Out of all the consumption methods, we know that smoking cannabis is the most common. But there’s more than one way to smoke cannabis. Even though joints are the most common doesn’t mean they’re the only way. Each smoking method has its own attributes, whether it’s discreetness, convenience, or ease.
Let’s go through some of the most common ways to smoke cannabis.
The Joint
A cannabis joint (or spliff, or doobie, or anything else you call it) contains ground cannabis and is rolled using thin papers. They are the most common way to smoke cannabis, and are considered easy to use if you buy them already rolled. Rolling your own joint can take a bit of practice to get the hang of, but once you succeed you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment.
So why a joint? Well, other than the fact that they’re easy to use and find, joints offer a bit personalization. If you’re rolling it yourself, you can add whatever strains you want. You can also dictate the size of it. Plus, joints are pretty easy to transport. You also don’t need a lot of accessories—just a lighter. Once your joint is done, then that’s that. Minimal (if any) clean-up required.
Some people prefer to steer clear of joints. If you’re making one yourself, it can be tricky to roll and take a bit of time. The smell of a joint is also a deterrent for some, but it’s really all about you as an individual.
The Pipe
Pipes come in a huge variety of shapes, sizes, and materials – from small to large and from metal to wood to glass. They’re a quick and easy way to smoke, and you can choose the one that works best for you. Pipes offer an on-the-go smoking experience, but without the hassle of rolling a joint. They don’t leave as leave as much residual odour as joints do, so your clothes and hands won’t smell as weed-y.
With pipes, you’ll have to clean them after each use, which some people don’t really have time for. Most pipes are fairly easy to clean, but if you neglect it then it can start to smell pretty bad. You’ll also have to be careful, because pipes can be broken if you drop it. At that point you’ll have to get a new one, which can start becoming pricey.
The Bong
A bong is a type of water pipe where users light their cannabis in a bowl, then draw the smoke through a water-filled chamber and into their lungs. Bongs offer a great way to filter tar and combusted substances out of the smoke, making hits taste cleaner and better. Bongs aren’t really portable, so you have to stay put if you’re planning to consume, but they do come in many different shapes, sizes, and colours. Lots of people collect bongs and display them as art around the house. Bongs leave very little smell on your hands and clothes, which is a big selling point for a lot of people.
On the downside, bongs can be fairly cumbersome, and they’re not as easy to clean as a pipe. They can be fairly expensive to purchase, and also fragile. Bongs are a good option for smoking cannabis, but you just need to be ready to deal with the clean-up and storage.
The Vapourizer
Okay, so vaping cannabis isn’t really smoking cannabis. But dried flower vapes are still consider a way to smoke cannabis because they use dried cannabis. Dried flower vapes work by heating cannabis to the point where all the good stuff (THC, CBD, other cannabinoids and terpenes) are released in a vapour to be inhaled. Due to the cannabis never reaching combustion temperatures, no smoke is created, which means you won’t be exposed to the same combustion byproducts as when you smoke a joint.
The thing with vapourizers, however, is that they can run fairly expensive, and they’re reliant on batteries and electricity. So if you go to turn on your vape and the batteries are dead, you might not be able to consume your cannabis. Vapes can also have a steep learning curve to find what works for you.
So, there you have it – a list of the most common ways to smoke cannabis. Each one has their pros and cons, depending on who you are and what you’re looking for.