Here’s how to spot, stuff, ignite and hit one of the most iconic pieces of cannabis paraphernalia: the almighty bong.
What makes a bong so special? If we had to pick one thing it would be the unique way the smoke is filtered and cooled through the water – mainly what makes a bong a bong. This is also the reason why bongs are called water pipes. As the smoke moves through water, smoother and more voluminous draws are possible than with a normal pipe. Makes a bong a bong –
What types of bongs are there?
You can find all kinds of bongs that differ not only in their shape, but also in their materials and features. There are bongs that are straight, those with a wider base, and those that look like fancy vases. Bongs can also be made of silicone, acrylic, glass, or ceramic. The simplest ones don’t come with any special features, while some of the more complex ones come with designer touches that make for a better, or at least fancier, smoke.
How does a bong work?
The main function of a bong is to filter and cool smoke. This is especially noticeable when using a clear bong. As soon as the smoke comes into contact with the water, the heavier elements are filtered out – so you don’t have to inhale burnt greens and ash.
When organic substances are burned, tars and other harmful substances such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are produced and released. You really don’t want them in your lungs.
Unlike tobacco smoke, which is laced with hundreds of man-made chemicals that cannot be easily filtered out, properly grown cannabis is just dry and organic plant matter. Burning this is an effective way to release terrenes and active cannabinoids. However, the associated side effects are hot smoke, as well as unwanted particles and tars.
A bong works in a similar way to a bubbler or wet scrubber from the lab. These devices are used to remove pollutants and dust from various gases.
When you hit cheap bongs, the negative pressure forces the smoke to travel through the water, finding its way up the stem and into your mouth. There is often a small hole (called the carb hole) in the stem of the bong that allows the collected smoke to be inhaled all at once, releasing the flow of fresh air as soon as you open it. But there are also bongs without this hole – in these specimens the chillum is lifted out in order to supply fresh air.
The desired elements of cannabis, such as cannabinoids and terrenes, are not water soluble and so travel through the bong in the water-cooled smoke, making their way to the lungs for eventual absorption. Only ash, unburned organic particles and tars remain in the water – this also causes the bong water to turn brown and sifty.
The cooling and filtering effects are related to the volume of water and the size of the bubbles formed in it. Some bongs have more than one water chamber, and still other bongs have diffusers that encourage more water bubbles to form. More water bubbles allow the smoke to contact the water over a larger surface area before it reaches the lungs.
Moving on from filtering, basically bongs are used to induce cannabis high in a quick way. When consuming through a bong, the effects come on more quickly and are more pronounced, but they also wear off more quickly than, for example, smoking cannabis through joints.