So, you’re curious about cannabis. Howzit! Welcome to the club. It seems like everywhere you look in sunny South Africa, from a Saturday afternoon braai to a chilled evening on the stoep, conversations around cannabis are budding and blooming. The days of dodgy deals in dimly lit car parks are fading fast, replaced by a new era of curiosity, wellness, and frankly, some really fantastic, high-quality products. But for the newcomer, this new world can feel a bit overwhelming. What do you choose? How much is too much? Will you end up glued to your couch, unable to operate the TV remote while contemplating the existential dread of a half-eaten bag of NikNaks? Relax, boet. We’ve got you. Consider this your friendly, no-nonsense guide to dipping your toes into the wonderful world of cannabis, ensuring your first time is less ‘fear and loathing’ and more ‘calm and cruising’.
First things first, let’s have a quick chat about the lay of the land here in SA. Since the 2018 Constitutional Court ruling, private, personal use of cannabis is decriminalised. This has opened the door for a more sophisticated and responsible market to emerge. The key takeaway for you, as a beginner, is the importance of sourcing your cannabis from a reputable place. Knowing what’s in your product—the exact cannabinoid content, that it’s free from pesticides and other nasties—is non-negotiable for a safe and predictable experience. Quality and transparency are everything, and it’s the difference between a pleasant journey and a bumpy, uncertain ride. Choosing a trusted brand means you’re already setting yourself up for success before you’ve even taken a single puff or nibble.
Now for the fun part: choosing your adventure. There are three main paths you can take for your first expedition, each with its own unique characteristics. Think of it as choosing between a zippy scooter, a reliable sedan, or a luxury cruise liner. The first option is the classic: smoking or vaping dried cannabis flower. The biggest advantage here is control. When you inhale cannabis, the effects come on quickly, usually within minutes. This rapid onset allows you to gauge how you’re feeling in near real-time. You can take a small puff, wait ten to fifteen minutes, and see where you land. If you feel you’d like a little more, you can take another. It’s an intuitive process. The downsides? Well, smoking is smoking—it can be harsh on the throat and lungs. Plus, the distinctive aroma isn’t exactly subtle, which might not be ideal if you’re looking for discretion. Vaping flower is a smoother alternative, heating the cannabis without combusting it, which releases the good stuff in a vapour that’s kinder on your airways and produces less of a lingering smell.
Next up, we have vape cartridges, or ‘vape pens’. These are the epitome of convenience and discretion. They’re sleek, portable, and produce a vapour that dissipates almost instantly with a much milder scent than burnt flower. The effects are also very fast-acting, similar to smoking, giving you that immediate feedback and control over your dosage. However, the potency of vape pens can be a double-edged sword for a novice. The concentrated cannabis oil they contain is powerful, and it can be incredibly easy to overdo it if you’re not careful. A tiny puff can be much stronger than you anticipate. If you go this route, the rule is to take the smallest possible inhale—we’re talking a one-second draw—and then wait a good fifteen minutes before even thinking about going back for more. As with all products, ensuring your vape cart comes from a lab-tested, reputable source is paramount to avoid harmful cutting agents.
And that brings us to the most popular, and potentially most treacherous, entry point for beginners: edibles. From gummies and chocolates to infused drinks, edibles offer a smoke-free, delicious, and incredibly discreet way to consume cannabis. The effects are also known for being deeper, longer-lasting, and more of a full-body experience. So, what’s the catch? It’s all in the timing. When you eat cannabis, it doesn’t go straight to your brain. It first travels to your stomach and then to your liver, where the THC is metabolised into a much more potent compound called 11-hydroxy-THC before it enters your bloodstream. This metabolic detour can take anywhere from 45 minutes to over two hours to kick in. This delay is the number one rookie mistake. An impatient first-timer eats a piece of a brownie, waits 30 minutes, feels nothing, and thinks, “Well, this is dud. I’ll have another piece.” This is a recipe for a very, very long and intense evening. With edibles, patience isn’t just a virtue; it’s a non-negotiable requirement.
This leads us to the most important piece of advice in this entire article, the golden rule of cannabis consumption, especially with edibles: start low and go slow. We cannot stress this enough. Your friend who has been enjoying cannabis for years might pop a 20mg edible without blinking, but their tolerance is not your tolerance. For a complete beginner, a starting dose of THC should be between 2.5mg and 5mg. Yes, that small. The goal of your first time is not to get blasted into another dimension; it’s to have a pleasant, manageable, and enjoyable experience. You can always take more, but you can never take less. The challenge, of course, is knowing how much is in that homemade biscuit your mate baked. This is where the guesswork becomes the enemy of a good time. To truly control your experience, precisely dosed products are your absolute best friend. That’s where something like our Blueberry Buzz Gummies, 10mg THC becomes your trusted companion. They take all the maths and mystery out of the equation. Each gummy contains a precise 10mg of THC. For a true beginner, we’d strongly recommend starting with just half a gummy (that’s a perfect 5mg dose). Let that be your entire experience for the evening. You know exactly what you’re getting, which means you can have a predictable, relaxed, and genuinely delightful time. No nasty surprises, just lekker vibes.
