Beyond 'puff, puff, pass': now there's an etiquette guide for weed smokers

You wouldn't light up a cigarette in someone else's home without asking, but how about a joint? Thanks to the 2018 Constitutional Court ruling, which legalised the private use of the plant, we're entering a tricky phase where you could be offered some dagga at your next dinner party. 

This situation is a potential minefield of social faux pas for weed smokers and non-smokers alike. And, that's where Lizzie Post's etiquette guide comes in. 

Called Higher Etiquette: A Guide to the World of Cannabis, from Dispensaries to Dinner Parties (Ten Speed Press), it's all about marijuana manners. 

What adds to the book's quirky appeal is the fact that the author is the great-great-grandaughter of Emily Post, the woman who wrote America's etiquette bible in 1922. 

Here are some weed etiquette dos and don'ts we gleaned from Post: 

• Let your guests know whether or not your home is 'weed-friendly'. If so, advise them where, when and how they may partake.
• Let your guests know in advance if cannabis will be enjoyed at a social occasion; also advise them whether they'll need to bring their own stash.
• Don't share a joint or pipe if you're sick.
• Make sure any cannabis-infused edibles are labelled as such.
• The person who rolled the joint should light it.
• The rule-of-thumb when sharing a joint is 'puff, puff, pass', but it's acceptable to take three hits before passing it along.
• If you're hosting a party where joints will be passed around, put out finger bowls of water so people can wet their fingers in order to fix a joint that's burning unevenly.