Outdoor vs. Indoor Pot Smoking: Pros and Cons
The differences in effect and flavor are subtle when smoking cannabis outdoors versus indoors. There’s the impression that when you smoke outside, cannabis creates a more subtle ‘high’. Indoors, it’s usually a bit more intense - perhaps because of all that extra secondhand smoke exposure. Let’s drill into the pros and cons of outdoor and indoor smoking of cannabis.
Just like there are differences between outdoor-grown and indoor-grown weed, there are differences between smoking cannabis outside and inside. If the strain is very pungent, the smell will be strong no matter where you are. But what else makes for the experience?
Smoking Pot Outdoors
Pros
- Cleaner smoke. The smoke outdoors is definitely cleaner. You can breathe in fresh air between the puffs, gaze at the stars, and you’re generally less exposed to second-hand smoke.
- More ambiently. You are in touch with nature or with the city. The scenery might differ. You might be somewhere downtown or up in the mountains. When it hits you in those first few seconds, there’s something beautiful about watching the world change around you.
- Social experience. Smoking weed outside could also be about socializing with others. Being part of a circle of friends or acquaintances who are passing on and enjoying the smoke together. It can be a warm, connecting experience where you get to know the other person(s) better.
Cons
- You’re exposed to others. If you want to keep a low profile about your weed smoking habits, smoking outside is perhaps not the best idea. You may also need to hide, such as finding a more intimate corner down the street, especially in areas where smoking is not so well-tolerated.
- It can get you into legal trouble. If you live in a state where it’s not legal to consume weed you can be arrested for weed possession and use. Even in legal states, smoking outdoors is not tolerated by law, unless you are in a weed-friendly lodging or other venture where there is designated area for smoking and indulging in weed.
- Not all company is great. Things can sometimes go terribly wrong when you are sharing weed with other people. Someone may show up uninvited, smoke too much and ‘spoil’ the experience for everyone. Which is why it is important to be familiar with basic cannabis etiquette and stay polite when you are mingling with stoners.
Smoking Pot Indoors
Pros
- Smoking indoors ensures a safer experience. For those who live in places where cannabis consumption is still not regulated, staying safe is the most important thing. Taking your green medicine in private should spare you the nightmares from law enforcement.
- Availability of munchies. Indulging in weed at home or at a friend’s place means quick access to the fridge without needing to think where to eat next when your stomach starts to send those dangerous signals.
- Other home comforts. Whether it’s good music you want to play, muse at a work of art, or watch a comedy to completely release the day-stress, comfy options like that are often available only inside.
Cons
- Exposure to secondhand smoke. The concentration of harmful chemicals, compounds, and particles released from any smoked products or exhaled by smoking or vaping may build up and stay in the enclosed space for an extended amount of time.
- It’s more difficult to get rid of the smell. The smell stays and/or soaks in the furniture, sofas, carpets, wallpapers, even when you regularly open the window or use candles to mask the pungent odor.
- Rented places often do not permit smoking. Your house, your rules. But when you are renting, for most of the time, landlords are not so happy if their tenants fume indoors. Cigarettes are big no and weed is probably even a bigger no. If you are looking for a place to rent make sure your landlord is cool with smoking.
- Problems with neighbors. Depending on the type of building you live in, smoke may travel up the ventilation system and the odor could be felt in the apartments above or below you, and neighbors might not be so jolly about it. But there are things you can do to keep your neighbors happy when you toke or grow.
Regular weed users would probably have a diversity of smoke experiences throughout their ‘smoking career,’ both indoors and outdoors. Everyone has their own preferences on how and where they would like to de-stress with cannabis, and enjoy the experience without needing to worry about being seen, by frowning neighbors, or encounters with the police. The good thing about legalization is that it brings more freedoms as well as a diversity of products, which could completely substitute smoking. For those instances when smoking is out of the question, there’s always gummies, cookies, beverages, and all sorts of products to choose from. Let’s not forget that lounges for recreational cannabis use are becoming increasingly accessible around the country. There’s hope that the presence of lounges would improve the experience for all and everyone who wants to smoke pot freely - indoors and outdoors.
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Stephen Andrews
