Cannabis Indica vs Cannabis Sativa

Most people in the world when asked about indica and sativa have no idea what it is. Indica and sative are types of cannabis plants that can be mixed together to form hybrid strains with each type having their own medicinal values and desired effects.


Indica
Indica cannabis plants are short and bushy compared to its counterpart. Indicas strains are best for growing indoors because of there short height. It has more CBD than THC which in turn creates a extreme physical high (couch lock) which is good for things like pain and insomnia. Indica strains are best used before going to bed or if you plan on staying in for the night. They also tend to have a higher yield than sativa strains. Indica buds tend to be darker green in color.

Examples of Indica Srains
-Afghan Kush
-Cheese
-Superman OG
-LA Confidential
-Purple Kush

Sativa
Sative plants are tall and skinny. They are best grown outdoors as they can reach heights of up to 20 feet. They don't tend to yield as much as indica but they produce a completely different effect. Sative strains give a more cerebral high. Sativas can be used anytime of the day as they don't tend to tire you like indica strains do. This is do to Sativa strains having more THC than CBD making it more viable for conditions like depression, migraines, and nausea. Sativa strains are a brighter green color compared to Indica.

Examples of Sativa Strains
-Green Crack
-Alaskan Thunder Fuck
-Sour Diesel
-Jack Herer
-Maui Waui

Cannabis sativa leaf

Cannabis indica leaf

Sativa                                                Indica  

Hybrids
Hybrid cannabis plants are sativa and indica plants that have been cross breeded. They produce a mixture of both sativa and indica effects. Hybrid strains are grown to either be indica dominant or sativa dominant giving more of the effects of which ever is dominant.

Examples of Hybrid Strains
-OG Kush
-White Widow
-Chemdawg
-Trainwreck
-Blue Dream

Official Guide to Bubblers

So you've heard about bubblers and want to know more. Well bubblers are pipes that have a built in stem and chamber to house water. It's like a bong, but a pipe.

Types of Bubblers

-Sherlock

-Hammer

-Side car

There isn't much difference between the way the bubbler work so with bubblers it's all about design and quality.

Sherlock:

Sherlock bubblers are the most commonly used bubbler out of the three. It consists of the chamber and bowl and a mouthpiece that curves upwards towards the mouth.

Hammer:

Hammer style bubblers are usually the bubblers that have the best art work (in my opinion). They have a very similiar chamber to the sherlock except the mouthpiece comes straight out with no bends. It is called a hammer bubbler because of the shape.

Side car:

The side car bubbler is the least popular of the three. It resembles the hammer bubbler except that the bowl is off to the side of the mouthpiece instead of directly at the end.

Filling your Bubbler

Unlike bongs, bubblers cannot be easily filled through the mouthpiece but is instead filled through the bowl. Bubblers should be filled to the same levels as bongs, which is when the water just covers the hole by about 1cm. Bubbler water gets dirty very easily because there is less water for the resin to go into so they need frequent cleaning. Dry the bowl before packing your herb.

Smoking your Bubbler

Bubblers do not have a slide like GonG bongs but instead have a carb hole with you cover to allow draw through the bowl and release to clear the piece of the smoke. When smoking your bubbler don't inhale to hard as water could splash up into your mouth giving you quite the unpleasant flavour. Once the bowl is lit, keep inhaling until you almost fill your lungs and then with the last bit of air, release the carb and clear the piece.

Choosing a Bubbler

No two bubblers are the same so this guide will only show you what to look for when you go into your headshop. Bowl size is an important factor when purchasing a bubbler. Consider if you will be using it with friends more or by yourself when deciding. Communal pieces will require a larger bowl. The first thing to examine is the hole in the center of bowl. The difference between a quality piece and a prodo piece is pretty apparent by the hole. The bowl should be situated directly in the centre to allow for a more even burn and good air passage. The diameter of the hole is also important as a small hole will get clogged with little use and a large hole will pull ash and ember into the water and dirty it faster.

Prodo glass

Quality glass

The bowl itself should be examined next. the push should appear very smooth  and concave at the bottom and no air bubbles present as it is heated over and over and could cause breaking of the piece. The glass around the outside of the bowl should have no apparent crease and appear even.

Size of the piece is also a factor when purchasing. A large piece will allow the smoke to cool before entering your lungs but it is at the cost of drag. More suction will be required in order to displace the air in a larger piece.

Thickness of the glass doesn't mean it is more durable. The thickness adds to the weight but in order for a glass piece to be more durable it would have to be properly annealed.

Some specialized bubblers have more than one stem or a diffused stem. Some bubblers have stems similar to tree percs and diffused downstems.

Color and design is widely variable as more palettes of color become available to borosilicate artists. There is also fumed glass which changes color as the back is darkened (by resin). They have different designs to choose from like inside out where the colored glass appears encased inside clear glass.

