How to Roll A Cone Joint

How to Roll A Cone Joint

Whether you smoke alone or with your friends, knowing how to roll a joint can come in handy. If you are a beginner and find yourself spilling your weed everywhere, you have come to the perfect place to get learn. Here’s all of the things we suggest getting to get you started. Remember, practice makes perfect and an ugly joint is still a smokable one! You will get better in time and impress yourself!

Items you will need:

  • A rolling tray

  • A grinder

  • Rolling papers (Juicy Jay’s, Raw, Zig Zags)

  • Filters (crutches, rolling tips)

  • A poking/packing tool

  • Your favourite cannabis

 

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Step One: Grind your flower and roll up filter.

You want to get comfortable first. Find a spot where you can sit comfortably ( it may take a while) where you can set your tray down in front of you while you roll. Grind up your flower and dump your cannabis onto your rolling tray. Get your pack of papers and pull out a new paper. Grab your filter and roll the rectangle into a cylinder shape and place it at the end of your paper. This will be the smoking end of your joint!

 

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Step Two: Fill your paper and shape your flower

You want to get comfortable first. Find a spot where you can sit comfortably ( it may take a while) where you can set your tray down in front of you while you roll. Grind up your flower and dump your cannabis onto your rolling tray. Get your pack of papers and pull out a new paper. Grab your filter and roll the rectangle into a cylinder shape and place it at the end of your paper. This will be the smoking end of your joint!

 

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Step Three: Tuck and Roll

Now that you have your paper filled with your cannabis, you are ready to try rolling it up. You WILL spill some of your cannabis while trying this step so make sure your hands are over the tray to catch any falling pieces. At the end with the filter, tuck the bottom of the paper around the filter  and roll it upward to create the beginning of the cone shape. While holding this firmly in place with your dominant hand, you can use your other hand to tuck in the bottom lip of the paper in bit by bit moving away from the filter. As you slowly tuck more of the paper in, continue to roll the filter side up with your dominant hand. To keep the shape of your cone while rolling, you can lightly, pinch and slide along the length of the joint and apply a bit of  pressure to keep your cannabis packed in. Keep rolling and tucking until you reach the lighting end of your paper.

 

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Step Four: Seal your Joint

You are doing great so far! Now you need to seal your joint. It is common to lick the end of your joint by using your tongue but if you want an alternative to licking, you can use a small paint brush and water. Start by licking the thicker end of the joint on the glue strip along the top. In one licking motion you can lick the glue strip from side to the other. Now that it’s sticky, you can finish by rolling the top of the paper down and sealing the glue along the whole joint. Look at you go!! You finished the hardest part and have a joint that you could smoke right now! But wait… there’s more.

 

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Step Five: Pack down joint and add in left over flower

After rolling up your joint, you may have noticed that it is not nearly as full as it was when you started and you may still have a good amount left over on your tray. Your joint may be loosely packed with flower and you can use this step pack it more tightly. Tap your joint about 5-10 times on your tray with the filter side down. Each tap should pack your flower down and leave you some space at the top end to sprinkle some more in to create that desired cone shape. Use your poking tool to pack down the remaining cannabis that you are loading into your joint. Once you are satisfied , you can fold in or twist the end of your cone so none of your hard work spills back out.

 

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Step Six: Light up and enjoy

We made it! You did great! Take a moment to look at what you’ve accomplished. Take a picture. Proudly wave it around. When you are ready, light it up and enjoy this new skill you have learned!

 

Types of Smoking Devices Part Three: Vaporizers, Vape Pens, 510 Thread Cartridges.

Part Three… Vape with me!

Welcome to Part 3 of CannaSavvy’s guide to different smoking devices. If you missed Part 1 and Part 2, We browsed over many different devices that you use to smoke your flower and concentrates. From simple pipes, to elaborate dab rigs, you don’t want to miss out on this info!

In this issue, we will focus on different kinds of vaporizers for smoking flower and concentrates, 510 thread carts used for smoking THC distillates, and vaporizer batteries that come in different designs!

Let’s get Savvy.

 

What is Vaping?

Vaping is the process of heating up cannabis at a high enough temperature that will convert the active cannabinoids and terpenes into vapour. Most vaporizing devices are made to heat cannabis products just below the point of combustion. They heat cannabis flower, distillates or concentrates to a certain point which releases the cannabinoids and terpenes without igniting the plant material. Since the cannabis flower or concentrate is heated at a lower temperature and no smoke is involved, When smoking cannabis, you can burn off many of the terpenes and minor cannabinoids present in flower. Using a vaporizer can activate more of those compounds before the reach the point of combustion.

Vaping vs Smoking:

When smoking cannabis, you combust/burn your flower inside of your pipe or bong. You get the desired effects from the cannabinoids, and flavours from the terpenes, but you are also combusting and inhaling very hot pieces of debris that irritate the sensitive tissue in your lungs. As you should know, smoke is harmful to lung health. When burning cannabis, toxins and carcinogens are released from the combustion of the materials. Smoke from cannabis combustion has been shown to contain many of the same toxins, irritants and carcinogens as tobacco smoke.

Vaporizers on the other hand, do not burn anything. Instead, they heat up THC-products until they’re hot enough to create a vapour. Your cannabis doesn’t get to the temperature which it starts to combust. Smoking vaporizers produces a light cloud of vapour instead of a thick cloud of smoke like from burning cannabis. When comparing these two ways inhaling your THC, vaporizers can feel much smoother on the lungs .

