Stoner slang for a joint that is burning unevenly – with one side burning faster than the other, or where one side has gone out and the other is still burning. Usually occurs more in joints rolled with bud, rather than solid. Putting tobacco on top of weed in the paper is a major cause of boating, as the tobacco will burn more slowly than the marijuana, and they will be on opposite sides of the joint. Some smokers do seem to have an innate (and usually unwanted) ability to cause a joint to boat; these people are called boaters.

Cure: Burn the paper off the longer side of the joint with a lighter. It is better to do this early as the larger the difference between the two sides the more marijuana will be wasted (as the longer sides’ paper will burn down to the shorter level, and burn past some of the mixture).

Prevention: The best way to avoid boating is to mix the marijuana and tobacco in a herb grinder before putting it into the paper. The mixture usually then burns at an even speed, and will smoke more slowly and smoothly than hand-separated bud.