Wake and Bake: One Stoner’s Guide To a Perfectly High Morning

Written by Joshua Sosin

December 19th, 2024

"Wake and bake" is a legendary phrase in the world of cannabis.

The gist is simple: you get up in the morning, and before you head out the door to the office, the gym, or your favorite coffee shop, you get nice and stoned.

Smoking weed in the AM is an iconic activity — and it's also one of my favorite ways to start the day. I'm also a big fan of reaching for edibles before I leave home in the morning, especially gummies.

If you're interested in giving the wake and bake life a try, I'm here to help you out.

In this post, I use my experience as a member of the Mood team — and a longtime stoner — to walk you through the recipe for a perfectly high morning.

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Table of Contents

• Preparing for Your Wake and Bake

  • Choosing Your Strain

  • Setting Up Your Space

  • Enjoying Your High

• When To Do a Wake and Bake

  • Solo or With Friends?

  • At Home or Out?

• What To Expect From a Wake and Bake

  • Coming Down From a Wake and Bake

• Your First Wake and Bake

Preparing for Your Wake and Bake

One does not simply get high in the morning without a thought.

Like all good things in life, it takes some practice and preparation.

If you want a successful wake and bake, take the opportunity to get yourself ready by following the steps laid out below.

Choosing Your Cannabis Strain

The practice of waking and baking calls for an energizing, invigorating cannabis strain that matches your AM mood and vibe.

If you're feeling especially run-down and uninspired this week, you might want to start your day with a focus-aiding hybrid strain, which can make a big difference in how you feel as you leave for work. A hybrid like this can help you leave your worries behind and start knocking out tasks without any hesitation or procrastination.

When I want to dial in and focus in the morning, I reach for the Dante's Inferno strain. It's a top-shelf Indica hybrid with a unique terpene profile and a scent like strawberries and cream. Perfect.

Setting Up Your Space

An enjoyable wake and bake requires a comfortable, peaceful environment.

Instead of lighting up on the couch in a cluttered living room, start the day off fresh with a tidy space and consider sitting cross-legged on the floor while you smoke.

In my experience, this grounding practice is somewhat similar to meditation; it's calming and soothing, slowing down my racing brain and giving me a chance to get into the present moment.

Lighting a candle, grabbing your journal, and sipping on a cup of tea or coffee can transform your wake-and-bake experience as well.

Sit peacefully, enjoy the moment, and savor the flavors and aromas of the cannabis. There's no rush.

Enjoying Your High

You're likely to experience the effects of your weed within just a few minutes if you're smoking — edibles may take a bit longer to hit.

Once that high-quality cannabis starts to set in, though, you'll know you started your morning the right way.

I recommend that you explore how your body and mind feel as cannabinoids like CBD and THC do their work.

Spend some time feeling out the vibe that these compounds produce; depending on the strain you choose, you might find that you experience a distinct mood.

When To Do a Wake and Bake

The practice of waking and baking is best enjoyed when you have a slow, relaxing morning to spend as you please. You don't want to rush!

If you have stuff that you're responsible for in the AM (job, kids, etc.), a fun and fulfilling wake and bake is still possible. However, you'll want to protect your time by starting the experience as early as you can. Aim to have two hours for a comedown before your kids are up or you need to head to your place of work.

Solo or With Friends?

If you want to invite a friend over to enjoy some AM cannabis with you, more power to you. However, I strongly prefer the solo wake-and-bake experience.

I find it much more grounding and relaxing to enjoy a slow, stoned morning sipping coffee and reading a good book than to share that experience with someone else.

Maybe that's selfish, but I'd argue that it's simply self-care.

At Home or Out?

I always prefer smoking weed at home. Call me the classic introverted stoner, but that's just what suits me best.

If you want to get high and head out to the park or a coffee shop to enjoy the effects, go for it. However, I stand by the use of a wake and bake as a meditative, grounding practice to start the day off right.

What To Expect From a Wake and Bake

If you've never done a wake-and-bake before, you might feel a bit uncertain about how weed will make you feel in the morning.

Everyone responds to cannabis differently, but I can tell you a bit about how starting the day with weed feels to me. You'll have to explore the experience for yourself to see how AM cannabis affects you.

For me, using cannabis in the morning is invigorating and energizing. Even an Indica-dominant hybrid (Indica has a reputation for helping folks wind down) gives me a little boost under the right circumstances.

This is especially the case when I combine coffee with an Indica hybrid. I'm not talking about coffee-infused cannabis or anything like that; just sipping a cup of coffee while high.

With that extra boost of energy, I find it easy to get centered and put my thoughts in order. I also find that my sensory awareness is heightened; the taste and smell of my joint become crystal clear, and I absolutely love it.

Coming Down From a Wake and Bake

The comedown is usually fairly smooth after a wake and bake, but balance and moderation are the ticket to a successful comedown and enjoying the rest of your day.

If you overdo it with cannabis products (especially high-potency concentrates like hash or dab badder), you might find that you continue to feel the effects for much longer than you'd like.

In a place like the office, that can be a bit of a problem.

If you're at a point where you need the effects of the cannabis to wear off but can't seem to come down, I recommend that you drink plenty of water, eat something healthy, and try not to focus too much on how you feel. The high will fade with time.

Trust me, though; I understand the discomfort of a high that lasts longer than you expect or is more intense than you want it to be. I've had my fair share of greening-out experiences.

Your First Wake and Bake

If you're ready to wake and bake for the first time, picking the right cannabis product is probably the hardest part. You can find plenty of options in the Mood Shop, including delicious edibles from Andy's Bakery, disposable vapes, and more.

I personally recommend enjoying a joint for your first wake and bake. It's a classic method of getting high, and you can either roll your own or pick up a pre-roll. Opt for a hybrid strain that promotes your desired mood, whether that's creativity, happiness, focus, or beyond.

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