Different Ways to Vape

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Vaporizers use batteries and small metal coils or ovens to heat a dry herbs, concentrates, or THC distillate until it evaporates and is then inhaled. If you are interested in trying out vaping for yourself, there are a few different options available for you to experiment with. As the cannabis industry continues to grow, companies have innovated new ways to vaporize THC and CBD. In this article, we will discuss three standard methods you can try out to vape cannabis products. So get comfortable as we dive into Dry Herb Vapes, Concentrate Pens, and 510 Thread Cartridges.

Types of Vaporizers :

Dry Herb Vaporizers for Flower

Dry herb vaporizers have a chamber or ovens where dried cannabis flower is placed inside. The cannabis is heated to the correct temperature so that it doesn’t burn. This reduces any tar or carcinogens that you may inhale compared to using a bong or pipe which combusts the cannabis. Many dry herb vaporizers include temperature settings that you can change to help the user control the amount of flavour and vapour that is inhaled.

Table Top Vaporizers

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Tabletop vaporizers are stationary temperature control units that require a solid surface like. table to sit on. Tabletop vaporizers come in different varieties, but all include four main features. A temperature dial to regulate the temperature, a healing element that heats the flower or concentrates, a heating chamber where you put the flower or concentrates, and a mouthpiece attachment.

Some tabletop vaporizers (like the Volcano) use a bag to collect the vapour which is then detached and then inhaled after the vaporizer fills it up vapour. Others vaporizers use a long tube that is attached to the heating chamber which allows the vapour to move directly from the heating chamber to the user. Most tabletop vaporizers of this style are used to vaporize cannabis flower.

Portable Vaporizers

Portable vaporizers are smaller, discreet vaporizers that work similar to tabletop vaporizers except that they are hand held devices. Portable vaporizers are made up of a chamber (often called an oven) to hold the cannabis flower, a heating element, and a battery. Most hand held vaporizers have variable temperature controls that are operated with the click of a button or turn of a dial. This activates the battery, which heats the element and vaporizes the flower inside the chamber, and through the mouthpiece for inhalation. Portable vaporizers allow for easy and discreet use as the device is compact and the cannabis vapour creates a less potent aroma and visual smoke.

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Featured on the right is the The Yocan HIT Dry Herb Vaporizer. Its a portable dry herb vaporizer designed and engineered for optimum dry herb vaporization.

The Yocan Hit features a convection oven that’s designed and engineered to vaporize your favourite strains. By using convection heating and a ceramic-based oven to heat the herbs inside the chamber, it allows the herbs to be vaporized without reaching the point of combustion, thus promoting clean and smooth vaporization of your herbs.

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Dry herb strains and other botanical plant matter contain flavonoids and terpenes that provide the cannabis flower its unique aroma and distinct tastes. When using a vaporizer, you’ll be able to taste the terpenes and the natural flavours native to your selected strain. This is why the Yocan HIT Vaporizer is the ideal portable vaporizer for connoisseurs who look to experience the best their dry herb strains have to offer.

The Yocan Hit includes:

  • 1 x Yocan HIT Vaporizer

  • 1 x Cleaning Brush

  • 1 x USB-C Charging Cable

  • 1 x User Manual)

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This image shows the mouth piece of the Yocan Hit. A great feature included in the mouthpiece is a stir rod. To help ensure your cannabis is heated evenly and thoroughly, you can twist the mouthpiece to stir the materials in your oven. This is helpful because you can evenly vaporize your cannabis without having to open it up and risk spilling it out.

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AVB

After you vaporize your cannabis, you will produce AVB (Already Vaped Bud). AVB is the discoloured leftovers of the plant that will still be inside your oven after you vaporize your cannabis. AVB still contains valuable cannabinoids that can be accessed in a variety of ways.

If you plan on using your dry vape regularly, you can collect your ABV and repurpose it. Even though AVB contains less THC than fresh bud, it can still be used for making edibles.
The vaporizer will actually prime the cannabis through a process known as decarboxylation and make it ready to use for making canna butter. Instead of dumping your AVB in the ash tray, it may be a good idea to keep a separate jar for collecting.

Vaporizers for Concentrates

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Just like how there are portable vaporizers that are used for flower cannabis, there are hand held vaporizers that are used to smoke concentrates out of. One example of a dab pen to the right is a Yocan Evolve Plus XL Vaporizer.

A dab pen is used to consume dabs. A dab is a term used to reference many of the different type of cannabis concentrates like shatter, diamonds, wax, budder, crumble, rosin, terp sauce, etc.

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Concentrates can come in the form of a hard solid like shatter, or a semi solid or liquid state like wax or terp sauce. They are extracted through many different solvent and solvent less based methods that extract the plants cannabinoids. Concentrates are a much more potent than cannabis flower and delivers a stronger effect because it has high concentrations of active compounds.

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Dab pens usually have three main components: the mouthpiece, the battery, and the atomizer.

Concentrates are purchased separately and added to the atomizer, where it is heated with a coil and vaporized.

This Yocan vaporizer features a magnetic connection that allows the atomizer tube to connect to the base with ease. It also features a unique quad coil technology which uses 4 quartz rod coil that allows for bigger clouds and pure tasting vapour. Other standard features include a coil cap that prevents messy leaks, an adjustable airflow valve, and a 1400maH battery with micro-USB charging.

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The Yocan Evolve Plus XL Vaporizer includes:

  • 1 x Yocan Evolve Plus XL Vaporizer

  • 1 x Atomizer

  • 1 x Small Tool

  • 1 x Battery (1400mAH)

  • 1 x Micro USB Cable

  • 1 x Lanyard

One useful feature that this dab pen has is its detachable built-in silicone jar. The jar is located at the bottom of the battery is a very convenient way to keep vaping materials when not being consumed.

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The Yocan Evolve Plus XL features an adjustable airflow design which allows you to make subtle changes to flavour and vapour density and viscosity.

