Smoking it offers more of a “kick to the head” kind of result. Maybe it’s the carbon monoxide or something, but I prefer the insta-high of a moderate bong rip to the gradual high of multiple pulls of, for instance, the PAX my friend uses exclusively.
On a different note, I visited Italy once for a few weeks and wound up in an alley behind a pub in Rome smoking with some locals. They said they almost never even see bud available, and mostly only ever get hash. They can hardly believe we Americans smoke weed straight-up, as they mix their hash with tobacco. They also roll their spliffs with the paper upside-down and backwards, which I found really cool. I always rolled joints with the glue strip facing up, and away from me at the far edge. If my joint is small, it still uses the whole paper. They roll them with the glue facing down and at the near edge. The glue edge gets rolled up and under the rest of the paper, and then they wet the glue through the roll, so whatever paper isn’t needed for the joint is left sticking out like a little flag after the glue sets. Then they burn off the flag before smoking the joint, so that whatever paper isn’t necessary for the joint isn’t being smoked. If you time it right, you can burn the flag from the bottom, and just as it reaches the top tip of the joint, you can take a small hit and light the joint with it. Really eye-openingly cool.
being clean and healthy isn’t even remotely universal among stoners.
quick, low investment, portable. all great for those who smoke illicit material that may have to be discarded when the fuzz crashes the party.
It’s meditative in some way to some people. Some of it is technique in gentle pulling a small amount of smoke into your lungs instead of taking a big burning gulp. (learned back when I used to smoke unfiltered tobacco)
There is also personal tolerance for irritants. I can sit by a campfire for hours and enjoy the pleasant smoke of hardwoods. Throw a pine log on there and I’ll have an allergic reaction and be coughing and eyes stinging. It’s rather unfortunate that I own a dozen acres of pine timberland, every tree I chop down is one less that will fall on me. But I can’t really stand to burn it.
They are easier to fill. They come rolled and empty and you pour the weed into the big end. Like a funnel. Check out raw papers on Instagram the founder/spokesperson is always showing new innovative products.
I’m not much of a smoker, but I think there’s several solid reasons:
The world of vaping is kinda complex. You’ve got vapes for flower, vapes for herb, vapes for concentrate, different sizes and batteries and form factors. It requires research and can be a sizable up-front investment.
Vaping is more of a concentrated delivery system. Most stores I’ve been to have a small number of concentrates/oils available (usually an indica, a sativa, a hybrid, and a THC/CBD mix). Whereas with cannabis you have a wide and varied menu available of flavors, flowers, and effects.
Far more flexible. Smoke a little weed, put the rest away. Try a bit of this, a bit of that. Put it in a pipe, a joint, or a blunt. Whatever you prefer. Low up front cost and can use right away vs. charging up a vape battery or setting up your system.
Varporizers are expensive, and in my limited experience, taste nasty. But I appreciate the concern about smoke.
After 30 or so years of smoking cigarettes (now quit), I’ve resigned myself to eventually dying of complications from COPD.
I find that pre-rolled joints burn poorly and waste a ton of weed. I have tried tightening the pack, loosening the pack, wetting the paper, etc. I always end up with a huge ash/ember hanging off the tip or have to deal with canoeing.
I’ve also tried lighting them “the special way” (light the end for awhile before inhaling) and that doesn’t help much either. I hate to think of the users who want to try it out, buy a pre-roll, and be disappointed.
That’s good advice about wetting the gum THROUGH the paper - going to try that.
I find that the RAW papers work better for me than ZigZag, wrt canoeing/running. I also find that if it starts to canoe, I try re-lighting the side that isn’t burning. Putting the thing out and relighting can help.
