We all appreciate that one person who always has weed and is willing to share with everyone at a party or hangout. But if you are that person who always provides the weed, should you ask your friends to chip in to help subsidize the stash?
The answer is yes and no, depending on the situation.
“If you’re always sharing, you shouldn’t expect people to assume that they should pay. It’s on you to make clear that you want people to,” says David, a cannabis enthusiast from Brooklyn, who often has weed to share with friends. “Even if you’re sitting there rolling joints nonstop, you can’t be like ‘hey, everyone give me $10’ at the end of the party. People do that sort of thing, but that’s not just bad weed etiquette, but terrible etiquette overall.”
The alternative, he says, is to ask people to chip in before you all start smoking. “Say, ‘Hey, I went out and spent $100 on weed for this party, if people can contribute please do,'” David suggests. The key is to make it known in advance that you’re accepting donations. While buying weed to share is a personal choice that you shouldn’t impose on others, it’s also good etiquette for those on the receiving end to offer to chip in.
Whether you ask people to put down for the stash is also contingent on how well you know them. If you’re always the person to buy weed for gatherings with the same group of people, it’s easier for your friends to identify you as the person who always has weed and who should get reimbursed for it. In that case, it’s not rude to tell your core squad how much you spent and how much is reasonable for them to contribute. However, if you’re more often sharing weed with strangers who don’t necessarily know how much you spent, the choice to share can be seen as more an act of generosity than something you’d want subsidized. The difference is the responsibility your fellow tokers have to you: If they know you well, they should know better, but if they don’t know you at all, there’s little reason to expect them to feel a sense of responsibility toward you.
All that said, if you’re uncomfortable asking friends for money for weed you already bought, trying going in on a deal together. Tell them beforehand you’re going to buy weed and ask who wants some and who’s willing to put down before you make the purchase. That way, you can avoid the awkwardness altogether.