By adjusting the airflow and reducing the amount of air intake, you can get a tight draw which results in increased flavor but thinner vapors. Increasing the airflow, on the other hand, amplifies the vapor visibility but somewhat decreases the flavor of your clouds while giving loose draws.

Hybrid Vaporizers for Dry herb and Concentrates

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Some high quality vaporizers have the ability to smoke both dry flower and concentrates. These devices are great for vaporizing various forms of concentrates including badder, budder, and shatter. If you want a portable vaporizer for both dry flower and concentrates on the go, the Crafty + (plus) is a Vaporizer that can help.

The Crafty + Vaporizer by Storz & Bickel is one of the heaviest hitting yet portable devices thanks to its optimal mix of convection and conduction heating. Employing diffused air jets that permeate your materials with convective heat while conductive heat passes through the walls of the stainless-steel loading chamber it delivers both potent flavor and clouds!

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The CRAFTY+ Vaporizer uses a patented combination of convection and conduction heating – a technology proven to excel in heating up herb evenly and efficiently. In addition, the powerful heating system allows for exceptional air flow and allows you to breathe in effortlessly. With the optimized heater, the CRAFTY+ Vaporizer reaches the desired temperature in approximately 60 seconds.

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The Crafty + Includes:

1 pc. CRAFTY+ Vaporizer

  • 1 pc. USB Cable

  • 3 pcs. Base Seal Ring, small

  • 3 pcs. Normal Screen, small

  • 3 pcs. Coarse Screen, small

  • 1 pc. Dosing Capsule

  • 1 pc. Cleaning Brush

  • 1 pc. Instruction for Use (concise)

  • 1 pc. Safety Instructions

 

 

The stainless steel screens are used to place your concentrates on, They are soaked into the steel and heated evenly giving you a flavourful hit at your desired temperature. The additional screens are the ovens that you fill with dry flower. They can be filled and closed in with a lid.

A friendly reminder: Don’t over stuff your oven with flower. If there is too much flower inside it can be too dense to evenly vaporize all of the flower inside.

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The Crafty + can rapidly heat up to a maximum temperature of 410 degrees Fahrenheit. Crafty Vape achieves it’s max temp in less than 60-70 seconds and has a battery life of about 60 minutes.

When choosing a temperature on your vaporizer, a good guide to follow is Low temperatures for more flavour, High temperatures for more vapour production. Experiment with the setting so find what setting you prefer. To get better flavour use a lower temperature around 350 degrees F. This will not produce huge clouds of vapour unless you crank up the heat. A temperature of 380 degrees F and higher will produce a bigger cloud of smoke, but reduce the uniqueness of your strains flavour. If you set your vaporizer to the highest setting you could result in a toasty almost burnt flavour that can be an acquired taste for some.

Vape Pens ( 510 Thread Cartridges )

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510 Tread Cartridges and Batteries

A Vape pen is term used for a type of vaporizer designed specifically to vaporize cannabis distillates and oils. They are called pens because of the cylindrical design of the vaporizer looks like pen.

A reusable vape pen consists of a rechargeable battery and a screw on 510 thread cartridge. With reusable vape pens, you use the same battery with multiple cartridges but throw away the empty cartridge once you’ve vaporized all the oil inside.

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The anatomy of a vape pen consists of a mouthpiece, chamber/tank, and a heating element, which is activated by a compatible battery. The chamber of a vape cartridge is filled with oils or distillate, which contains concentrated amounts of THC.

The 510 thread cartridge itself contains a food grade safe mouthpiece, a glass chamber made to fit .5 or 1 g of oil, a ceramic heating coil, intake holes, and 5 10mm threads at the bottom.

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What’s do you vape in a 510 thread cartridge?

There are a few different types of concentrates that can be found for sale in a 510 thread cartridge. The tree types you will commonly see are: Distillate Carts, Full Spectrum Carts, and Live Resin Carts.

Distillate carts use a distilled oil which has most of the cannabis’s plants qualities removed except for the extracted thc left over. This can be vaped plain or botanical terpenes (from other plants) can be added for flavour. Some producers claim to add “native plant” terpenes back in.

Full spectrum carts use extraction techniques that pull most of the cannabinoids and terpenes from the flower being all natural.

Live resin uses the same process as full spectrum except the cannabis is flash frozen at harvest preserving more terpenes lost in drying. The freezing also makes a more selective extraction that pulls less or no chlorophyll that can be found in some normal full or broad spectrum extracts.

Distillates:

A cannabis distillate is a highly refined oil containing pure cannabinoids and almost nothing else. The upside to using distillates in vaporizer cartridges is that the oil can be produced from a range of starting materials. Virtually any hash oil variety from CO2 to BHO and everything in between can be purified into a distillate. The downside to using distillates in vaporizer cartridges is that because there are no residual terpenes left behind, there is nothing to cut the viscosity of the material. In order for distillate to be used for cartridges, a thinning agent of some kind is often required. It is advised to only purchase vape cartridges on the legal market because non lab tested cartridges found on the black market often include unhealthy cutting agents inside that are not safe for inhalation.

Full Spectrum Cartridges:

Full-spectrum extracts are concentrates that aim to capture as much of the full cannabinoid and terpene profile of the raw cannabis plant as possible. Full-spectrum cannabis extracts go through more gentle extraction processes, resulting in a concentrate that has the maximum amount of naturally occurring components of the cannabis plant, in addition to cannabinoids. This means that it will contain every bit of the terpenes, flavonoids, and essential oils that are native to that strain specific plant.

