The Basics: What’s in a Pipe?

The cannabis pipe is just as synonymous with cannabis culture as marijuana itself and today we’re covering the history and anatomy of the pipe while we also break down the smoking experience and maintenance. If you happen to be perusing our online dispensary gathering ideas for your next weekly weed delivery and if you haven’t already, we highly recommend smoking your next Chronic Haze THC delivery through a pipe. Don’t forget the lighter!

The History and Anatomy of the Pipe

Pipes have origins dating as far back as ancient Egypt with pipe remains discovered in Egyptian sarcophagi as early as 2000 BC. These pipes were for tobacco purposes and if a cannabis pipe looks familiar to you it’s because it’s been modeled after traditional tobacco pipes.

While the variety of smoking devices has evolved with the popularity of cannabis culture, the pipe is perhaps the most universally recognized. Ultimately, the pipe is a dry smoking device (a bong for example is a water pipe) consisting of a bowl and a neck.

Pipes used for tobacco are typically made from wood or ceramics however cannabis pipes are predominantly made using borosilicate glass. Cannabis pipes will vary in size, shape and functionality, sitting anywhere on the spectrum from overtly decorative and intricate to the compact and discreet. Perhaps the most common cannabis pipe type is called a “spoon” a nod to its shape.

The Bowl and Neck

The bowl is one of the main components of a pipe and is essentially a rounded-out dish or basin that’s used to house the flower intended for smoking. The bowl is attached to the body or neck of the pipe and at the bottom of the bowl is a hole that funnels smoke into the neck, carrying the smoke and air through to the mouthpiece and into your lungs.

The Carb

There are carb and carb-less pipes – the latter are often referred to as one-hitters which we’ll get into a little later. Carbs are essentially a second airflow hole/channel located on the exterior side of the bowl. The carb regulates air flow allowing you to fill the pipe with smoke then clearing it when you’re ready to inhale.

The Screen

Screens don’t always come with every pipe but they’re helpful if the hole in your bowl is large as they can help keep your weed stay in the bowl and will prevent you from inhaling small pieces of cannabis.

The Pipe Experience

If you’re new to smoking and have never used a pipe, the process is quite quick compared to, let’s say, the often-ritualistic process of rolling a joint – it’s literally a pack and puff situation. Compared to its rolled counterparts, pipes will also create more smoke and less ash.

The key to a successful pipe experience is an even smoke and that starts with breaking down your flower so that when it’s sitting and burning in the bowl, smoke can pass through evenly into the mouthpiece. Once you loosely grind up your weed, it’s more important for the grind to be even – too fine and you run the risk of your flower travelling into the mouthpiece – pack your herb into the bowl focusing on denser herb at the top of the bowl to allow for a consistent burn. Light the herb in your bowl while inhaling simultaneously.

How to Clean your Pipe

Cleanliness is next to godliness and the more you clean your pipe, the easier it is to maintain. You want to avoid mold development inside the pipe and frequent cleaning prevents clogging which could make it harder to take a hit. 

Soaking your pipe in rubbing alcohol is the simplest cleaning method and it reduces bacteria and other residuals. With this process, make sure your pipe is completely submerged in the alcohol and add a teaspoon of salt. Allow the pipe to soak for up to 12 hours giving the alcohol enough time to break down and dissolve the resin. After the soak, wash your pipe with dish detergent and water.

One Hitters

One Hitters (named so because the amount of cannabis they can hold is equivalent to one hit) are small and discreet pipes. They’re typically around 5-10cm in length, are a straight tube and consist of a mouthpiece on one end and a small opening for herb on the other end in place of a bowl. 

One Hitters are often sold as part of a set referred to as a dugout – the pipe or tube in this case, is called the bat. Dugouts are essentially carriers for the bat and for the pre-ground cannabis. When you want to take a hit, you take the bat and twist it into the space in the dugout holding the ground cannabis. Once your bat is packed, just light and puff.

One Hitters are great because of their discretion, and they allow you to really control your dosage, especially if you’re new to cannabis or are micro-dosing.

Order some flowers today to accommodate whichever smoking method you decide is best for you! Make sure you check out our accessories to make sure you’re not missing anything to get that weed burnin’!

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