From joints and pipes to blunts and bongs, smoking is the main method used to consume cannabis.
While getting high can be an enjoyable and therapeutic experience, you need to be aware that, just like cigarettes, smoking cannabis can trigger irritation with chemical compounds and tars that cause respiratory problems.
If you’re new to the world of marijuana, you might find yourself getting overwhelmed by choices and wondering about the advantages and disadvantages of the various methods. Here’s what you should be aware of.
1. Joints
They’re created by packing cannabis into a roll or rolled paper “typically made of hemp, rice, or paper,” according to Stacia Woodcock, PharmD Clinical Cannabis Pharmacist. Dispensary Manager for Curaleaf. You may also opt to make use of a filter, to avoid burning your fingers when smoking.
To roll and smoke a cigarette:
- Dissolve the weed by using the herb grinder, or your fingers. Eliminate any seeds or stems.
- If you’d like to make a filter, cut tiny pieces of cardboard (you have to make sure it fits inside your paper when it is rolled) to fold “accordion-style” into a tip.
- As you roll the paper lengthwise “hot dog style,” add the crushed weed. Put your filter on either end.
- Pinch the filled paper between your fingers and roll it into an oval or cone.
- Then, light the other end of the joint before inhaling from the filter.
Keep in mind that many rolls of paper are available for sale in the market -in particular those that claim to be fast-burning, bleached, or flavored hazardous chemicals and harmful pollutants, that could harm your lungs. Therefore, choosing to purchase rolling papers that are not bleached and unflavored as well as refined will lower the likelihood of exposure. If you’re concerned about exposure to chemicals, consider making use of a non-paper-based smoking method, like a bong or pipe.
2. Blunts
Blunts usually are bigger and last longer than joints however they’re produced in a similar fashion. The difference is that blunts are made of cigar wrap, or blunt, rather than rolling paper.
Blunt wraps are composed of tobacco leaves, which means they are a source of nicotine. According to research from 2010, the nicotine in blunts resulted in a higher build-up of carbon monoxide, which is a poisonous chemical, in the study subjects’ blood, leading to side effects such as nausea, dizziness, and headaches.
3. Pipe
Pipes also referred to as glass pipes, spoons, or bowls, are among the simplest ways to smoke.
Pipes comprise a hollow bowl that is surrounded by a “stem,” and a mouthpiece that you breathe through to inhale. Some pipes also come with the carb hole, the small hole that is next to the bowl. You cover it and then open it with your fingers while you inhale, to remove the pipe from the smoke.
4. Bong
Bongs also known as water pipes are smoking devices that make use of water to cool and remove smoke. Because smoke is cooled, people tend to have larger hits and release more smoke than using joints, blunts, or bowls.
The bong is made up of one bowl and a cylinder-shaped glass piece known as a “downstem.” If you strike a bong, the smoke goes through the downstem, and it is filtrated through water, before moving into the bong’s neck until the mouthpiece.
While many people believe that bongs are the best way to smoke, “they may not be all that effective at reducing toxins,” says Nicolas Schlienz, Ph.D. Research Director of the Cannabis Education organization Realm of Caring.