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Not Everyone Uses Cannabis Quite The Same Way
Smoking cannabis isn’t considered the most healthy possible way to ingest the compound. Edibles tend to be better. However, it is easier to moderate the psychoactive impact of cannabis through smoking, owing to more immediate effects. You know right away when you’ve hit your “limit” if you’re smoking, rather than taking edibles.
You can even invest in a high-quality hash slicer from a reputable company like capu.de for smooth grinding. Following we’ll explore how people smoke, as well as associated details worth considering if one method appeals to you over another.
The Old Standby: Joints, Spliffs, And Blunts
The stereotype for smoking weed is to simply roll it into a marijuana cigarette, or a “joint”. These can be small, skinny, long, or fat. Basically, weed is ground up and arranged on a paper, which is rolled up. The front is tightened with a twist to keep cannabis from falling out.
The person smoking the joint will suck a mouthful of smoke in, stop, inhale that mouthful, and then hold it for as long as they can. It’s best to suck a very little bit in at first, before inhaling what you’ve drawn in. When you inhale, this may well make you cough. The more you inhale, the harder the cough.
So just inhale a small amount, then exhale. You can hold it in, but contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to. The more you hold it in, the more pronounced the high—by some accounts. However, you’ll get a high even if you don’t hold it in at all. The reason holding it in tends to seem worthwhile has to do with combined effects of oxygen depletion and THC.
They say holding it in allows the lungs to absorb more THC, but this is largely a myth; the feeling of a stronger high probably has to do more with depleted oxygen, so you don’t really have to hold it. Joint “work” like spliffs and blunts. Spliffs mix tobacco with the marijuana, and blunts use hollowed cigars like a rolling paper—they’re bigger and more flavorful than joints.
The Popular Stereotype: Basic Pipes
A pipe is a receptacle for the marijuana, a tube for the smoke, and all that in a package that is friendly to flame. An apple that’s been hollowed out can be a pipe, so can a beer can, or a soda can. Traditional pipes tend to be blown glass designed artistically to be interesting to the eye, often incorporating neon colors—but a traditional tobacco pipe will do.
Where marijuana pipes tend to differ is as regards the carburetor on the side. This is a small hole that you put your finger over as you pull in the smoke. You take your finger off the carb and inhale the “serving” you’ve pulled in. The carburetor can also be used to moderate the “cherry” (inflamed marijuana) in the bowl so it doesn’t burn out.
You suck in while holding the carb, release the carb, and inhale. Pipes can work without the carb, but you’ll have to pull harder, and the smoke is more harsh that way, leading to more coughing. It’s better to take small inhalations using the carb. A “bowl” will last a long time if you go that route. There are also “one-hitter” pipes designed for a smaller “bowl”.
Points For Style: Bubblers And Bongs
Bubblers and bongs are designed with water as a sort of filtration mechanism. The bowl is on one side, the end you inhale through on the other. The smoke is sucked down into water, which purifies some of the carcinogenic properties from the smoke, making for a more smooth inhalation and exhalation experience with, ostensibly, reduced coughing.
You’re still probably going to cough a lot with a big “rip”, as they say. So it’s worthwhile to take small “sips”, as it were, in this area. Bubblers are similar to bongs, in that they also use water filtration to facilitate an easier smoking experience. Bubblers can be pocket-sized pipes, though. The main thing is draining them properly.
If you’ve got a pocket bubbler with an ounce of water in it, and you forget to drain it before you put it in your pocket, the water will leak through various points in the smoking apparatus and make a mess. It might even soak cannabis in a bowl, ruining it for smoking. You want to use bubblers right. At the link you’ll find a more in-depth explanation on how to use a bubbler.
Choosing What Works Best For You
These aren’t the only ways to “smoke” marijuana. You can also use electronic options vis-a-vis vaporizers, or get a little bit more scientific about the whole thing by doing “dabs” using butane “torches”. However, these aren’t the preferred methods of smoking, and may introduce additional complications—such as popcorn lung, or butane poisoning.
The safest way to smoke marijuana is likely using a water bong with ice in the water, though that tends to be more involved. The easiest way is a joint or spliff. The healthiest way to ingest marijuana is using some sort of edible arrangement. What works best for you may differ from someone else.