It’s a common situation where you want to smoke after a long day, but in your haste, you’ve accidentally broken your precious pipe! You can always replace a pipe, but let’s say you’re tired of continually having to rely on a single method of consuming your cannabis.
Contrary to what you may initially think, there are multiple ways of consuming cannabis without having to rely on a pipe. If you’re not a fan of edibles because of how slow or unintentionally strong they are, you can improvise different methods for getting the most bang for your buck out of the bud you have on hand. Some of the techniques we’ll talk about today are new and a sign of changing attitudes towards cannabis smoking, while others are tried and true methods used by weed smokers since the earliest days.
Still unsure if you should invest in alternate cannabis smoking methods? Contact us at Sparc today!
Portable Vaporizers
Vaping has taken the market by storm not only for the varied flavors possible from juice sold in smoke shops but also for how effective portable vaporizers are for consuming cannabis without a pipe on hand. Vaporizers are portable and inconspicuous, and you can find many cannabis lovers using vape pens compared to smoking pipes in public. Popular brands include Storz and Bickel from MIGHTY, and PAX 3.
Besides portable vaporizers, cannabis smokers can also purchase desktop vaporizers that will diffuse the vapor into the air. Popular vaporizers for desktop include Volcano and VapExhale.
Related: Easy Guide on How to Use a Vape Pen
Bongs
Bongs are possibly the most popular alternative to using a pipe and have entered the public consciousness so deeply that it’s almost impossible to separate them from the weed smoker stereotype. They allow you to get high much faster, and the smoke is typically less intense as inhaling directly from a blunt or pipe. Bongs can be made from just about anything, but glass bongs are the most common. Plastic bongs are also common, but depending on the type of plastic, cheaper plastic bongs could be especially toxic because of their impurities. Ceramic, glass, metal, and bamboo bongs are safer than plastic, stick with those.
Joint
Joints are also some of the prime symbols of marijuana culture, and it’s the easiest way of consuming cannabis if you have some spare paper lying around. All you need is some rolling papers, which are specialized papers that are waxed to prevent them from burning too rapidly. The type of paper is what makes a joint a joint; you never want to use computer paper or plain old scrap paper you have on hand, since it’ll make the toke extremely harsh. For this reason, gum wrappers with waxy interiors make good makeshift joint papers, but they are not preferred.
Blunt
Blunts and joints are similar, but the type of paper sets them apart. Blunts are made with cigar papers, which makes it so the blunt burns slower than a joint. Cigar paper is also substantially bigger than rolling papers because they are made for large cigars, so you can pack more marijuana when rolling. It’ll make the entire blunt thicker.
Are you unsure of the right method for smoking cannabis for your needs? Contact us at Sparc!
———-DIY when in a pinch (not recommended) ———
Gravity Bong
This method is best for when you have a bunch of friends over and need to get as high as possible, but we do not recommend this be a common way for you to get high just because of how hard it is to control the amount of vapor.
Gravity bongs work like this: you need a 2-liter bottle, cut a hole somewhere around the bottom and carve out a hole in the cap of the jug. This is where you will put a tiny bowl made of foil; fill it with your weed and fill the bottle full of water. Put the cap on with the bowl, and hold your bottle over the sink or somewhere you can let the water spill out. Light the bowl and release the water from the hole at the bottom, and watch the makeshift bong fill with thick clouds of smoke.
Hot Knives
This one is a little more DIY than we’d prefer, but it is one of the earliest alternatives to pipe smoking weed concentrates. Before rigs or caps came along, the only way to smoke concentrates without pipes was the hot knife.
The method is fairly simple, all you need to do is torch (stovetop is fine too) the end of a knife for a long time. Once it’s hot enough, you can place dabs on the hottest point of the knife while hovering over it to inhale the vapor released. It’s a very clever way of using common household tools, but you will need to be careful about keeping the heated knife away from your face.
Some folks choose to construct a makeshift dome out of a soda bottle as a little funnel for the vapor released, which will improve the high and keep you a little safer.
Apple
Apple pipes, banana pipes, using fruits and vegetables as makeshift pipes are a trend as old as the smoking weed itself. Apple pipes are especially tasty because they impart a citrusy, refreshing flavor to the smoke better than other fruit options.
To do this, use a pen or a small knife to carve a hole through the top of the fruit, halfway into the core of the apple but not too deep — this will be your bowl, and you do not want your weed spilling out. Use your pen or knife to carve the mouthpiece. Light the bowl and inhale smoke out of the mouthpiece you created. A plus side of this pipe is how biodegradable and environmentally-friendly it is, and you can discard it easily.
Related: A Brief History of Medical Marijuana in California
Final Remarks
Versatility has defined cannabis culture for decades, and there is no reason to limit your choices to only relying on a pipe to get high. There are many options available to you should you decide to skip the pipe and try something a little different.
Which alternative method appeals to you? Let us at Sparc know your thoughts!
