If you’re a smoker, you have a palate for not only your weed, but the way you consume it. Some people like edibles, others don’t. Some enjoy the finest hash from the most niche brand of growers and cultivators, others buy whatever their local dispensary has on sale. When it comes to flower, however, there are countless methods for consumption, but not all of them are either healthy, user-friendly, or popular in the cannabis space. So, whether you’re new to smoking or have been for the last 10+ years, I created a list on the best and worst ways to smoke your weed (in no particular order).
BEST
Bubblers
The crossbreed between a glass bowl and a small bong, the bubbler remains one of the most enjoyable methods of smoking weed. Though the maintenance on bubblers can be tedious, with layers of resin forming in the hardest-reaching corners, the water filtration combined with its easy mobility makes for a great product. You can smoke this at home while reading a book or watching the game, in your car during your break at work, or in smoking-designated areas of your college between class breaks (colleges have such areas, right?). It’s convenient, more sophisticated than a dirty glass bowl, and will get you high as hell on a smooth(er) exhale. Bubblers are also one of the more economical methods of smoking cannabis, where glass pieces range anywhere between $20-$80. If you decide to roll with bubblers, get a protective case for it and change the water after every use. Also, invest in isopropyl alcohol and q-tips to clean the bowl whenever it gets too dirty—for sanitary purposes, of course.
All Natural Hemp Wraps
Let’s face it, many of us were introduced to smoking with blunt wraps like Swisher Sweets, Dutch Masters, White Owl, or whatever cheap bullshit your local gas station sold you and your degenerate friends. That was certainly my experience, but as an adult I’m not trying to inhale the cancer I was chiefing on in high school, but I also experience great nostalgia when considering what wraps to buy for my weed. That’s where All Natural Hemp Wraps come to the rescue. These wraps are textured like Swishers, roll and seal like Dutches, and smoke smoother than either brands WITHOUT the tobacco and nicotine diluting your weed. It’s a win-win for those who enjoy smoking blunts but would rather smoke something “healthier” and won’t cause infertility. This, of course, only applies to brands using authentic hemp products. I roll with Billionaire Wraps, RAW, King Palm, and High Hemp (my last resort).
Herb Vaporizers
Possibly the healthiest way to consume cannabis, herb vaporizers are currently experiencing a BOOM in the weed market and are a favorite for smokers with illnesses, those with sensitive lungs, and those who look to try something new. The concept of vaping herbs, however, is far from new considering it has been practiced since the BC era of man. In the last 20 years, the cannabis community has witnessed the transformation from the classic Volcano to the POTV One, where one of the more sophisticated ways of getting high is now an easily-accessed handheld device that is perfect for those who don’t have time to roll up nor want to reek of weed. It is a FAR different experience compared to smoking a joint or ripping the bong, so it is not for every smoker. In fact, with all the new flower-vaping technology hitting the shelves, this method of consumption expands the spectrum of the different kinds of smokers in our society, as devices for vaping extracts like resin, rosin, and distillates ruled the market for years, leaving those who enjoy vaping flower to only a handful of options. Now, vape enthusiasts (“vapists” for short) are enjoying a plethora of devices for flower. They have the option of choosing convection vapes and/or combustion vapes, where the former acts as an oven and the latter acts as a BBQ grill. The Mighty+ Vaporizer, the POTV One, the PAX3, and the classic Volcano are your safest bets in terms of quality and investing. There are countless other brands and products, however, so do your research if you plan on buying an herb vaporizer.
Bongs
Can’t go wrong with a bong. Filters out the bad shit, leaves you with a smooth smoke, and gets you ripped off one bowl depending how good your weed is. The cleaning and maintenance can be somewhat tedious for the lazy smoker, but that also depends what kind of bong you have. There is a spectrum of bongs, from the classic small, plastic on-the-go bong, to the $300+ multi-beaker, straight tube, 18-inch bong, and the many classifications in between those two. It’s not like an herb vape where you gotta save and invest for a technological breakthrough in smoking because you can find bongs for as cheap as $20. But, there’s certainly a market for the more eccentric smoker looking for a high quality, thick glass bong. If you have a bong, I would advise you to invest in MouthPeace, because sometimes there is tar that enters your lungs from smoking a bong, so for the smoothest and “safest” smoke, buy a Mouthpeace filter.
Paper Joints
Nothing beats tradition, and smoking your weed out of a paper joint, whether it be made from rice, hemp, bamboo, or pages from the bible, is an American pastime. It’s right up there with baseball, 4th of July barbecues, and those McDonalds locations inside the highway plazas. No tobacco in it, either. We’re not the French. If you really want to taste your weed and if you have high quality shit, you’re not gonna mix it with harsh, nicotine-infested tobacco; that’s blasphemous. Anyways, papers are perfect for taste, long-lasting effects, and overall experience. They’re for the real smokers because not every blunt roller can roll a joint, but every joint roller can roll a blunt. You’ve got RAW’s, OCB’s, Elements, Blasy Suzan’s, Bob Marley’s, those terrible Zig Zag and Bambu papers, and a million other brands to choose from. Keep in mind, however, that most brands of rolling paper are likely owned by a single tobacco corporation. RAW is owned by HBI International, which owns Swishers and Backwoods, and OCB is owned by Republic Tobacco. Just a fun fact on how involved Big Tobacco is on cannabis culture.
