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Reading time - 9 minutes - December 2, 2021
“Inventions become perfect by slow improvement, and each step is itself an invention” – Joseph Jastrow
Since the dawn of time, human beings have been trying to discover new ways to do things. First there was fire, then there was matches, then there were lighters, then there were cookers and then there was central heating. What once was just a piece of loose material to keep someone warm, has now become a fashion statement. What once was a few sticks piled on top of each other, is now a concrete home. You see? Humankind has evolved and is constantly evolving. But what about cannabis? Has smoking cannabis evolved? It’s the year 2021 and there are many ways to consume cannabis. But which is the best way? Let’s find out.
Cannabis was probably around long before human beings were. The natural plant is thought to have originated in central Asia, where it grew freely. The plant was then utilized by early civilisations in rituals and religious ceremonies. Some as far back as 5BC. This would have manifested itself in heating hemp seeds on hot rocks, and inhaling the fumes. Then, the plant began being rolled in tobacco leaves, set on fire, and inhaled that way. This was the first resemblance of a joint.
As cannabis spread around the world due to European imperialism, it became more and more mainstream. From this, people found new and exciting ways to smoke it. In addition, the use of it for recreational purposes became more common. Bongs were invented, pipes, and even gas masks. However, as the 1900s drew to a close, more people began to realise the dangers of smoking and alternatives to smoking started flourishing.
Then came the dry herb vaporizer, or weed vape. The vaporizer has had a lustrous history. The vape was invented in the 60s but was championed in the early 2000s after smoking was banned in public spaces. Not only this, but as people have become more aware of the health issues that smoking can cause, the dry herb vape industry has sawed. In fact, it is estimated that the UK vaping industry will be worth around $3.9 dollars by 2023.
Whilst consuming cannabis has evolved over the years, many people have various preferences. But what is yours? Let’s take a look at the different ways to smoke cannabis, and the positives and negatives that surround them.
A joint is a rolled cannabis cigarette. Like a cigarette, a joint contains a certain amount of tobacco that has cannabis mixed in. This can include bud, wax concentrates, hash or kief.
The positives of joints are quite are essentially everything that doesn’t involve health. Smoking is the most common way of consuming cannabis, and there’s a reason for that. It’s easy, especially if you’re used to rolling joints. Rolling is also quite a meditative process, and there’s a sense of satisfaction once it’s finished. Joints are habitual and people have enjoyed them for generations.
The negatives of joints have become more acknowledged more recently. Firstly, smoking anything causes dangerous carcinogens and toxins to be released into the lungs and body. Combustion occurs when anything is heated to over 240 degrees, and joints are heated at around 900 degrees. This is essentially fire. Not only is this dangerous, but nicotine from tobacco is also additive. Plus, the smell left from smoking a joint will stick to your clothes and the body and is hard to get rid of.
A blunt is very similar to a joint, except it contains no tobacco; only cannabis.
The positives of a blunt are that they are much stronger than joints. If you’re someone who wants a more potent experience, then a blunt is the next level. In addition, as a blunt does not contain nicotine or tobacco, it is nowhere near as addictive.
For some, the strength of a blunt can be a negative experience. It can be extremely intense, and if that’s not something you’re used to, it can be a bit of a shock. Plus, a blunt will use up a lot of your cannabis as you need something to fill up the joint if you’re not using tobacco. This can be a bit of a waste, especially if you don’t finish it.
A bong is a filtration device that uses water to filtrate the smoke from the lit cannabis. It cools down the smoke and increases the amount. A bong hit can give the biggest inhalation amount of any cannabis consuming method. A glass bong is probably the most common type of bong. It’s made of glass.
A glass bong can come in big and small sizes. But ultimately, using it will increase the intensity of each hit or inhale. This is good if you’re looking for one, big, potent inhalation of cannabis. Plus, water from the bong will cool down the smoke so it isn’t too hot for your lungs. In addition, the glass specifically is beneficial as it maintains the flavour and potency of the cannabis.
Glass bongs are far from discreet. If you’re looking for a discreet way to smoke cannabis then this definitely is not it. Some of them are bigger than a microwave. In addition, using a bong is a very intense way of smoking cannabis and can sometimes hurt your lungs due to the power of a bong hit. Glass bongs specifically also can smash easily if dropped, and you don’t want to have to clean that up.
An apple bong is a bong made out of an apple. Cannabis is placed at the top of the apple, with holes beneath it, and the cannabis is inhaled through a specific hole made in the apple. The cannabis is lit and the smoke is inhaled through the apple and into the mouth. It might sound complicated, but it’s actually pretty easy to make. If you want to know how to make one, click here.