When extracted from a cannabis plant, full-spectrum products contain all the included cannabinoids like CBD, THC, CBDA, CBN, and CBC. A full spectrum product offers you a more holistic approach to experiencing vape cartridges compared to distillates with added botanical terpenes. When you see a cart labeled as Full spectrum, you know that the extract process preserves the raw plant’s full terpene and cannabinoid contents. This allows each of the plants components to work together synergistically, maximizing all the effects in your body.

Live Resin Cartridges:

Live resin is a form of cannabis concentrate manufactured by taking freshly harvested cannabis and flash freezing it. Extractors flash freeze the cannabis plant at very low temperatures before and during the process of extraction.

Live resin concentrates are known for their high terpene levels, resulting in products with distinctively strong aromas. The flash freezing extraction technique leaves the terpenes behind so that they are able to interact with the cannabinoids to overall provide a much richer experience. This process ensures the plant maintains its valuable terpene profile. Moreover, it retains its original fragrance and flavor, resulting in a more qualitative product.

Difference between Full spectrum and Live Resin

Live resin is a full spectrum product. But not all full-spectrum products are live resin. The difference between live resin and another full spectrum concentrate is that live resin is made from a cannabis plant that was frozen instead of going through the drying and curing process. The typical drying and curing procedure can damage the flavourful factory molecules found within the trichomes. With live resin, extractors flash freeze the plant immediately after the harvest. Then, it is kept at freezing temperatures throughout the extraction procedure.

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Different Batteries

Vape batteries come in a variety of styles featuring buttons or no buttons, a cylindrical shape or rectangular one, a limited or long battery life, and the ability to recharge, which means there’s a battery to fit just about any personal preference. One of the most common weed pen batteries is the 510 thread, which is compatible with both .5g and 1g carts on the OCS market.

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Disposable Vapes !

Disposable or all-in-one vape pens contain all the same elements of a battery with a 510 thread cartridge attached. The only difference is that the 510 thread cartridge remains connected to the battery and you dispose of the entire unit after the cart is empty. Some like this quick convenient purchase and puff style of vapes. Rather then having to worry about losing a battery you can get it all in one.

 

Thank you for making it to the bottom of the page! We hope to see you back next time for another Stay Savvy article soon.

Types of Smoking Devices Part Two: Concentrates, Oil rigs, and Dab Accessories.

Back for more?

Welcome back for Part 2 of CannaSavvy’s guide to different smoking devices. If you missed Part 1, we talked about various devices you can use to smoke your cannabis flower. Bongs, pipes, and one hitters all have their pros and cons depending on the experience you are looking for. In this issue, we will focus on different types or concentrate rigs and accessories that are used for smoking cannabis concentrates and extracts.

Let’s go!

Concentrate (Dab) Rigs

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Dab rigs are designed for vaporizing cannabis extracts and concentrates. They can also be referred to as a vaporizer rigs, and oil rigs. Just like a bong, dab rigs filter cannabis vapour through a chamber of water at the base of the device. Dab rigs are typically smaller than bongs with a smaller chamber that produced less drag. This allows vapour to travel to the lungs quicker. Instead of using a glass bowl that you pack full of flower, a dab rig requires a “bowl” called a Nail.

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Nails can be made out of glass, quartz, ceramic, or titanium. You drop or “dab” your concentrates into a heated nail using a dabber tool. Instead of a typical Bic lighter, you use a torch ( refillable butane) lighter to heat up your nail to a higher temperature which concentrates vaporize the best at. Just like how you use a carb to build up smoke in a bong or pipe, you use a glass accessory called a “carb cap” to build up more vapour in your dab rig.

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Expand your selection with Concentrates

Now is the best time to start getting into concentrates. It may seem a bit intimidating to adapt to a different technique to smoke, but in return you open a new world of extracts and concentrates that have strong, streamlined effects and heavy terpene flavour profiles. The essential steps are simple: heat the nail with a torch, place a dab of concentrate in the nail, and inhale the resulting vapour with help from a carb cap. JUST DON’T GRAB THE HOT NAIL like you would with a bong bowl, you WILL BURN your fingers.

Dab Rigs with concentrates vs Water Pipes with flower:

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Since Concentrates have hit the legal market in Canada, dab rigs have made a significant impact on the glass industry. The designs and shapes of an oil rig are catered to the different needs of the dabber. As a result, rigs are intended to look and work a bit different than regular water bongs and pipes. .

Concentrates contain terpenes, which are highly aromatic compounds that determine the smell of many plants and herbs. Terpenes are responsible for flavours and aromas that are present in different strains of cannabis and concentrates (like pine, citrus, lavender, pepper, etc).

The difference between taking bong hits and taking dabs is about shifting your focus away from diffusion and towards flavour. With concentrates, the terpenes are more pronounced compared to flowers and dabbing tends to have a more potent effect than smoking flower.

When selecting a dab rig, you will see that they’re much smaller, have smaller water chambers ,and strait forward percs. Elaborate looking percs and larger water chambers actually dilutes your vapour and robs you of the full flavour of your concentrate. Concentrates call for a drag-free smoke, and require condensed chambers to easily send the vapour directly to your lungs.

When smoking flowers, the goal is to get a smooth, cool, and diffused toke. To achieve this, users have many options like Ice catchers, built in percs, and attachable ash catchers. Each pass through water and a percolator will diffuse and cool your smoke, making it more comfortable to inhale into your lungs.

However, for smoking concentrates, the approach is focused on terpenes and flavour. If you pass a dab through large water chambers with complicated percs and additional ash catchers, you defuse away your flavour. Also, by having a larger piece, it can be difficult to clear your concentrated vapour in just one breath. Leaving vapour inside your piece will result in stale tasting vapour that won’t be very terpy.

