10 Rules of Hash Etiquette in Egypt

Drugs may be considered by some to be the epitome of bad life decisions, making you just the worst. However, just because you indulge in a little recreational mind alteration, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have good hash manners because even the world of narcotics has its own rules of etiquette. So here are some – often unspoken – rules one must follow:

1. The oldest rule in the book – puff, puff, pass. You take a polite two puffs from the joint and then hand it over the next person. Don’t be greedy; no one likes a hogger.

2. Whoever rolls the aforementioned joint gets to light it and starts the circle of smoking.

3. Pass the Dutchie to the left hand side. That's just the way it works. Like with board games.

4. Always ask before you remove that inner silver foil bit from someone’s pack of cigarettes to use for rolling. If someone happens to see it, it’s tantamount to them writing I GET HIGH on their forehead.

5. Don’t ask people for hash, it’s bad manners. Wait for someone to offer.

6. You have to be thorough when you efrok the hash otherwise you will be faced with the dreaded Hot Rocks. No one wants little holes in their clothes or couches. It undeniable evidence and it's permanent.

7. When you're burning the hash, you're not actually supposed to set it on fire – this damages the quality. Think of it like roasting a marshmallow; the flame should be below the hash, not engulfing it.

8. The tip of the joint cannot be so wide as to allow bits of tobacco into one's mouth while they're smoking it because that really ruins the experience. It also cannot be so thin that you have to inhale like a freestyle diver to suck something out. It's a delicate balancing act.

9. If you’re road tripping, always make sure to leave a joint for the ride back after the trip.

10. Always clean up after a joint and leave no traces of your indiscretions. Sweep away the excess tobacco, unused papers go in the bin, finished joints are never to be left in an ashtray; toilet or out the window.