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With cannabis’ rapid legalization around the US, more and more people are partaking of a bit of flower.
If you’re new to the herb, you’re likely confounded by just how many different ways to smoke pot there really are.
Maybe it’s time you learned a bit.
We’ve broken down all of the popular ways to smoke pot, allowing you to make sure that the spliff, bong, or pipe you purchase is great for how you want to smoke.
Joints and Blunts-An Old Favorite
Joints and blunts are the most common form of smoking you’ll see in the media. And for a long time in the 1960s they enjoyed a halcyon age where they were almost as prevalent as regular cigarettes.
These days, you can even buy pre-rolled joints in a dispensary, saving you the time and effort of having to roll your own.
They tend to consume a larger amount of cannabis than any other form of smoking, however. Even if the bud is super strong you still need enough to fill out the paper for it to be smokeable. With modern cannabis, they can be a bit overkill for a newbie.
Joints also burn the whole time after they’re lit, so some of your precious weed is going to be lost in sidestream smoke while you’re coughing or passing the joint.
On the other hand, you won’t have to worry about carrying a pipe and finding a place to smoke. All you need to do is pull out your joint and light up, and they’re not going anywhere anytime soon.
Pipes-Portable and Discreet
Pipes are the most common form of smoking cannabis for most people. They’re efficient, relatively discrete, and you don’t have to hassle with water like you would with a bong.
A good pipe can be had cheaply and there’s no real learning curve to using them. Just light up, pull in, and let your thumb off the carb to get your hit.
They’re also great for group settings since you can pass a pipe easily while sitting on the back patio and admiring the stars or around a room while your tunes are playing.
For the new smoker, pipes are probably the best route. A little $10 pipe can last for a long time if you’re careful and they’re super efficient so you won’t be wasting all of your cannabis trying to figure out how it works.
They can also be had in many different sizes, shapes, and you can rest assured every stoner has at least one somewhere in their belongings.
Bongs-The Most Bang for Your Buck
First things first: despite the claims, there’s little to back up that bongs are a healthier way to smoke. Indeed, the evidence seems to show that they don’t save you all that much on tar.
Bongs and other water pipe designs do provide the smoothest hit you’ll be able to find. A smoother hit means you’ll be able to hold it longer, get more stoned, and save on cannabis in the long run since they’re extremely efficient.
They also tend to preserve the flavor of the terpenes more, especially if you’re careful with the lighter. Smooth, flavorful, and powerful? It’s a win.
They’re also available with a wide variety of different attachments. You’ve got percolators and ice catchers and complex, multi-chamber arrangements. They range from 6″ acrylic devices with a small water reservoir, a great idea for a newbie smoker who’ll only be smoking at home, to glass-on-glass pieces which cost hundreds of dollars.
The biggest thing against them is that they’re hard to smoke while you’re on the go. If you like to take a puff while hiking, for instance, you’ll also need to carry a water bottle to fill the reservoir instead of spilling it all in your pack.
Most people will eventually want one for at home. For someone who’s not a connoisseur, it’s even a cheap arrangement. The truth is that even a cheap acrylic piece is a whole new smoking experience if you’ve never hit one.
Vaporizers-High Tech Smoking
There are two types of vaporizers for cannabis.
The old-school types allowed you to load cannabis into a chamber which heated to lower than the combustion temperature of the herb while being hot enough to make the psychoactive components vaporize.
The end result was a smooth hit which preserved all of the flavors of the various aromatic compounds.
The problem was that the devices were expensive, required a plug-in, and generally were a pain in the rear to use unless you were a dedicated couch smoker.
These days, we have vape pens which heat a concentrate of cannabis to a critical temperature and are no more difficult to use than a joint. Just draw and you’ll be able to pull in the hit. They also tend to be remarkably powerful.
Some are even disposable, like this cannabis vape pen, making them convenient to use.
Add in that they often don’t even smell like cannabis and you can see why they’ve quickly caught on as bud reaches legal status in more places.
A Ton of Ways to Smoke Pot
Smoking can be as hard or as simple as you make it. Really, it comes down to personal preference with there being so many ways to smoke pot out there.
Whether it’s a pipe, bong, joint, or vape pen… there’s something out there for everyone. Edibles are even readily available for those not comfortable with inhaling.
But, while you’re here… there’s still a lot to learn. Why not check out our cannabis section?