For taking dabs the goal is to cool down the vapour, not filter and diffuse it a lot. This is because most of the diffusion and filtering happens in the extraction process of the concentrate. You want to inhale the full quality of your concentrates, so a dab rig’s function is mostly to cool down the hot vapour by passing it through air and water.  If you still want a smooth and flavourful dab, there are some designs that include simpler percs and recycling tubes that adds to your smoothness without taking away much from flavour. Many concentrate users look for a dab rig with minimal diffusion, since it means less drag and a smoother dabbing experience.

So remember with concentrates, the rule of thumb is: drag- free smoke, and flavour over diffusion .

Types of Glass Dab Rigs

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Glass dab rigs

Glass dab rigs are the standard type of rig. They come in various shapes and designs and sizes range from 6” to over 12” tall. Usually they’re made from borosilicate glass, which is designed to be stronger and more heat resistant. Glass dab rigs are a great place to start when looking to start smoking concentrates.

Pros:

  • Easy to add accessories.

  • Durable and made from thicker glass

  • A lot of variety for selection

  • Best value for what you pay for

Cons:

  • Requires a thorough cleaning if you dab often

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Miniature Dab Rigs

Mini Dab Rigs are just smaller versions of dab rigs. They are sized a bit smaller around 7” or under. Like above, they are also usually made of, thick borosilicate glass.

A smaller dab rig can still pack a big hit without losing smoothness for convenience. Try provide a great way to smoke dabs on the go. The designs tend to be a bit more intricate, with more curves in the pipes for cooling, and additional percolators for filtration. The added percolation can even make some mini rigs even smoother than traditional ones at a lower price point.

Pros:

  • Can be a cheaper alternative

  • It still fits accessories well

  • Portable

  • More percolation

  • Smooth hitting

Cons:

  • Can be difficult to clean

  • More filtration will cost you some flavour

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Recycler Dab Rigs

A recycler is a special type of dab rig, designed to give smokers the smoothest way to experience dabs. What’s interesting to dabbers, is that the recycler rig combines the smoothness of a bong hit with the flavour and potency of a dab. With the addition of some extra filtration, recycler hits are cleaner.

Recycler rigs get their name from the loop inside the piece, which causes the vapour to recycle during each hit. They are higher quality pieces with unique and aesthetic designs that stand out as a piece of art in your collection. The designs are both beautiful and functional as they recycle the vapour through the percolator and tubes multiple times before it reaches your lungs.

Most are rather large, usually over 8” tall, and have excellent craftsmanship. As a result, they usually are more expensive than traditional dab rigs. Overall, the recycler rig improves the smoothness of a dab, but also delivers the terpy flavours that are expected from the dabbing community.

Cons:

  • Can be difficult to clean

  • Expensive

  • Not as portable as simpler dab rigs

Pros :

  • Smoothest dabbing experience

  • Beautiful customized designs

  • Thick and durable glass

  • Great as a centre piece

Nails and Carb Caps:

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Nails (Banger Bowls)

Nails are a critical component to dabbing. They are essentially a shallow dish that you heat to temperatures high enough to vaporize cannabis concentrates. Nails are made out of titanium, quartz, and glass. Typically, they come in either 45-degree or 90-degree designs, so that they can match the style of your rig and the dish can sit at an up right angle.

Carb Caps

Carb caps have become an essential accessories paired with a banger nail because they allow the user to dab at lower temperatures and hold vapour in the nail for a longer time. After heating the nail and dropping a dab of concentrate, simply rest your carb cap over the top of the nail. This creates an enclosed chamber of hot air to retain and distribute heat for a more even dab, which is especially useful at lower temperatures. Carb caps are made out of a few different materials, including glass and titanium.

Types of Nails:

Banger: Banger nails have quickly become a popular nail for dabbing due to its large dabbing surface. It’s more efficient and extends the nail away from the user’s face. A banger nail looks similar to a swan neck probably because of the way it extends out like a curve. They are a great option for newbies in dabbing because of their ease of use and low price. Banger nails, are often made out of quartz and glass.

Quarts Nails: These nails are also referred to as quartz bangers. Quartz nails heat up rapidly but also lose heat relatively fast. Like ceramic nails, quartz nails are known for being very clean and not leaching contaminants.

Glass Nails: In general, glass nails heat quickly and hold heat well. Typically made of borosilicate glass, these nails are also typically the cheapest to buy. However, glass nails are the most prone to breaking and can sometimes shatter at very high temperatures.

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Know your Nails!

Depending on which dab rig you own, it could require a specific banger nail for your downstem and rest at the appropriate angle. Before you buy a replacement banger, you should know the different varieties so that you walk away with something that will compliment and work with you rig.

The image to the left shows three banger nails:

  • The first is a male banger joint at a 45 degree angle

  • The second is a male banger joint at a 90 degree angle

  • The third is a female banger joint at a 90 degree angle

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Male Banger

Here is a demonstration of a male banger joint sliding into the rig’s female downstem. The downstem comes out and up at a 90 degree angle so we use a 90 degree angled male banger nail to slide in.

Female Banger

Here is a demonstration of a female banger joint sliding over top of the rig’s male downstem. The downstem comes out and up at a 90 degree angle so we use a 90 degree angled female banger nail to slide over top.

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Different Designs

Here are two different male banger nail designs at both a 90 degree and 45 degree angle.

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The angle of your downstem will be the same angle you will need for your banger nail:

  • The bong on the left side has a downstem that comes out and up at a 45 degree angle, so we use a 45 degree angled male banger nail to slide in.

  • The bong on the right side has a downstem that comes out and up at a 90 degree angle, so we use a 90 degree angled male banger nail to slide in.

