How to Smoke Marijuana Flower

Now that marijuana flower is legal in Louisiana and some have even tried this new option, we thought a quick guide on how to consume it might be in order. Here are several ways to smoke marijuana flower with step-by-step guides. First, let’s review your options:

• Joint: the joint, sometimes called a cannabis cigarette, consists of ground flower (or “shake”) rolled in smokable rolling paper.
• Blunt: similar to joints, blunts involve rolling ground flower in a blunt wrap or emptied cigar.
• Pipe: one of the most common tools, the pipe allows smoking on the go without additional materials beyond their flower, pipe, and lighter or match.
• Bong: the bong, or water pipe, allows cannabis consumers to filter smoke through water.

MARIJUANA CIGARETTE, JOINT, OR BLUNT

Also known as a blunt, doobie, doob,  joint, spliff, fatty, jay, bomber, or many other affectionate tags. For brevity, we’ll just call it a “joint”.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Be sure to have your filled recommendation, a grinder, a rolling paper (a 1.25 size will work to get started), and a clean, dry place to roll your flower. (Optional: Filter tip or “crutch”.)

Step 1: Measure out a half gram of flower or the amount for which your recommendation was written.

Step 2: Put the measured amount in your grinder. and grind into “shake”. Shake is the ground-up flower that you’ll be using to roll your joint. Grinding the flower makes it easier to roll and provides a more consistent burn. If you don’t have a grinder, you can use scissors or your hands.

Step 3 (optional): At this point, you can add a “crutch” or filter tip if that’s your preference. It’s not necessary, but it can provide more stability to your joint and can allow a more pleasant experience

Step 4: Fill the rolling paper with the ground cannabis. Once the cannabis is evening distributed, hold it in place while you pull the edges of the paper together. Pinch the paper between your fingertips and roll it back and forms to shape the joint into a cone.

Step 5: Lick or moisten the edge of the paper and roll to seal. Leave some space at one end and do not over moisten. Just a little is plenty.

Step 6: Pack from the end where you left space and twist if you’re not going to use it right away. To pack the cannabis, you can use a pen cap or even your finger

Step 7: Enjoy!

Other options to roll a joint: You can purchase pre-roll papers that are ready to be filled with shake (ground marijuana flower) and even include the filter or crutch.

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PIPE, ONE-HITTER

Also known as a one-hitter, bowl, bubbler, dab ring, or chilum, the marijuana pipe allows the smoker to consume without the fuss of a bong or rolling papers.  This is by far the easiest method of consuming marijuana flower. The pipe is typically made from clay, metal, ceramic, wood, or glass and is defined as a tube with a bowl at one end and a hole to inhale marijuana through on the other end.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

All you need is some shake from your filled recommendation, a pipe, and a lighter.

Step 1: Take a pinch of your shake and add to the bowl of the pipe.

Step 2: Light and smoke.

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BONG, WATER PIPE

A bong is larger than a pipe and includes water for filtering. These are also called water pipes, water bong, dudeen, and hubble-bubble. The smoke from a pipe can be harsher than a bong since the pipe has less space to travel and no filtration. Bongs can be made from acrylic, wood, metal, clay, silicone or glass and consist of a bottle or a vertical tube partially filled with liquid and a smaller tube ending with a bowl. Bongs can be quite beautiful and ornate and make appear complicated at first glance, but all bongs work the same way and are quite simple to use. Water bongs continue to grow in popularity due to the smoother consumption and water filtration.

Bongs consist of the following parts:

• Mouthpiece: The opening at the end of the tube where you place your lips on the inside to inhale. Be sure you have an airtight seal.
• Chamber: This is where the smoke accumulates, ready to be inhaled.
• Bowl (Slide): This holds the marijuana or shake. It is sometimes called a slide because you remove it from the downstem as the final step before inhaling the smoke in the smoke chamber.
• Downstem: A small tube that connects the water in the bottom of the bong to the bottom of the slide. It may be defused (notched at the bottom) or a simple tube. The smoke travels through the downstem and into the water. Some bongs do not have downstems and instead have a molded glass tube leading from the slide into the chamber. The water should always be higher than the downstem.
• Carb (Optional): A hole on the side of the bond above the water level, the carb is kept covered while the slide is being lit and then uncovered when the user is ready to inhale the smoke. Most water bongs, however, do not have a carb, unless they are wooden or porcelain.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Shake, your bong of choice, and a lighter.

Step 1: Prepare the bong by filling it with water until it covers the downstem. Shoot for about 1.5 inches above the downstem for best results. Keep in mind, too much water can make it more difficult to inhale the smoke. You can test the amount of water to find the right level for you.

Step 2: Remove the bowl from the bong, clear of any debris, and blow in it to make sure airflow is not obstructed. Fill loosely with shake. Do not pack. Slide the downstem back in.

Step 3: Test. If the water touches your lips, pour some out. If your bong has “percs” or areas added to enhance the smoothness of the smoke, make sure they have water and are bubbling when you inhale.

Step 4:. Light and smoke. You can reuse the water but refill it with fresh water when it becomes discolored.

TRY IT OUT

So, now you have step-by-step guides covering the three most popular ways to smoke marijuana. One of these will likely fit your level of experience and you can build from there so that you can get the medicine you need the way you want it. For more detailed help on how to smoke medical marijuana, please consult with the dispensary where your recommendation was filled.