never hold that one again, because I then light the second one and smoke it myself. No one seems to care that I don't share the second doobie. I don't have to put up with only getting a few hits. It works for me.

As to why people sneak off like that, I would say one common reason is the price of pot. At these prices, they only want to smoke out a minimum number of people. It would be rude to do that in front of everyone else, so they wander off to do it.

Or maybe the owner doesn't want the man-garage to smell like pot, so they go outside.

Or maybe they are just anti-social in a frightened kind of way. Although this last one seems unlikely. Just about every stoner I've ever met gets pretty gregarious pretty fast when they get high. Myself, I know I start up at the mouth and it just keeps rolling along of it's own accord. I'd rather be the quiet cool guy than the chatty Charley, but there's no sense fighting it. I tried for years. It never worked. I don't know how to shut up when I'm high.

Maybe you should ask them. It seems like they would probably tell you. Maybe it would trigger them to re-evaluate the situation and they would start puff-puff-passing like most stoners.

I'm so high.

 

[Will Surf 4 Pot]

Re: Toking in secret all the time... why?

As already mentioned above, there are a lot of scavengers out there who are more than happy to smoke some of your dank and NEVER repay the favor. There are quite a few people in our big group of friends who are like this, so we sneak off.

 

[HighAndMighty]

Re: Toking in secret all the time... why?

Ahh yes, bums makes perfect sense. I didn't think of that. Of course. I suppose my group has those too, but I've never noticed them (and I only eat maricookies, so I don't have that problem).

That answer does make sense; thanks guys. I wondered if there was some "spill over" of the public secrecy around 420 that caused people to continue that secrecy even when at home or among friends. Thanks for the insight.

 

[BtodaLew]

Re: Toking in secret all the time... why?

hmm. maybe i should start sneaking more. lol.

 

[Loch]

Re: Toking in secret all the time... why?

It may just be not wanting to offend anyone. When I used to smoke on a more regular basis, there were a few friends of mine that would just drink instead. I never wanted to offend them with the smoke, nor accidentally give them a second hand high, nor put any pressure on them to partake of something that was not their intention.

They knew I didn't like to drink, but I knew I could grab a cold one anytime I wanted. I knew they didn't want to smoke, but I would have shared anytime they requested.

 

[Aberration]

Re: Toking in secret all the time... why?

It may just be not wanting to offend anyone. When I used to smoke on a more regular basis, there were a few friends of mine that would just drink instead. I never wanted to offend them with the smoke, nor accidentally give them a second hand high, nor put any pressure on them to partake of something that was not their intention.

They knew I didn't like to drink, but I knew I could grab a cold one anytime I wanted. I knew they didn't want to smoke, but I would have shared anytime they requested.

Also a very good candidate. Great point. I've been in that situation before as well.

 

[Philosopher]

Re: Toking in secret all the time... why?

For the longest time my crew took the secrecy thing to an absurd extreme, often driving several miles out of town to smoke a joint. This happened less and less as we got older, and the price of gas nowadays has more or less put the last nail in that coffin. I don't even care anymore, the occasions that I'm smoking away from home are so rare lately that if I end up smoking with a scavenger on one, so be it.

 

[Weedasaurus]

this is why.

YouTube - Snoop Dogg

Urban Dictionary: Scavenger Smoker
One who dosn't finance their own weed purchases, and attempts to smoke everyone else's shit for free.

Be Aware of the Following Statements:
"Oh, you guys are smoking, can I get a quick hit of that"
"If I knew we were getting weed I would have thrown down"
"Dude I hard a rough day, just let me smoke"
"Your friend ate some of my cookies, the hell I can't smoke"

 

[HighAndMighty]

Ha! Gotcha Thanks. Loaded cookies seem to eliminate this prob.

