All photos courtesy of @WhereYouSmoke

@WhereYouSmoke sprouted in a moment shared between a spliff and the great outdoors. Run by an anonymous artist who grew up in LA, the Instagram account and online platform celebrates cannabis lovers who like to light up alongside Mother Nature.

Each week, we've asked @WhereYouSmoke to share a few favorite Instagram uploads with MERRY JANE, and so far it's been nothing but picturesque snaps and chill-ass stories to boot.

For this week's edition of our photo column, we're featuring blazers on boats. Before we dive into some interviews, @WhereYouSmoke had this anecdote to share:

A few summers ago, I was on the Colorado river with a few friends — just a group of youngsters romping, riding dirt bikes, wakeboards, jet skis, going to and fro in boats and engaging in some adrenaline-filled shit.

We were skiing behind the boat all day, and near sunset we fired off a few pre-rolls before going back to the house where my friend's mom wasn't having any of "that pot nonsense." Once we started heading back to the dock, my buddy looked me in the eye and pulled the speed lever to full blast. Then he looked right, looked left, and jumped off the back of the boat. Everyone's stomach dropped, and they started to panic a bit. But, he knew I was capable of taking the captain seat as I was sitting very near, and I used to drive the boat from time to time. Total jackass move, safety-wise, but sometimes you gotta pull the old wildcard and keep everyone on their toes.

Finally, homie got back in the boat and then said, "Aye! Let's go cat-fishing off the dock once we get back!" He was a wildcard to say the least. When we made it back to the dock, he ended up catching a huge mongrel of a fish, and we fried it up right then and there for dinner. We woke up the next day and did the same thing — only this time we avoided the whole "abandon ship" fiasco.

All interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

@malengall
21-Years-Old
Photo Taken in San Luis Potosi, Mexico on December 30th, 2015

@WhereYouSmoke: Where was this photo taken?
@malengall: For New Years, my boyfriend at the time and I went on a road trip north of Mexico City. After having gone from one small town to the next, we ended up in Ciudad Valles, around seven hours away. We had heard that the waterfalls in the area were a definite must-see, so we planned accordingly. After a two-hour drive, we arrived at a serene landscape in the midst of vast expanses of jungle. The water was turquoise, the mountains surrounding the river were emerald, and the boats multicoloured. We took a boat out onto the river and after having jumped through and climbed several waterfalls, decided to paddle somewhere more secluded for our pre-lunch joint.

What was it like getting faded out on the water?
Smoking on the boat in the hidden part of the lake was extremely peaceful, a place where we got to leave the chaotic rush of tourists coming in for lunch and got to just spend time with nature and each other. The gentle rocking of the boat, the sounds coming from inside the jungle, the tranquility of where we were, and the light haze we felt from the joint is a memory I will carry with me forever.

What's your favorite part of being high in nature?
I enjoy smoking amongst nature because it's the brief time of the day where I get to escape the nonstop rush of city life. It is a time for reflection, and a place where I can turn off my thoughts and simply focus on my surroundings.

How does smoking enhance your artwork?
Currently I study Visual Communication in Berlin, and specifically enjoy working with collages and photography. I smoke when I am feeling the need for some extra inspiration, or when I over-think an idea and need help getting back to the core message. When I smoke, I become more sensitive to the topics I am working with, more perceptive in the fine tuning of the aesthetic balance I am trying to achieve.

@astralpeace
24-Years-Old
Photo Taken in Rhode Island around 2014

@WhereYouSmoke: Where was this photo taken?
@astralpeace: This photo was taken on Mt. Hope Bay in Bristol, Rhode Island. I was attending Roger Williams University at the time, and our campus ran along bay — our dorms were literally ten feet from the water. A little ways down, there are kayak rentals that we had access to as students. Me and a few friends started out into the middle of the bay with our J. The day was perfect, warm, and sunny.

What was your life like at this time?
Life was extremely simple. As a sophomore in college, it seemed like I was ready to take on the world. It was so easy to just… be. There was always a calmness in the air. Having our campus so close to the water really allowed everyone access to that simplicity. I was studying psychology, meeting people everyday, and just enjoying being alive.

Tell me about being faded on the water.
Smoking outside allows me to tune into everything that's happening. It enhances everything and I always feel extremely grounded in nature. The water brings me calmness. But all in all, it just reminds me of the true importance of nature… and the fact that we are a working part of it. The first time I smoked, I got really stoned — people always say you don't, but I really did. The first thing I ate was a bag of skittles, and that's when I knew what the rainbow tasted like.

@prince_quack
21-Years-Old
Photo taken in Thailand in Summer 2017

@WhereYouSmoke: Where was this photo taken?
@prince_quack: That photo was taken at a very secluded lagoon in Thailand, it almost felt like our own private slice of paradise. It's my favorite place I have ever smoked. With nobody around us, we could hear nothing but the water crashing on the shoreline.

What was that feeling like, out in the scenic waters of Thailand?
The turquoise color of the water and cliffs jetting out of the lagoon made me feel like I was in an issue of National Geographic. The combination of this magical place, my best friend, and a spliff made this an unforgettable memory! Nothing beats lighting up on a cliff while overlooking the sun setting on the ocean.

What's a funny story from your time there?
Me and my associate were bugging about where to find nug when we were over there. But sure enough, the first bar we went to instantly put a bottle opener in front of us with "weed cocaine ecstasy" written on it. Despite being some of the worst brick weed I've ever come across, it was still hands down my favorite spark session. Plus, I don't care how shit the herb is — throw three grams of any grass in a spliff and it will get the job done.

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