@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 the picturesque snaps we’ve received so far have consistently blown our minds all over our faces. For this week’s column, he shared a friend’s tale about moms and marijuana as an early shout-out to Mother’s Day:

When I was in high school, my friends and I used to smoke at one of our close friend’s houses in Malibu. She had the most incredible garden that crept up the side of an entire mountain, with different levels and secret areas, and there were the most beautiful views of the Pacific everywhere you looked. One day, a few of us were smoking up there, and when we climbed down the lush path, her mom was waiting for her. Unbeknownst to us, her mom had no idea she smoked, which was wild because she smoked heavier than all of us at the time. We immediately panicked, assuming the worst. We waited in our friend’s bedroom for an hour while she talked with her mom. It was a very, very long hour, to say the least.

When our friend came back in, she thanked us for getting caught. It turned out her mom used cannabis herself as a tool to be a more creative artist and writer — just like her daughter. If anything, her mom was just grateful to finally have an open, honest dialogue about marijuana. There we were, high as could be, assuming we'd just narc’ed on our friend. Relief doesn't even come close to describing how good we felt after the tension was cut. What a cool mom… which reminds me: Happy early Mother’s Day! Go smoke with your own mom — or simply alongside Mother Nature — to celebrate!

All interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

@Kief_Kong_
23-Years-Old
Photo Taken in Dry Canyon, Utah in April 2017

@WhereYouSmoke: Where was the photo taken?
@Kief_Kong_: Woke up to some beautiful weather this spring day, so me, a few friends, and my pup had to take advantage of it by visiting the beautiful Wasatch Mountains. We all packed into a car and drove up to Provo Canyon before hiking a trail to Johnson's Bowl. There, we enjoyed the great weather and puffed down our blunt. Great day to say the least. (PS – the pendant pictured was created by the artists @Stormin___Norman and @DoshWorld.) 

Where's the coolest place you've ever blazed?
The coolest place I've ever smoked has to be when a handful of friends and I tubed the Provo river here in Utah and decided to light up our joints and puff while casually floating down the river.

Tell me about the glass in this picture!
I started collecting glassware when a friend of mine showed up to a sesh wearing this beautiful Joe Peters honeycomb pendant that I couldn't stop gawking at. He inspired me to browse Instagram and glass artists to acquire my own pendants/pieces. I can't say I have a favorite piece in my collection because each piece has different meanings to me, but if I had to pick a piece in my collection that I could never get rid of it would be the pendant that the artist Pat Lee (a.k.a. @PurpSkurp710) made custom for me.

@lauren.maslak
25-Years-Old
Photo Taken in Steven's Creek County Park in Cupertino Hills, California

@WhereYouSmoke: Where was this photo taken?
@lauren.maslak: This photo was taken at Steven's Creek County Park in the Cupertino Hills of California in late January. My best friend showed me this location a few years ago, and to this day it’s one of my favorite spots to go hike, smoke, and take my friends on adventures. It's a short, 20-minute drive through the hills, but the scenery is one-of-a-kind. It's a pretty secluded location where the picture was shot, but all the other trails are easily accessible. The weather was pretty chilly this day, but the view is always a great one, regardless of the weather.

What's your favorite way to get faded?
I prefer blunts the most, unless I’m dabbing. I prefer to use a rig. I usually roll up a backwood before I go to sleep, when I wake up, and any day I’m lucky to have off. Sometimes I don't get to medicate till the end of the day, depending on which job I have a shift at. I work four jobs and still manage to medicate and enjoy myself by going on adventures to keep myself happy and sane.

What tips do you have for people who like to smoke in public/in nature?
Keep it legal (as much as possible) and know the laws when it comes to where you are smoking.

@Kwentin801_5
20-Years-Old
Photo Taken in Chli Schijen in Central Switzerland — Fall, 2015

@WhereYouSmoke: Where was this photo taken?
@Kwentin801_5: The Chli Schijen is a series of aggressive rock formations that shoot into the sky. It is located near the Ibergeregg pass in central Switzerland. It lies within the pre-Alps region, giving it an enchanting vibe. It isn't full-on alpine, but it still has properties of large mountains. I personally love the pre-Alps because you have a view into the lowlands of Switzerland with the alps’ massive presence looming behind your back. From where I live, it is really easy to access, and there’s usually only a couple other climbers hanging out there. It exists like a small town made out of stone, with alley ways and courtyards. We enjoy venturing around all of the different paths. This picture is at the top of one of those little paths, looking towards the small town of Oberiberg.

What kind of music do you generally enjoy listening to while you sesh?
The music when I light up always depends on the vibe of my surroundings. I really enjoy reggae music and 10 Foot Ganja Plant is one of my favorite chill-vibes bands, when I just need a cooling sensation. I like to get into some trippy shit sometimes, too. I’ll put on something like Russ Liquid, Flying Lotus, and some Zappa. Lately what I have been vibing to a lot is BADBADNOTGOOD, especially their album “IV.” I love how diverse that album is as well as the fact that they are really a band playing together. But I change up what I vibe to quite a bit.

Do you always like to document your seshes when they're someone beautiful?
I like taking pictures when it comes to mind. I am not at all upset when I am somewhere and I don't document it with a photograph. Sometimes there are places that allow you to capture the moment the way you remember it, and there are places that have a totally different personality when you take a picture of them. What I think always looks dope is smoke floating through the forest. When there is zero airflow and you blow out a fat, creamy cloud, the contrast of the green and the smoke looks very spectacular.

What about being in nature do you enjoy most when you're blazing?
Nature soothes and clears my mind. I love that it’s so easy to access nature in Switzerland. With the bus, boat, train, bike, or car you can go anywhere. Switzerland is so extremely tight-packed with different vibes. Another thing I love about the nature here is that it hasn't been designed. A city has been planned and developed by humans. Nature has just been shaped by time. To me, it’s calming to think about how it hasn’t been developed through thought but rather through chance. And somewhere in that process, marijuana came to be. That's why I think nature is my favorite environment to smoke in.

If you like to photograph your outdoor smoking adventures, check out the submission page at www.whereyousmoke.com. And follow @WhereYouSmoke on Instagram.