While some stoners swear by these myths, it’s up to you to decide whether or not they hold any weight. From cursed lighters to clumsy omens, here’s a list of quirky superstitions that every cannabis user should know:
Never Light a Blunt You Didn’t Roll
It ain’t no fun if the homies can’t have none — but unspoken stoner etiquette says you should never light a blunt you didn’t roll. Rumor has it that sparking up someone else’s hard work can bring misfortune to both you and the person who rolled it.Superstition or not, this is a solid rule of thumb to live by. After all, hard work deserves the reward of first puff, and cannabis karma is real.
White Lighters Bring Bad Luck
White lighters are like black cats: rare, mysterious and often misunderstood. The myth that white lighters are cursed has been around for decades, gaining traction thanks to conspiracy theorists who have linked white lighters to gone-too-soon celebrities Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain.Supposedly, all four members of the notorious 27 Club were left-handed and had white lighters in their pockets when they died. But the curse of the white lighter is a myth that can be easily busted.
The first disposable lighter was born in Europe in the early 1960s, but the smoke accessory didn’t hit international markets until years after Hendrix, Joplin and Morrison died. As for Cobain, autopsy reports confirm that no white lighters were found at the scene.
Still, for many stoners, the paranoia persists. If you’re a super superstitious smoker who still needs convincing, maybe it’s best that you stick to matches...or live a more colorful life.
Dropped the Doobie? Your Relationship Is Doomed.
Clumsy cannabis users, beware. Legend has it that dropping the joint is a sign that your partner is cheating on you. Couples' therapists could argue that this logic is flawed, but I didn’t make the myth — I’m just the messenger.
So is it fate...or just butterfingers? It’s unclear — but if the movie Bring It On taught us anything, it’s to never, ever drop the spirit stick.
If You Ain’t Choking, You Ain’t Smoking
While the origin of the age-old phrase “If you ain’t choking, you ain’t smoking” is unknown, the mantra has been used by old-school stoners far and wide for generations. Everyone knows that holding the smoke in longer yields a better high, right? Wrong.THC is absorbed into the bloodstream as soon as you inhale, so holding your breath isn’t getting you higher, it’s just making you dizzy. So the next time you’re coughing up a lung, try to breathe easy and enjoy the buzz — or ask your grower WTF they’re putting into your weed.
Pass the Dutchie to the Left — or Else
In 1982, the British group Musical Youth dropped “Pass the Dutchie,” a love letter to stoners everywhere. But, funny enough, “Pass the Dutchie” isn’t even about weed. The “dutchie” is actually a traditional pot used by Caribbeans for cooking. While Musical Youth probably didn’t mean to drop one of the greatest stoner anthems of all time, they did exactly that.
The theory that you should pass to the left is likely rooted in Rastafarian culture — where passing to the left is symbolic of unity and respect. Messing up the rotation, intentionally or unintentionally, could invite bad energy to the sesh.
These cannabis-related old wives’ tales might just be the result of too many hits and too little fact-checking. Whatever the case may be, don’t let these superstitions blow your high! Because the only thing you should really be afraid of on Friday the 13th is running out of weed.
