If you've started researching cannabis and how to consume it, you've no doubt come across terms like bongs, bowls, toking, and hits. But what do these terms mean, and what's the best way to get started using bongs?
Let’s go back to the basics and discuss what it means to hit a bong, and how it’s done.
What Does It Mean to Hit a Bong?
Hitting a bong refers to the action of inhaling cannabis through a bong. There are a variety of ways to do this, and the method depends on your device and preferred cannabis strain.
Learning how to hit a bong properly is important because the best bong hits reduce waste and lead to a more positive experience. Whether you’re new to hitting a bong, or you want to learn how to do it better, there’s no shame in learning, or re-learning, how to hit a bong.
You can hit a bong with the following steps:
1. Prepare the Bong
Before your first hit, you’ll need to prep your bong. The first thing you’ll do is add water to the bottom of the bong. You can use tap or bottled water, whichever you prefer. How much water you add depends on the bong. Add water to the water chamber until it’s just slightly above the tip of the downstem.
2. Fill the Bowl
Add your preferred dry herbs to the bong bowl. You can also add dabs. Be sure to fill the bowl without packing it too tightly. Overfilling can make it harder to hit. You may need to grind up your cannabis before adding it to the bong. You can use a grinder to break down concentrations or herbs even more.
3. Light the Bowl
Once everything’s in place, it’s time to light the bowl. Getting into a comfortable position first can help. Then, hold the bong with your non-dominant hand so you can use the other one to light it. If it’s your first time hitting a bong, a small flicker using hemp wick may be enough so you can test out different levels of inhalation.
Try to only burn the edge of the cannabis, which can prevent it from burning too fast. Breath in through the mouthpiece while lighting the bowl.
4. Fill the Chamber with Smoke
Breathe in slowly. You don’t want to inhale or smoke weed just yet. Right now, you’re inhaling to draw the smoke to the smoke chamber. The chamber should start to fill with smoke.
5. Pull Out the Stem
Once you have the amount of smoke you want, stop inhaling. Pull the stem from the bowl, which should make it easier to inhale. Now, take a deeper hit. Inhale and hold the smoke in your lungs for a few seconds. Anywhere between 2-4 seconds is enough time. Then, slowly exhale the smoke.
If the chamber has too much smoke in it and you aren’t able to inhale it at one time, remove your mouth and cover it with your hand. When you’re ready for another bong rip, remove your hand and put your mouth back on the mouthpiece.
Don’t be embarrassed if you cough the first few times. Both long-time stoners and beginners do it.
6. Replace the Bowl
When you’re ready for another hit, place the stem back in the bowl. If there’s still CBD or THC left on the bong bowl, you can re-light it and repeat steps four and five. If your bong has a carb hole, then you don’t need to remove the bowl. Otherwise, you can add more cannabis to the bong bowl for another hit.
You may need to play around with different airflow levels or bongs to find the right one for you.
Properly Cleaning Your Bong After Use
It’s important to clean out your bong between uses. This will improve your smoking experience the next time you use it. Once you’re done smoking, remove the water and clean out any burnt dried herbs This also helps your bong last longer. Place the bong in a safe place until you’re ready to use it again.
Why Hit a Bong?
Even though there are a variety of methods of using cannabis, hitting a bong is one of our favorites for a few reasons. For one, with a bong, you can get complete control over how much smoke you inhale. You also get to choose the quantity of dried herbs to add to the bowl.
Bongs, or water pipes, also come with a variety of attachments that can strengthen or lighten your experience. For example, percolator bongs give you better filtration, leading to a smoother smoking experience. Some people prefer vaping. Either way, you can stock up on all your glass bongs, vaporizers, or edibles at your favorite headshop.
