Original Official Joint Smoking Rules
by Simon Worman (Illustrated by Carmen Cerra)
The Telegraph Company
“joint”
Those on the outside, partaking only of those drugs deemed acceptable or legal by the lawmakers, may only suspect the depth of culture or ritual involved with just about any aspect of the so-called “underground.” Your suspicions are true: for every subtle and unwritten rule governing what is correct and proper to do with your alcohol or tobacco, there are probably a good five or six dealing with their illicit counterparts.
Fortunately, Simon Worman (dubbed, most appropriately, “the Emily Post of pot” by High Times magazine) is here to instruct all you hill people growing up unaccustomed to the ways of smoking marijuana, helping you avoid such rude behavior as sucking on the joint too long (which will earn you the tag of “Hoover” or “Bogart”) and instructing you on the correct way to pass the li’l smoking critter from person to person. Believe me, it’s not as easy as it looks.
Of course, there’s more to it than the basic common sense manners. Overall, the etiquette of joint smoking dictates that, should you be inclined to smoke, you should make the experience as enjoyable and lasting as is possible. Without delving too deep into the sociology behind grass (and risking sounding like a pedantic asshole who obviously never gets high), a lot of the Rules of Joint Smoking alleviate the guilt one may associate with getting redeye ripped: “I probably shouldn’t take another toke, but I gotta. It’s the rule.” Still, I’d take people pressuring each other to smoke dope over what goes on at a fraternity hazing any day of the week.
The book is a quick read – each rule, though given its own page, is only a couple of paragraphs – and pretty funny to boot, especially when taken in combination with the illustrations. While not exactly Gilbert Shelton fall-down-funny, Cerra’s simple strokes ably demonstrate the finer points of each rule. Once you’ve mastered all 75, you can refer to the glossary in the back to expand your vocabulary and learn a bit about the terminology through history. A must-have for every pot-smoker’s bathroom.
The Telegraph Company: http://www.thetelegraphcompany.com
