Bong gas masks for weed are materializing on the shelves of head shops. In your mind, you can picture yourself putting your face into one of these smoking accessories, looking badass. According to the store clerk, this nifty apparatus ensures you get the full hit because no smoke escapes. So, should you go ahead and buy one, or are there dark sides – things not being said – that you should know and consider?
If there is a new way of consuming marijuana, you would want to give it a try. At the very least, it should spark your curiosity. Until you know more about how it works and verify the veracity of sales pitches and claims, it would be best to hold back. More than the promised effects, health and safety should be foremost on your mind.
No doubt wearing a mask bong looks like a fun way to smoke weed. Appearance alone is not enough reason to plunge in. At $30 to $70, they are certainly affordable. Value for the buck, though, is altogether another matter.
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What Are Gas Mask Bongs?
This eye-catching marijuana smoking device is a gas mask fitted with a bong or water pipe. The concept of its use and purpose is simple. Put it on, light up, and inhale. Smoke fills the mask when you exhale, which you can inhale again to absorb more THC.
The use of a gas mask is ingenious. Its original intent is to protect the person by shielding the face from poisonous gas. As smoking paraphernalia, it traps and prevents the smoke from escaping into the air. Bongs, on the other hand, are fantastic. These water pipes not only produce smoother smoke but more potent hits too.
Have you ever heard of hotboxing?
It is the practice of smoking weed in an enclosed space – car, bathroom, or any small room for that matter). The lack of or absence of ventilation traps the smoke. Other than privacy, necessity, or convenience, some people do this believing they would get more high.
In a sense, using a marijuana gas mask aims to achieve the same result as hotboxing, except that it does not entail covering the entire body with smoke.
How Does Smoking Out of a Gas Mask Works?
Using a marijuana gas mask is the same as smoking from a bong. If you have never tried a water pipe in the past, there is a short learning curve. For most first-timers, getting the hang of it takes only a few tries.
How to prepare and wear the gas mask bong:
- Prepare fresh buds, grinding them to coarse grains. Although crushing with fingers is okay, you can get better results using an herb grinder.
- Fill the bong with water, then attach it to the gas mask.
- Pack the bowl with ground buds.
- Loosen the straps at the back, slide the entire gas mask over your head, and then position it over your face.
- Tighten the straps. It should be snug but comfortable.
- Slide the bowl into the bong.
How to light up and smoke:
- Use one finger to cover the carb hole.
- Lit the dried herbs from the edge of the bowl using a blow torch or hemp wick.
- Inhale slowly while still keeping your finger on the carb hole. You should see the bong getting filled with smoke.
- Get ready to take a hit. Let go of the carb hole and draw in the smoke.
- After clearing the chamber, hold your breath for 2 to 3 seconds before exhaling.
- Breathe normally. How long you keep the smoke-filled gas mask on is entirely up to you.
How to remove the gas mask bong:
- Remove the bowl and set on the table, making sure it does not roll over the edge.
- Loosen the strap and pull off the gas mask.
Should You Buy a Gas Mask for Smoking Weed?
Head shops and online retailers always try to entice you by offering a sale. The decision to buy depends on your purpose. If you do not give a damn about safety and its effectiveness in delivering powerful hits, then go ahead. It is a novel way of smoking and looks fun to wear.
Being the responsible marijuana user that you are, though, these are the things you should consider before even considering buying one.
1. Eye Irritation
Each time you blink, the eyelids coat your eyes with a protective layer of tears, which are made up of water, protein, and oil. Toxins and other particles increase the evaporation rate of tears and protein production. Smoke particulates that come in contact with your eyes are foreign bodies that cause irritation. The same particulates can cause allergic reactions that aggravate the condition.
Symptoms:
- Dry eyes
- Stinging or burning sensation
- Tearing or excessive watering of the eyes
2. Does Not Increase the High All that Much
After drawing smoke from the bond, your body absorbs most of the active compounds through the lungs. The subsequent breaths you take is the same as second-hand smoking.
A study shows that second-hand smoking of marijuana can, indeed, result in detectable levels of cannabinoids in the bloodstream and urine.
Highlights of this study on second-hand marijuana smoking indicate:
- Absorption of cannabinoids
- Produce mild subjective, behavioral, and cognitive effects
Makers and retailers of gas mask bongs tell you that one advantage is that there is no wastage. Technically, that is true. No one, however, can tell you how much more potent the hit will be. Based on research, the gain does appear to be not all that much.
One thing to keep in mind is that the participants of the study who reported that were non-smokers. These are individuals who have never built THC tolerance. For casual and regular smokers, the effects of second-hand smoking might not be felt.
3. Second-hand Smoking Risks
Water pipes can generally trap up to 90% of toxins that otherwise would have found their way into the bloodstream through your lungs. In that sense, the use of bongs is a healthier alternative compared to smoking joints or blunts. Furthermore, the absence of rolling papers also means there are fewer materials other than the buds.
When you breathe in smoke previously exhaled into the gas mask, you are essentially recycling the smoke. It may be cleaner after having passed through water filtration. Nonetheless, there are still some toxins that you are inhaling into the body.
Bong Gas Mask Are Novelty Items
After weighing the benefits and risks, you really have no incentive to buy a gas mask bong. About the only plausible reason is purely for fun. For example, it does make for an exciting session with friends – and the novelty wears off quickly.
As someone who has used marijuana, you have already developed a degree of THC tolerance. Any amount of cannabinoids absorbed from second-hand smoking is not likely to lead to a much more potent high than what is already provided in the first hit. You would also be inhaling some more toxins.
Although they are quite affordable, you are better off smoking from a water bong. These accessories are a little more costly, but even the most basic models can deliver satisfying hits. Plus, there would be no need to clean and sanitize smelly masks in the future.
Lastly, if potency is your thing, pick from among the best and most potent strains such as Girl Scout Cookies Extreme or Gorilla Glue.