Modify Your Bong into a Dab Rig

When buying a dab rig, you will notice that it they usually cost more money than an bong. If you have some glass pieces at home, you could try turning your bong into a dab rig. While it’s not the most ideal option, it is technically possible to transform a regular bong into a workable dab rig. The important thing is making sure you find a nail that fits into the downstem of your bong. It can be tricky because most bongs use a downstem placed at a 45-degree angle, which is very different from a dab rig’s usual 90-degree angle.

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A quick alternative is to transform a bong into a dab rig.

Here we are swapping out a glass bowl for a male banger nail. This bong has a small enough water chamber to produce a low amount of drag and could to be a good piece for dabbing. Remember, we want a cooling process whenever we dab and should always use water in the devices to prevent you from burning your lungs

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Swapping out a glass bowl for a 45° angled Banger

Here we are again swapping out a glass bowl for a male banger nail, but this one at a 45 degree angle. This bong has a larger water chamber which produces a larger amount of drag, but will still get the job done and cool down your concentrate. You don’t need to buy a whole new rig, but you do lose out on the full rich terpene profiles and flavours that a crafted dab rig provides.

Dab Accessories:

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When stepping into the world of concentrates, you will quickly notice there are a few different tools required to help you dab properly. Just like how there are accessories to help you out with when smoking flower, smoking concentrates requires the following essential tools:

  • A dabber

  • A carb cap

  • A quartz, titanium, glass, or ceramic nail

  • A butane torch

  • A dab mat

  • Cotton swabs

A dabber tool is used to safely and accurately place your concentrates inside of your flaming hot banger nail.

A dab mat provides a rubber like surface that acts as a soft placemat to set your rig on. It also acts as a non slip surface to keep your rig sturdy and still. When heating nails at high temperatures, you want a secured rig to prevent it from getting knocked over and possibly burning your skin.

Cleaning tips: If you are using a quartz nail, wipe the inside of the nail with a cotton swab to remove any residual oil. This helps keep the nail clean, provides a more flavourful dab, and extends the life of your nail. If neglected, your banger bowl can create unwanted build up of residue that negatively effects the taste and cleanliness of any new dab you take. You can also shorten the life of a banger bowl if its improperly heated. This is called chazzing.

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“YOU CHAZZED IT BRO!”

Chazzing happens when the banger is torched on the bottom or the sides at an excessive amount of heat over a long period of time. This causes your banger to be too hot and develop a black sooty layer on the inside of the nail. A chazzed quarts banger is the effect caused by poor control of temperature when you heat up your banger and take your dabs. Either the concentrate will heat up too quickly, leaving a charred residue, or the residue from the previous dab can harden if it was not cleaned out..

Cracking a banger is also possible if heated with a torch for too long. Monitoring your temperatures and cleaning your nails regularly, will extend the life of your bangers and keep giving you the best tasting experience with concentrates.

Thanks again for visiting out Stay Savvy Series! Make sure to return weekly to see more informative articles and video tutorials. As always, Stay Safe and Stay Savvy.

Types of Smoking Devices Part One: Pipes, Papers, Bongs, and Accessories.

Where to start?

When it comes to customers enjoying their THC and CBD cannabis related products, the most commonly known method to use cannabis, is by inhaling (smoking) it. Choosing how you want to smoke your cannabis opens up many different selections that experienced and new users can be pick and choose between. This quick guide will introduce to you some different tools and devices that you can get your hands on to start your session the way you want it. If you are not sure whether you want a glass bong, metal pipe, vaporizer, or 510 thread cartridge with a battery, We will go through and explain each device to help you refine how YOU want to get experience cannabis!

Let’s get started!

 

Hand Pipes

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Hand pipes can come in different shapes, sizes, and are made of different materials like glass, metal, wood, and stone. A typical hand pipe (sometimes called a spoon because of its shape) will have three working parts:

  • The Bowl

  • The Mouthpiece

  • The Carb (a hole in the side used to build up and release smoke)

 Pros:

  • Hand pipes are great for portability if you are on the go.

  • They are smaller in size compared to other smoking devices and can easily be stored in a pocket or purse.

  • Hand pipes can be more discreet than other devices and are meant for smoking the flower form of Cannabis.

Cons:

  • Hand pipes provide a dry hit that is higher in temperature and harsher on the lungs compared to a water filtered toke.

  • If the pipe is short in length, it could be a burning hot hit.

  • Be careful not to catch your bangs and eyebrows on fire.

  • Like all smoking devices, leftover resin will dirty the inside of your pipe so you will need to clean it often if you want it to taste as clean as possible.

 

One Hitters

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A “One Hitter” is named after this pipe’s main purpose. It is a small, cylindrical sized pipe that can be quickly packed with a pinch of cannabis, lit up, and emptied. One hitters come in various designs but are usually made out of metal. They can also include a functional case where you can store your one hitter and weed, pack a bowl, and easily tuck it into your pocket when you are done.

Pros:

  • Great for a few small puffs or a quick sesh.

  • It is discreet, portable and stealthy. More geared towards quick tokes outside or on the go.

  • This device is a go to if you want to sneak a toke on your back porch while your family members are over during Thanksgiving dinner.

  • Some one hitters are designed to look like cigarettes to anonymously blend in with smoking crowds. This was more significant before legalization and was a commonly used method to avoid conflicts with other people while you try to smoke your weed in peace.

Cons:

  • One hitters are not really used for big sessions on the couch with your friends.

  • They can only pack small sized bowls and with repetitive use, it can quickly clog it up with ash and resin.

  • Like a hand pipe, a one hitter gives the user a dry toke that can be a bit harsher on your lungs.

  • If you can smoke freely and comfortably, you may want to enjoy a different device when you invite your friends over for a sesh.

 

The Joint!

