They say you should always start your day with a smile, and there’s no better way to boost your mood than by lighting up a good old joint. Smoking weed first thing in the morning might be a stoner cliché, but a so-called wake and bake really can set you on course for a magical day – provided you know what you’re doing and don’t commit any foolish errors.
Wake And Bake: Advantages
The most obvious advantage to consuming cannabis immediately after waking up is that it gets you into a positive frame of mind. Once you’ve had that first hit of cannabinoids, the dull morning routine suddenly becomes a breeze, while any worries that may have been lurking in the darker corners of your mind are swept away.
Even breakfast tastes better once you’ve got some weed in you, so a touch of the munchies early doors can help set you up for the rest of the day. Speaking of breakfast, a small amount of research suggests that cannabis and coffee consumption may have a synergistic effect. According to one study, small to moderate amounts of caffeine might enhance the strength of THC and other cannabinoids, although large quantities of coffee may have the opposite effect¹.
Whether you’re a coffee drinker or not, though, there’s no doubting that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so you might as well enjoy it to the max by getting a little high first.
On the subject of getting high, many cannabis users say their first toke of the day is the strongest. It’s unclear why early morning cannabis use is so potent, although it may have something to do with smoking on an empty stomach. Other theories suggest that rhythmic fluctuations in the body’s cannabinoid receptor levels may make users more sensitive to the effects of Mary Jane in the morning than in the afternoon or evening.
While more research is needed to clarify the cause of this phenomenon, it’s widely agreed that you get more stoned from a wake and bake than you would from smoking pot later in the day. Of course, for cannabis enthusiasts who consume weed regularly, the hours spent sleeping represent the longest gap between smokes. As a result, tolerance levels may be slightly lower in the morning, thus accounting for the extra strength of that first joint. In other words, sleep might provide a kind of mini tolerance break, allowing seasoned stoners to enjoy a stronger high than they would typically get at other times of the day.
The Cons Of Wake And Bake
Not all cannabis users advocate getting high first thing in the morning, and some feel the cons of wake and bake outweigh the upsides. Among the most obvious drawbacks is the fact that smoking weed alters one’s consciousness, which isn’t ideal if you have serious business to get on with.
For some, cannabis is best enjoyed at the end of the day, when all the important tasks have been taken care of and there’s nothing left to do but wind down and chill out. Those who get too high too soon might lose their focus and get little done, which is fine if you don’t have any responsibilities but probably not ideal for most people.
An early sesh can also make it difficult to get through the day without becoming drowsy, especially if you’ve blazed a cultivar with high levels of THC. For those who need to remain alert until the evening and don’t have an opportunity to nap in the late morning or early afternoon, wake and bake may not be the way to go.
Another disadvantage to smoking cannabis in the morning is that it makes it harder to get stoned later on. As previously mentioned, the turbo-charged high that comes with a sunrise spliff is one of the main pros of a wake and bake. However, any weed you consume later on won’t live up to that initial uplifting smoke. This can be problematic if you’re the sort of person who spends their working day looking forward to a nice joint in the evening, as you might not enjoy your nightly nug as much as you’d like.
Consequently, some people find they must consume much more cannabis throughout the day to get high. This means more frequent trips to the dispensary, which can be expensive. At the same time, excess cannabis use can increase the risk of becoming dependent and developing a habit.
Tips For The Perfect Wake And Bake
Planning the perfect wake and bake experience is something that will depend on your circumstances. For example, if you have important meetings at work that day, you’re better off using a cannabis strain that doesn’t hit too hard. Alternatively, if it’s the weekend and you just want to get as high as a kite then you can really let loose and go straight for the dankest weed in your stash.
As ever when it comes to weed, genetics make all the difference, so choosing the right cultivar is a must. Moderate THC levels combined with energizing terpenes like limonene are ideal characteristics for an early blaze, and strains matching this profile usually provide an uplifting morning buzz without leaving users too spangled to get out of bed.
When it comes to a wake and bake, sativa generally trumps indica, as the former variety is renowned for its energizing properties while the latter is more likely to induce couch lock.
If you’re looking for a tip, Strawberry Cheesecake is an excellent place to start. Containing around 15 per cent THC, this cultivar is great for mental stimulation and is a classic “daytime strain” that can be consumed when you’ve got stuff to do.
Lemonchello Haze, meanwhile, is slightly more potent but packed with limonene. Few strains are more reliable at triggering euphoria, so this really is the perfect cultivar for those who want to start the day beaming like the sun.
Alternatively, for those who need to get their game face on, Peyote Wi-Fi CBD 2:1 might be the one. This strain won’t get you stoned but can boost your creativity, mood and overall wellness – all of which can make even the most ardent layabout seem like a morning person.
It may also be worth experimenting with different modes of cannabis ingestion to find which one best suits you in the morning. For some, smoking before breakfast just doesn’t feel right, and the use of a vape can make things easier on the throat. Others prefer to use a bong, edibles, oils or tinctures. Just go with whatever helps you rise and shine first thing.
It’s also a good idea to drink a glass or two of water before your wake and bake (well, after you wake but before you bake). If you’ve ever noticed how concentrated your pee is in the morning, you’ll know that you tend to be dehydrated after a night’s sleep. Smoking weed will only exacerbate this, so it’s important to get some fluids into your system before you start puffing.
Finally – and this really should go without saying – don’t wake and bake if you have to drive somewhere or if your job involves operating heavy machinery (or, say, conducting brain surgery). There’s a time and a place for everything, and while an early morning smoke can be a great way to start the day, there are certain occasions when it’s best to just wait until the evening.
¹i Justinová Z, Redhi GH, Goldberg SR, Ferré S. Differential effects of presynaptic versus postsynaptic adenosine A2A receptor blockade on Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) self-administration in squirrel monkeys. Journal of Neuroscience. 2014 May 7;34(19):6480-4. - https://www.jneurosci.org/content/34/19/6480
