Wake & Bake has a bad reputation. Often characterized simply as the provenance of lazy, shiftless welfare-cheat potheads, the practice’s reality is actually considerably more complicated than that. As it turns out, most people who get high as soon as they wake up actually tend to have a reason for doing so, and it has nothing to do with just wanting to stay in bed.
Many wake & bakers suffer from very real illnesses like severe depression, chronic pain or fibromyalgia. Some might be using cannabis to avoid stronger and more addictive drugs like opioids. And many are simply people who have responsibly and enthusiastically integrated cannabis into their lifestyles in an effort to fully and unselfconsciously enjoy everything the world has to offer. Wake-and-bake is nothing to be ashamed of.
But there is a way to do it right – meaning there’s also a way to do it wrong. The best way to wake and bake is the way that’s right for you, and that means preparing.
First: Choose the right strain. Choosing the wrong strain can ruin your whole experience, so ask yourself why you’re waking-and-baking before doing so. If you’re trying to get an early morning boost, try Gelonade. If you’re staving off panic and anxiety, an indica-balanced hybrid like Animal Cookies might do the trick. Animal Cookies also works as a pain reliever. Do some research and talk to a budtender before choosing. (If you live in Los Angeles, try chatting with the experts at GrassDoor Marijuana Delivery.)
Next: Get yourself set up. You may not need to do this if you’re just planning on spending a relaxing Sunday getting high and reading novels in your bedroom. And if you’re trying wake & bake for the first time, you might want to do it on a day that you’ve got no plans for. But if you’re heading to school or work afterwards, or otherwise need to be somewhere, you should automate the process the night before as much as you can. Set up your stash. Put the coffee maker on a timer. Set the breakfast ingredients out.
Don’t forget: Breakfast. Speaking of breakfast: Eat breakfast. It’ll help your body absorb the THC and CBD in the cannabis, and if you’re eating breakfast high it might just be the best breakfast you ever tasted.
Don’t forget: Hydrate. You’re a little dehydrated when you wake up, and weed dries you out even if you’re using edibles. Have an bottle of water ready. A big one. Drink the whole thing. Fill it up and drink it again. (This is good advice even if you’re not getting high.)
Wash up if you’re going to work after. Not all of your co-workers may appreciate the smell of pot. If you’re smoking, smoke before the shower. Brush your teeth after.
Oh, and also set a double alarm if you’re going to work after. Obviously you’re going to set an alarm to wake yourself up. And obviously you’re going to give yourself plenty of time to go through your entire wake & bake ritual. But here’s the thing: Pot can make you a little hyperfocused. And you might find yourself in a situation where a lot of time has passed and you haven’t gotten much done. Set yourself a second alarm so you don’t wind up leaving late for work.
Don’t sleep on edibles. Hey, not everyone can use inhalants or smoke weed. Some people have bad lungs, others don’t like smoking. Plus, there are so many great edibles on the market these days, it’s crazy to not try more. If you do use edibles, though, remember that they can take up to three hours (!!!!) to kick in. For most people, it only takes about an hour – so try setting an alarm one hour before you need to get up. Then hop out of bed, munch your edible, and head back to the sack for another fifty-nine minutes.