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Let’s get back to the basics, the rolling paper! This method of smoking cannabis is still the most commonly celebrated way to benefit from the cannabinoids and aromas your cannabis has to offer. This process seems the most simplistic, but don’t get cocky. There is some skill and practice involved to successfully roll yourself a functional and aesthetic looking joint.

CLICK HERE now to watch tutorial on How To Roll A Cone Joint!

There are many kinds of papers available to fit the unique preference of many smokers. The choice between wood pulp, rice, hemp, or other fibres will result with a different  taste, smoking speed, rolling difficulty, and appearance. If you want even more options, you can experiment smoking your cannabis with blunt wraps, hemp wraps, flavoured papers, pre-rolled cones, palm leaves, and even rose pedals.

Here is list of some different materials and characteristics of rolling papers.

White Papers: usually have a chemical additive (chlorine or calcium carbonate) to help slow down the burn. This isn’t the case for all white papers. Most packs of papers will list if it’s bleached or unbleached.

Flavoured coloured papers: can also contain chemicals or natural substances that add flavor and can help slow down burning times. Mindful smokers may not want to inhale these substances that are added in.

Classic Wood Pulp: These are popular papers that have been around the longest. On average, these papers are thicker than newer types of papers that are available now. White wood pulp papers are bleached while brown ones are not. The texture of these papers makes it a bit easier to roll and shape. Great for beginners with those shaky sweaty hands.

Rice Papers: Good rice papers are made from all natural ingredients of processed and pressed rice. They are usually thinner than other papers which is good for your lungs but requires a bit more skill to roll with. Even though rice papers are thin, they burn slowly and are a better choice for your lungs that doesn’t give you external aftertaste.

Hemp Papers: Hemp papers hit it off really well with the cannabis community. Since these papers are made of hemp fibre, this saves many trees which would have been used in its place.The colour of hemp papers are usually brown and are not bleached. They are thicker and rougher than rice papers and provide a decent grip to roll with. They have a medium burn rate and provide a subtle aftertaste that doesn’t compromise the aroma of your cannabis.

Pre-rolled Cones and wraps: Sometimes it is too difficult to roll your joint and you want an alternative that still looks and smokes evenly. The good news is that you can get pre rolled hemp paper cones that just need to be filled and packed down with your cannabis. No rolling necessary! No time wasted trying to roll with failed attempts. No stress and No mess.

Go the extra mile and experiment with different preroll options… like a KING PALM.

King Palms are known for their slow burn and smooth hits. They come ready to pack and fit one gram of ground up cannabis inside perfectly. In the filter of the King Palm is a poppable terpene pack that infuses your wrap with your choice of flavour.

Pre-rolls: This last option provides the best convenience. You can just order yourself a pre-roll! There is a huge selection of pre-rolls that are filled with some of your favourite stains available. Pre-rolls can come in single packs or packs of multiples. Individual joints can come in different size like 1g, .5g, and .35g per joint.

 

Bubblers

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A bubbler is a type of pipe that uses water and a percolator to diffuse the smoke, making for a smooth hit. Usually made out of glass, bubblers a great mix between a bong and a hand pipe. It gives you the portability of a pipe combined with the water diffusion of a bong.. Just fill the bubbler up with some cold water, pack a bowl, and light it up. Don’t forget to cover the carb to build up a thick smooth hit.

Bubblers are usually much smaller than bongs and are designed to be portable but enjoyable. Bubblers can be made as one whole piece, or come with moving parts like a bowl or slide. Overall, a bubbler is a great smoking device for an Indica smoker who likes to chill inside, or a Sativa smoker who wants to go on an adventure through a park or forest.

Pros:

  • Portable,

  • Great for smoking a session inside or on the go

  • Hits smoother than a hand pipe.

  • No additional bowl or slides needed to work just add water.

Cons:

  • Fragile

  • If you’re on the go, it still needs to be filled with water and emptied after use.

  • Can be challenging to clean if neglected.

  • No removable pieces can make it harder to clean.

 

Bongs (Water Pipes)

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The Bong or water pipe is a smoking device similar to a bubbler. It is a “pipe” with a water filled chamber that diffuses smoke through a series of holes and slits of  the slide or percolator. Bongs come in various sizes, designs and materials to fit the unique needs of the smoker.

Unlike bubblers, bongs can have additional features that help with even smoother and cooler hit. Some bongs have built in ice pinchers that allow you to fill the mouthpiece with ice cubes for a refreshing cool toke.   Some bongs are designed with internal percolators that filter and diffuse smoke, where other bong designs only include a bowl and slide, but gives you the option to attach additional percolators externally to your bong by attaching an ash catcher accessory.

 Here are some common styles of bongs and bong attachments:

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Glass Straight Tube:

In a straight tube bong, the entire piece is the same diameter except for the angled opening for a downstem. These bongs usually have an ice pincher and do not require much water in them to diffuse the smoke.

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Glass Beaker Bong:

  A beaker bong has a bottom base chamber that flares out in the shape of a scientific beaker. They use a downstem which allows diffusion through the water. Beaker bongs are filled with more water and give more drag compared to  a straight tube bong. It is also common for these bongs to feature an ice pinch.

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Glass Stemless Bongs:

Stemless bongs are made so that they do not need a removable downstem. The stems are built in and often connect some sort of percolator inside of the bong to help diffuse the smoke. These bongs are often more durable, but the stem or percolators can not be removed to clean or replaced if damaged like removable ones.

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Built-in Percolators:

These bongs will usually have a higher price tag on them compared to straight tube and beaker bongs. This is because they include built in percolators which adds additional diffusion and water filtration to the smoke providing a cleaner, tastier, and smoother toke. When you see a friend with a bong like this, you know they have leveled up from traditional bongs and want to experience bong rips like a connoisseur.