When looking for a bubbler just follow this guide and pick a design you like and you'll guaranteed have a piece you can love.

Inside out design on closest pipe

Official Guide to Cleaning Your Bongs and Pipes

So you have a dirty clogged up pipe or bong sitting in front of you and you want it clean, REALLY clean.

What you need:

-A faucet

-A dirty piece

-Isopropyl Alcohol

-Salt

-Sandwich Bag

Cleaning Pipes

Cleaning a pipe is extremely simple. First you start by rinsing your piece in hot water (not boiling as this can break it). Then after rinsing you want to grab a sandwich bag. Fill the bag up with just enough alcohol to cover your piece, then add salt until you can see undissolved salt. shake the bag with your piece in it for a couple minutes and then drain and rinse it. If it isn't as clean as you'd like it to be, do the steps above without the salt and leave it soak overnight. In the morning the iso should be brown or black in color. Drain the alcohol and rinse.

Be sure to rinse thoroughly as you don't want to be inhaling the alcohol.

Cleaning Glass Bongs

cleaning glass bongs is basically the same as cleaning a pipe except that you'll want to be somewhere that if you spill iso it won't leave a mess. Add the iso and salt into the bong and let it sit for 5 minutes to allow the iso to soak. Pick it up and shake it covering the joint and the mouthpiece (do this for a good 10-15 minutes). Once done rinse the bong thoroughly and leave to dry. You can finish it off with some soap if you want to get rid off any bad smell. 

Official Guide to Marijuana Pipes

Pipes are one of the oldest methods of smoking and it's no doubt why.

Types of Pipes
Metal
Glass/Spoon
Wooden
One Hitters
Vaporizer Pipes


Glass/Spoon Pipes
A  glass pipe or spoon pipe is the most common pipe used for smoking cannabis. They come in all different types of colors and shaped and some even change color. Glass pipes do not become hot after multiple uses do to the nature of the glass.

Wooden Pipes
Wooden pipes are typically used for tobacco but can be use for marijuana. Wooden pipes have larger bowls than metal or glass due to it being meant for tobacco. The hits off of the pipe are warm and is like smoking out of a, well, wooden pipe.

Metal Pipes
Metal pipes are also called hash pipes. They look like a short metal tube with a bowl on the end. They are pretty popular as well and come in a variety of sizes and designs.

One Hitters
One hitters are small tubes that have a bowl that can hold one good hit. they are generallyy glass or metal but can be made out of wood and other materials also

Vaporizer Pipes
Vaporizer pipes work in quite a similar way that vaporizers work.
<link to vaporizer guide>
They do not burn the weed but instead turn the THC into a vapor for a more clean hit and more clean high.

Choosing a Pipe
Choosing the right piece for you is a matter of opinion. Glass pipes are easily breakable but provide the cleanest hit (besides vaporizer pipe) Metal pipes are made from aluminium and are generally "unbreakable" so if you are a clutz that is probably a good choice or the wooden pipe.

Smoking a Pipe

Smoking a pipe is quite simple once you get the hang of it. There are 2 ways to do this:
1. Use mouth muscles to bring smoke into mouth then into lungs
2. Inhale directly into the lungs

Either way will accomplish the same thing and the one that is right for you is whatever one you are more comfortable with

Steps for 1st technique:
1. pack bowl and place the mouthpiece to your lips.
2. place your finger over the carb hole if there is one
3. light a corner of the bowl and use the muscles in your mouth to bring the smoke into your mouth like a straw
4. Open mouth while inhaling through your mouth to bring the smoke from your lungs

The second technique is the same only you inhale directly into your lungs instead of using your mouth.

The Ultimate Guide To Bongs: From Sizes to Shapes

So you have some money, want to get a bong, and don't know where to start. This guide will explain everything from bong bases and how they affect drag to percolators and attachments.

What is a bong?

A bong is also known as a water pipe, and is a smoking device that uses water to filter the smoke. Bongs come in all different shapes and sizes and are made of different materials. The 2 most common types of bongs are glass bongs and acrylic bongs. Glass bongs are made out of glass and are generally more expensive than acrylic bongs. They also can be made out of wood, ceramic, metal. 

Common bong shapes
Beaker base

A beaker base bong is a bong in which the bottom is blown out into the shape of a beaker.

Bubble base:

A bubble base bong is when the base is blown out into a round bubble with a flat bottom.

Straight Tube:

A straight tube bong, as the name implies, is a bong that is a straight cylindrical tube that has a flat glass bottom.

There are many different types of bongs.

Waterfall/gravity bongs work by the water pulling the smoke down into the chamber by gravity.

Glass on glass bongs (GonG) means that the glass bowl, downstem, and bong all come into contact with one another. They are found on most of the expensive glass pieces as they provide a better seal and pull than rubber grommet.

