What Was Your First Time Like? by Jon Hazell

We all remember our first. The heat, the intensity, the excitement, there's nothing like it. But wait, we're talking about getting high...In that case, the first time may be a tad bit hazy, to say the least.

At Accoutrements we understand that the cannabis use still comes with a certain social stigma and we want to help change that. In order to start normalizing the conversation we asked a group of people from different walks of life to anonymously tell us about their 'first time' smoking cannabis.

We asked the question:

What was your first experience consuming/smoking cannabis like?

Here are some of the answers.

Male, 70, retired

"I was 61 and accidentally ate one of the special cookies my son had brought for the holidays. I just remember feeling weird and my wife and kids laughing at me. It was my fault as he did label them “special cookies <kids names> only”. I’m just happy I didn’t have two."

Male, 36, Marketing Consultant

"I was 19 and smoked a joint with two friends who offered to let me try it. To be honest I didn’t really feel anything. I was told that was normal but I definitely feel it now."

Female, 33, Restauranteur

"I think I was 14 when I tried with some friends at a party. We had an edible, “special” crepes. I just remember laughing a lot."

Male, 22, Artist

"I was 19, it was using a bong and it was a horrible experience. I didn’t know how to inhale properly and was coughing like no tomorrow. I couldn’t tell if I was high or not or just feeling off because I kept coughing. Now I use edibles."

Male, 33, Animation Director

"I was 16 at a high school party. I felt like everything slowed down, like the whole night was in slow motion. It was crazy fun and scary. I remember watching Back to the Future 2 but thinking it was the first movie and being confused as fuck."

Male, 33, Animation Production

"It was after grade 6 graduation so I would have been 12 at the time. My friend had a pinner hidden inside of a pen. We went out to the parking lot and smoked it there. I remember being buzzed but not sure if that was because it also had tobacco in it. First time a really remember being high though was after taking this big bong hit in grade nine, and that was fucking awesome."

Male, 21, Student

"I was 14, with a couple of my hockey teammates and one guy who was a stoner, and we had to play hockey later. We went to a secluded forest and made a really crappy water bottle bong, I took a hit and didn’t feel anything at all but I didn’t cough and my friends said they were proud me, so yeah."

Female, 31, Entrepreneur

"I was in high school at my friend’s house and I took a bong hit. It took me a few times to get it right and I ended up coughing up a storm and sat there with my head spinning and stomach turning, it was not pleasant."

Female 22, Student

"My boyfriend liked it, and I'd been curious for a while. I was 16. I'm 22 now and never really got that into it. I'd prefer alcohol."

Female, 44, unspecified

"I was 18 and smoked up with some friends. Immediately changed my life for the better."

Female, 47, unspecified

"I was 42 the first time. I'd found out that I had the beginning stages of breast cancer. I researched marijuana and the effects on different illnesses. I thought, "Well, it can't hurt!" and I had a friend get me some. I'd take about two hits out of a bowl 2 or 3 times a week (not enough to get high...that wasn't my aim. I did that for about 6 months or so and my cancer went into remission. That was in 2013. I'm showing signs that it may be back and I'm thinking about trying it again."

Male, 38, unspecified

"Was 15. Smoked outside of a church downtown at night. Real sketchy. It was good though. My gf at the time was texting me encouraging me. It was with some good friends. My distinct memory is feeling wavy while on the train home."

Male, unspecified age/occupation

"14 and I had it in a park late at night with some very dodgy but nice characters and it completely fucked me up. I was drinking too. Ended up in a different part of the city the next day and my parents reported me as missing child hahaha good times."

Male, unspecified age/occupation

"I was 14 smoked in the park after school laughed at the rabbits a bit went to McDonald's and ate about 7 cheese burgers."

Female, 66, retired

"I was 17, it was before a concert with some of my friends and we ate a brownie. I just ended up feeling very giggly and got really into the music at the concert, it was a fun time."

Ready to have your say? Let us know what your experience was like in our comments section below!