If you are someone wants a really filtered and clean tasting toke, you  will want to invest in a bong like this. There is more of an upkeep for cleaning the interior percolators, but in return you get an expert level smoking experience. If you tend to be forgetful and never clean or change your gross murky bong water, then this might be too much for you to handle as the percolators will get clogged if used carelessly.

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Ash Catchers :

Ash Catchers are glass bong attachments that are filled with water and placed in the downstem of your bong where your glass bowl usually goes. Percolators come in a few different kinds of designs. Inside them, are small glass tubes that either have small slits or holes in them.

Their purpose is to diffuse smoke by pulling it through the small submerged glass tubes resulting in a crisper, cleaner,  cooler, and smoother tasting toke. Some ash catchers can be complicated with many tubes and holes and have an end where you slide in your bong bowl. Other ash catchers can be more simplistic with just one tube, a water chamber, and a built in bowl.

     Pros:

  • You can customize your bongs by swapping out different percolators to match the quality of toke they are looking for.

  • A damaged percolator can be replaced unlike internally made percolators.

  • You can attach multiple percolators to each other.

  • Your bong itself will stay cleaner because the smoke first passes through the percolator and collects ash and resin.

  • They provide an extra pass through water that diffuses the toke more. They can be used together with percolators and will catch most of the residue left over which keeps bongs and percolators clean.

 Cons:

  • Since percolators stick out, there is more of a risk of knocking it into something and breaking it.

  • They require a good cleaning after a session or two, if neglected for too long, your quality of toke will suffer and you risk getting your bowls and attachments stuck together.

  • Although ash catchers are not that difficult to clean,( thanks to the variety of liquid base cleaners that are offered today) you will have to clean it out a lot if you smoke often. But thankfully, that time spent cleaning a small ash catcher is time saved from having to clean out a large sized bong or intricate designed percolator.

Silicone Bongs:

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Silicone Bongs are usually made from BPA-free, Food Grade safe silicone. Silicone bongs are easy to clean, cheaper than glass alternatives, and are very durable. They come in handy for traveling and are perfect for anyone who doesn’t want their bong to break if dropped or knocked over by a pet cat.

Silicone bongs can bend and flex, which allows for easy storage at home or in a backpack for a road trip or bike ride. Silicone bongs come in various colours, shapes, and designs to suit a smoker’s needs. Along with bongs, you can also get  pipes and oil rigs available in silicone.

 Pros:

  • It functions the same way as a glass bong so you can produce the same kind of hit you are familiar with.

  • With a silicone bong, there is 0% chance of the instant fear you feel you when knocking over a glass bong.

  • They are nearly indestructible… unless you plan on trying to smoke a bowl inside an active volcano.

  • The pliability and durability of silicone bongs make them very portable and ideal for camping trips, festivals, and barbeque gatherings

Cons:

  • Aesthetically, silicone bongs don’t look as appealing or  sparkling clean as glass pieces look.

  • Some people do not like the unpleasant taste that comes from silicone bongs.

  • Silicone bongs do not have to options to have percolators built inside of them.

  • Some people like to see the size of their toke build up. It’s harder to tell when it needs to be cleaned.

Ice Catchers/Pinches:

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Ice pinches are pinched glass formations inside the neck of the bong just above the water chamber or percolators. They are the last filtration point before you inhale the smoke through the mouthpiece. Ice pinches are a must for smokers who enjoy the option for extra cooled smoke.

They have become a fairly standard feature in new bongs because of the demand of this style over the years. Putting ice in your bong takes your bong’s filtration process to the next level. When smoke flows through the body of the bong, it will eventually hit the ice, bringing the smoke’s temperature down to an even more comfortable level.

Pros:

  • It filters smoke and helps contribute to a nicer toke.

  • It makes inhaling large amounts of smoke easier.

Cons:

  • Ice melts at room temperature and will gradually raise the water lever in the bottom chamber.

  • This can fill your bong up too much for your liking and even overflow water out of the bottom opening.

Smoking Accessories :

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There are many smoking accessories that making your smoking experience a bit more convenient. Here is a list of different items that come in handy for your Cannabis smoking set up:

  • Grinders

  • Joint/Concentrate containers

  • Joint Roller

  • Rolling Trays

  • Metal screens

  • Glass screens (daisies, jacks)

  • Glass Cleaner ( Chronic cleaner, purple power, Randy’s black label, 99% rubbing alcohol)

  • Pokers

Glass and metal screens help keep your toke from sucking into the water chamber and helps with building up smoke until you are ready to pull out the bowl. Pokers will helps you clean out and unclog your bowls that get coated in resin. Glass cleaners are great to fill a bong and shake clean. You can also put small pieces with cleaner in a large sandwich bang and shake it real good. Rolling machines and trays make it easy to roll joints effortlessly. If you want a way to store and protect that joint you rolled, you can seal those cannabinoids and aromatic terpenes, by using a Doobtube.

Smoking accessories are convenient and provide helpful solutions to common problems that occur when having a smoke session. They can fix small issues and be a life saver. I always like to be prepared whether I am out and about or dwelling in a basement. I like to keep a small pack of assorted accessories on hand that acts as my emergency stoner kit. If I go out the door with a pipe in hand, the other hand usually has the tools that I find helpful to me.

Depending on your situation and smoking preferences, one device may better suit your needs over another. Whether it is smoking indoors on your couch or outside while you go for a walk, you can now choose the perfect device for you. If there are situations where you want to be discreet or moments you want to treat yourself and guests to something really nice, you can use this guide to get the experience you are looking for when smoking your favourite strains of cannabis. Make sure to come back for PART 2, where I will go through more devices that centre around smoking cannabis, as well as different concentrates and cannabis extracts.