Rubber grommet bongs use a rubber piece around the hole to provide an airtight seal. They typically cost less than GonG bongs.

A stemless bong is a bong that doesn't use the typical downstem you would see on normal bongs. Instead, it uses a tube connected directly to the base.

Choosing a bong that's right for you

When looking for a bong it all comes down to personal preference. Go to your local shop, and if you see something you like, ask to see it. What you want to look out for is any hairline fractures as tey can spell trouble. Look for defects where the bong changes and the joint. You may notice that some of the bongs had different thickness of glass. Thicker bongs are usually more durable and harder to break whilst thinner ones are pretty fragile. No bong is "unbreakable" even if it advertises it. Most "unbreakable" bongs will survive a fall from waste and chest height, but they can break if they are hit just right or if dropped from a higher height.

When it comes to name brand bongs, there is usually some controversy. Name brand bongs (RooR, Illadelph, Gravlabs) usually carry a higher price tag and is more complex then generic bongs. If you live in a place where you'll be sharing, hiding, and moving the piece alot it might be best to buy a generic bongs as it has a higher chance of breaking but if you have a safe place to keep it then I would go for a name brand.

The Parts of a Bong
While bongs can be configured in may different ways, there are a few key parts a bong must have.

Tube: This is the main body of the bong.
Base: This can either be an extension of the tube, or a bulbous chamber where water will sit and smoke will form.
Stem hole: This is a joint in the base of the bong for the downstem. This is said to be glass-on-glass or GonG when it is designed for another peice of glass to fit it. Otherwise, a rubber grommet or seal of some sort joins the downstem and the stem hole. 
Downstem: This attaches to the bong at the stem hole, and extends into the base. It will be submerged when the bong is filled with water. 
Bowl: The bowl attaches to the downstem, and can be small or large. Weed goes in the bowl. This can be stationary, or what is referred to as a slider. A slider is a bowl that is pulled out before clearing the bong of smoke.

Other parts: not applicable to every bong, and each works in a different way.

Carb or shotgun hole: This is a hole on the tube of the bong, and acts in place of a slider. It is covered during inhalation, then released during clearing to allow air to enter the bong and the smoker's lungs. This is used in place of a slider, and most people say it makes it harder to clear the chamber of smoke. It's up to personal preference.
Ashcatcher: This attaches to the downstem, and acts as a primary filtration and debris catcher. If material pulls through the bowl, it will ideally stay in the ashcatcher instead of entering the bong's downstem and dirtying the water. This may make it harder to pull your bong, however, as the smoke is being transferred through two bodies of water.
Ice catcher or ice notches: These are pinches in the bong tube. They allow you to add ice or snow to the tube to cool the smoke. 
Diffuser: This refers to a specific type of downstem that has several small holes or slits in it, rather than one large hole at the end. It is designed to further cool and expand the smoke. Can add drag, but make the smoke smoother and sometimes thicker.
Percolators: Often referred to as "percs". These are found in the tube part of a bong, and further cool and expand smoke. They can add drag, making it more difficult to clear the bong, but often make the smoke smoother. There are two common types- dome percolators, and tree percolators. Tree percolators have arms, dome percs resemble a disk. Bongs can have one or more of these.

Drag: Drag is how hard you have to inhale in order for the bong to bubble.

Most drag=*****

Least drag=*

Bases:

Beaker *

Bubble **
Straight tube ****

Percolators:

Dome *****

Tree ** (the more arms the less drag)

Hook ****

Ashcatchers:

Multiple stem *

Inline ****

Single stem ***

Smoking a Bong

Fill the bong with water just above the holes in the percs and on the downstem. If your bong has ice notches, add the ice last. Don't use sugary liquids or fatty liquids in the bong as it can cause the bong to be sticky and the fat will absorb the THC.

Steps:

1. Place your mouth on the bong mouthpiece.

2. Place a lighter near the bowl and slowly inhale. Place your finger over the carb if it has one.

3. Move the lighter around the bowl in a circle lighting all the herb.

4. Whenever you are ready to clear the smoke in the tube, remove the bowl from the downstem or move your finger off the carb hole inhaling fast and hard to clear the chamber.

Tip: NEVER EXHALE INTO THE BONG! This will cause the water to squirt out the bowl and wreck your weed, or worse it will pop your bowl out and it will fall.

Caring for Your Bong

When using a bong be careful how you handle it and where you put it. A broken piece is a bad piece.

You will want to empty the water after every session as the water will leave marks on the bong from the minerals in it and the water will begin to smell terrible. You do not have to dry your bong to store it but it is best to get as much water out as possible.

Bongs should be cleaned fairly regularly to keep it looking nice.

Guide to Cleaning Pieces

When storing your bong it is important to make sure it is protected. Put it in an area that will not be accessed when it is not in use. You could also wrap it in cloth or a shirt to protect it more.