An apple bong is a very fun contraption to make and you definitely feel a satisfaction after creating it. It’s a very nice DIY activity. Plus, the apple can leave a tasty aroma to the smoke you inhale, which no other bongs do.
As far as bongs go, an apple bong is definitely the least endurable. You cannot use the apple bong for longer than one session because the apple will perish after a day. There’s nothing worse than taking a bong hit from a moldy apple. Plus, if you don’t choose the right kind of apple, you could potentially break it during the creation process.
A gravity bong definitely sounds cooler than it is. Unfortunately, It’s not a flying spaceship that you can take bong hits from. A gravity bong is a bong made from a plastic bottle that floats on the water. The bottom half of the bottle is sliced off, so that it can sit on the water and the smoke can, again, filter through the water.
The main positive of a gravity bong is the amount of water you can use to create a huge bong hit. Because the bong is sitting on a larger body of water than is usually inside a glass bong, the water creates a lot more smoke. This is then inhaled.
Usual DIY gravity bongs are made from plastic bottles and, as such, are not the best thing to reuse. The plastic can slowly perish away and put you at risk of inhaling toxic burnt plastic.
A hand pipe is probably the most common type of pipe. Pipes are like joints but they last a lot longer, as they’re made from non-perishable materials. The bud is placed in the bowl at the bottom, lit, and the user inhales from the top of the neck.
The positives of a hand pipe is that they are a lot more discreet than a bong. You can clean them easily, and they are easily portable. Plus, you can have smaller hits of cannabis, rather than huge, day-destroying ones. Plus, as you’re not holding something that is on fire, your fingers won’t smell like they would if you were inhaling a joint.
Hand pipes can be a bit isolating. They don’t have the same social feel as a joint or a bong. Plus, they can be quite hard to inhale from as there is no water to help build up smoke, and they can usually only fit a small amount of cannabis at a time.
An ice pipe is the same as a hand pipe, except it has a small glycerin coil in the middle, which can be frozen, so that the smoke passes through it and cools down by over 300 degrees.
Anyone who uses a bong, joint or pipe will know that horrible feeling when the smoke you consume burns your throat. An ice pipe eradicates this if used properly. The smoke is definitely cooler than with any other smoking device. As Jesse from Breaking Bad would say: “that’s science b****!”
The negatives of an ice pipe are the same as a hand pipe. The only thing to add is that you need to put the device in the freezer for at least an hour before you use it. This is slightly inconvenient, especially if the mood to use it strikes you suddenly. Also, what if you happen to be somewhere that doesn’t have a freezer?
You know that mask you see everyone wearing in post-apocalyptic films and tv shows? Well, imagine that over your head and hooked up to a bong. That’s what a gas mask is. You essentially create your own hot box around your face.
A gas mask is probably the most intense type of cannabis consuming you can do. You breathe in cannabis, you breathe out cannabis, and then you breathe it in again. The cycle continues until you decide to take the mask off. If you’re looking for something absolutely epic then this definitely is it.
The negative is that this device is pretty ridiculous. It’s the opposite of discrete and it’s probably too intense for most people. It’s not something the majority of people are going to want to use on a regular basis. Plus, it’s quite a suffocating experience. If you’re claustrophobic then don’t even think about it.
A dry herb vaporizer (also known as a weed vape) is the only cannabis consumption method on here that doesn’t actually involve smoking weed. This is an electrical device that is charged by rechargeable batteries. It heats up the bud like an oven at a temperature of around 200 degrees, which creates vapour. The vapour is then inhaled through the mouthpiece. These can come in small portable devices, or in larger desktop vaporizer models, which sit on tables and are used at home.
The dry herb vaporizer is the healthiest way to ‘smoke’ weed. Because the vape never heats the cannabis above 240 degrees, it never causes combustion. This means it avoids any dangerous toxins or cancerous carcinogens. You’re inhaling vapour, not smoke. This also means that there is very little smell coming from the vape, and you won’t stink of cannabis after. Plus, the device is discrete and reusable. In addition, although the vaporizer can cost more than any of the other modes of smoking cannabis, the money you save from avoiding tobacco, papers and roaches will save you capital over time.
The main negative of the dry herb vape is the initial cost of the device. However, in the long run, the health benefits outweigh the cost. The vaporizer is a long-term way to consume cannabis that is nowhere near as harmful as the others.
Take a look at our models of dry herb vapes here.
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