WORST
Metal Bowls
This one is a no-brainer. I understand metal bowls continue to be the go-to smoking device for our elder smokers, but respecting our elders should have a limit and metal bowls are where I draw that line. It’s a terrible experience. You have to worry about lighting the bowl because the metal surrounding the weed could get hot and burn your fingers. You’ll have that awful metal aftertaste on the exhale, and who knows how many small shavings of metal are entering your lungs after each hit. And of course, the superstition that smoking metal bowls long-term will cause alzheimers does not help. Buying and smoking out of these are just a bad idea. It won’t make you any less of a smoker, but it’ll assure you of a shitty smoke sesh compared to glass, wraps, or high-tech paraphernalia. Speaking of high-tech smoking devices…
Herb Vaporizers
No, I am not forgetting that I put herb vapes as one of the best methods of smoking. I’m glad I did because despite vapes being a helpful, healthier way to smoke doesn’t mean they are user-friendly. Quite the opposite. Have you ever seen someone trying herb vaporizers for the first time? It’s like watching a monkey solve a calculus equation. Mankind becomes primitive beasts when learning not only how to turn a vape on, but also how to wait 30 seconds after activating it to smoke the vaporized buds. Those are the two instructions after filling your vape with weed; turn it on and wait for it to heat up. Even that’s too difficult for most smokers. I’ll also mention that the experience from a vape is different than that of a blunt or bong; you use way less weed per bowl and when the battery is low you’ll remember why technology fails us sometimes. It’s not for everyone.
Heavy Tobacco Leaf
This will surely divide readers, but those flavored Backwoods and Loose Leaf wraps are so incredibly unhealthy for you. Don’t get me wrong, I used to LOVE rolling and smoking woods. For a few years that was the only way I chose to smoke. I’d buy a Grabba, tear off a piece, and roll a dookie for myself. I’ve gone as far as reviewing several tobacco leaf wraps and giving them high scores. Over the years, however, you start seeing how the flavored tobacco and nicotine dilutes the weed into this cancer stew which you inhale. It’s a slap to the face towards your weed. If you want to taste and feel the full effects of your weed, adding a nicotine buzz on top of a heavy, tobacco flavored wrap isn’t the best approach. It’ll certainly give you an extra buzz, and if you are the type of smoker who craves that then by all means go crazy, but these wraps alter the entire smoking experience and not everyone will be on board with it. Let’s not forget to mention the possibility of cancer if you decide to chief on tobacco leaf wraps for years. The only exception to these types of wraps is if you’re smoking Brother’s Broad Leaf. They are the only brand of tobacco I would buy and openly smoke. Other than that, throw them Backwoods, Loose Leaf, and Grabbas in the trash.
Flavored Cones
This one is also a no-no. You should learn how to roll a joint or blunt in the first place. Unless you have a physical or mental disability, there is no excuse not to learn. It’s possibly my most conservative stance on cannabis, so imagine my frustration when someone hands me a flavored cone. Like the heavy tobacco wraps, the flavors of these cones dilute your weed into a cancer stew. Who know’s what types of chemicals are in these wraps to make them taste like strawberry cheesecake? It’s disrespectful towards your weed and yourself.
Glass Bowls
Another hot take that will surely divide the readers; bowls are nasty and a harsh smoke. Mobility is one thing. I can understand why people choose to smoke bowls when they’re lives are constantly on go. Hell, I used to work and go to school full-time, so I’d carry a bowl with me for whenever I’d need a toke. But, if you truly sit down and compare and contrast the experience of smoking a bowl and smoking papers, bongs, and bubblers, you’d realize that bowls (both glass and metal) are low-quality smokes. There’s no filtration like bongs and bubblers, resin is constantly built up inside the glass, and germs and bacteria stay inside if you choose not to clean and maintain it—which most smokers don’t. Obviously the same bacteria and maintenance argument can be made towards bongs and bubblers, but the fact that you have to constantly replace the water shows that they’re somewhat more sanitary than a bowl that has no water and contains old resin in the bowl’s airways you’re inhaling from. If people prioritized cleaning bowls the same way they prioritize cleaning bongs, then the conversation switches.
Overview
Truthfully, people can smoke however the hell they want to. Who am I to judge? Smoking a flavored Backwood doesn’t make you any less of a smoker than someone who uses a Volcano. We’re all just trying to get high in our preferred methods, so these kinds of opinions are irrelevant if you truly don’t mind what you’re smoking out of. However, most smokers I’ve encountered are picky with what they smoke and how they smoke it, myself included. I think the majority of the cannabis community draw the line somewhere as far as what wraps, papers, and glass they’re smoking. It’s natural. So, if you’re new to smoking or have been smoking for years, consider your options. Indulge in the different methods and find what you like and what you don’t like. Like my buddy Eddie taught me years ago, “Variety is the spice of life,” and this is still very true.
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