Beyond the product and the dose, your environment plays a massive role in your experience. Experts call this ‘set and setting’. ‘Set’ refers to your mindset. Are you feeling happy, relaxed, and open? Or are you anxious, stressed, or in a low mood? Cannabis tends to amplify your current emotional state, so it’s best to save your first experience for a day when you’re feeling positive and have nothing stressful on your agenda. ‘Setting’ refers to your physical environment. For your first time, choose a place where you feel completely safe, comfortable, and at ease. Your own home, or the home of a close, trusted friend, is ideal. Avoid crowded parties, loud concerts, or any situation where you might feel overwhelmed or self-conscious. Curate your space for maximum comfort. We’re talking fluffy blankets, your favourite comfy couch, and soft lighting. Prepare a ‘nest’ for your adventure. Have a playlist of your favourite chilled music ready to go. Queue up a visually beautiful nature documentary or a silly, lighthearted comedy you love. And most importantly, prepare your snacks in advance! The ‘munchies’ are a very real and wonderful phenomenon. Having a selection of your favourite treats—sweet, salty, crunchy, chewy—on hand will be a gift from your past self to your future self. Also, keep a big bottle of water nearby to stay hydrated.
So, you’ve taken your small dose in your perfectly curated setting. What should you expect to feel? It’s different for everyone, but common effects include a sense of euphoria and wellbeing. You might find yourself giggling uncontrollably at things that are only mildly funny. Your senses may feel heightened; music can sound richer and more complex, colours might seem more vibrant, and the flavour of that chocolate you’re eating could be the most incredible thing you’ve ever tasted. Your perception of time might warp a little, with minutes feeling like hours in a pleasant, dreamy way. You may also feel a deep sense of physical relaxation, as if a wave of calm is washing over your body. The two most common, and completely harmless, side effects are a dry mouth (often called ‘cottonmouth’) and red eyes. A glass of water solves the first, and if you’re concerned about the second, some standard eye drops will do the trick.
Okay, let’s address the big fear: what if you misjudged and feel a bit too high? What if the experience becomes overwhelming or sparks some anxiety? First, and most importantly, breathe. Remind yourself, out loud if you need to, that you are safe and that this feeling is temporary. It will pass. No one has ever suffered a fatal overdose from cannabis. The discomfort you’re feeling is not dangerous. Now, for some practical steps. Drink some water. Find a calm, quiet space. If you have any CBD oil on hand (without THC), take some. CBD is known to counteract some of the anxiety-inducing effects of THC. A fascinating and effective trick is to smell or chew on a few black peppercorns. They contain a terpene called caryophyllene which can help ground you. Try to change your scenery by moving to a different room or stepping onto a balcony for some fresh air. Distract your mind with a familiar comfort movie or a simple, repetitive task. Sometimes, the best solution is simply to lie down in a dark, quiet room and ride it out until you drift off to sleep.
After a good night’s sleep, you’ll likely wake up feeling just fine, perhaps even wonderfully rested. Unlike the dreaded alcohol-induced ‘babalas’, there is typically no cannabis hangover. Some people report feeling slightly groggy or ‘foggy’ the next morning, but this usually clears up after a shower and a good breakfast. Hydrate well, eat a nourishing meal, and enjoy the gentle afterglow of your experience. Reflect on what you enjoyed and what you might do differently next time. Did the 5mg dose feel right? Maybe next time you’ll stick with that, or perhaps you’ll feel comfortable trying a slightly higher dose. This journey is yours to navigate at your own pace.
Embarking on your cannabis journey should be an exciting and positive experience, not a source of anxiety. By respecting the plant and approaching it with mindfulness, you set yourself up for success. Remember the key principles: start with a trusted, lab-tested product so you know exactly what you’re getting. Choose your method and, if you opt for edibles, embrace the mantra of ‘start low and go slow’. Carefully curate your set and setting to create a sanctuary of comfort and calm. And know that even if you feel a bit overwhelmed, the feeling is temporary and manageable. With a little knowledge and preparation, you can unlock a new way to relax, enhance your creativity, and simply enjoy the moment. Welcome to a new chapter of wellness and enjoyment, the Dixie Jane way.
Keywords: Cannabis for Beginners, South Africa Cannabis, First Time Guide, Low Dose THC, Edibles 101