 

[punch1118]

it's common courtesy not to smoke anything in front of others
if you do it forces them to breathe your second hand smoke
it's no different than exposing others to second hand cigarette smoke
it's not a mj issue so you can eat your cookies in peace

 

[Creeper]

it's no different than exposing others to second hand cigarette smoke

This couldn't be further from the truth. Cannabis smoke doesn't contain anything like the toxic crap cigs do. My wife is super-sensitive to cig smoke (I smoked cigs for over 20 years) but cannabis smoke doesn't even make her nose twitch.


Ditto to pretty much everything everyone else said. The only thing I might add is that some people just don't feel comfortable openly smoking in front of non-smokers, even if it is accepted. Call it paranoia, but I tend to get a little nervous when people watch me smoke. I believe the transformation to a higher state of consciousness is a personal thing, and if they're not participating they probably wouldn't understand where I'm going. Hence, it's a journey I only like to undertake with myself or very small groups. Once I'm there, I enjoy everyone's company.

There are exceptions, of course. There have been occasions when everyone around me was getting high, and of course I would join in, comfortably. I've often wondered, as most of us probably do, what it would be like to legally smoke a joint as we walk down the street... I tend to think most of us pot heads would probably never do that.

Anyhow, I think you've found your answers.

 

[McNuggz420]

To me it's a comfort thing. Marijuana is a relaxing drug and I just prefer to do it in more of a relaxing environment. A party or being around a lot of people while I smoke isn't where I like to enjoy my cannabis high. Smoking with a couple of close friends in a more secluded spot is a lot better to focus on and enjoy the wonderful effects of MaryJane.
...Plus a smaller amount of heads on the blunt isn't necessarily a bad thing.

 

[punch1118]

This couldn't be further from the truth. Cannabis smoke doesn't contain anything like the toxic crap cigs do. My wife is super-sensitive to cig smoke (I smoked cigs for over 20 years) but cannabis smoke doesn't even make her nose twitch.


Ditto to pretty much everything everyone else said. The only thing I might add is that some people just don't feel comfortable openly smoking in front of non-smokers, even if it is accepted. Call it paranoia, but I tend to get a little nervous when people watch me smoke. I believe the transformation to a higher state of consciousness is a personal thing, and if they're not participating they probably wouldn't understand where I'm going. Hence, it's a journey I only like to undertake with myself or very small groups. Once I'm there, I enjoy everyone's company.

There are exceptions, of course. There have been occasions when everyone around me was getting high, and of course I would join in, comfortably. I've often wondered, as most of us probably do, what it would be like to legally smoke a joint as we walk down the street... I tend to think most of us pot heads would probably never do that.

Anyhow, I think you've found your answers.

this isnt about the toxicity of the smoke it is about the common courtesy of not smoking around others if they do not want to breathe the second hand smoke

 

[HalfPint]

Personally not so much a comfort thing.

Usually I just dont want to share with the whole party.

 

[illest]

Here is my take on the subject...

As a kid my friends and I smoked in secret, because we were scared to smoke at home, so we'd find a place to smoke that was out of the way. Even at parties we did it, out of respect for the person throwing the party, probably didn't want drugs there in the first place, so we went out to a car. Even though it probably wouldn't have been an issue. I think it's just part of the ritual, or whatever you want to call it. Kind of like people who go from smoking, to vaporizing - it's not quite the same. Or a different example, of people who like cooking their harder drugs, even though they can buy the finished product, or tying off, etc.

I only smoke at home, or if at a friend's houses when they are already smoking, or the purpose was to go smoke.

 

[HighAndMighty]

Taking in all these comments collectively, I think I have good picture. Thanks everyone.

 

[RPsmoke]

Two guys stepping outside, can share a small bowl quickly, and return nice and medicated in only a few minutes.

A large group goes out to burn, you can end up smoking for awhile, shooting the breeze, smoking more to help get everyone happy, etc.

And some people just prefer to toke outside. I have a friend who can't smoke in his house (wife and kids request) so he steps out to smoke. He says at my place, its totally unnatural for him to stay on the couch and burn. Makes him a little "uneasy" at first.

Just some more thoughts. People are odd and we all got out "things". I don't know, interesting question though. Never really thought about it...