There is currently a proposition, Proposition 19, in California that would legalise the sale of non-medicinal marijuana to those over the age of 21, allowing those of age to possess up to an ounce for personal use, and even allowing them to grow marijuana at a private residence in a space of up to 25 square feet for personal use.

Such a proposition would have several effects.

• Marijuana would no longer be in the sole control of drugs cartels, meaning that organised and violent crime in relation to these gangs would be eradicated over night.
• Help claw back some of California’s massive budget deficit by imposing tax upon the sale of marijuana. Money that would otherwise be going into the hands of criminals will be going to the government. It expected that marijuana sales could generate $1.4 billion a year in tax revenue.
• Increase room in prisons, as cells currently being used to house marijuana users could be used for other criminals, many of whom are currently being released early due to a lack of jail space.
• Free police time in dealing with users.

This sort of policy of drugs harm minimisation is not a new thing, and is obviously familiar to anyone who has even heard of Amsterdam. There they have proven that prohibition does not work and legalisation does.

Let’s face facts. Smoking a joint in the comfort of your own home doesn’t hurt anyone. The fact that we are considered criminals for smoking a natural thing is appalling. California has the right attitude, and I can only hope that when Proposition 19 goes to the vote, people vote correctly. And let us hope that the sense California is currently seeing spreads to the rest of the world.

Choosing a bong can be a difficult process. There are so many available on the market, ranging from around £10 to £200 and above. Do you start by getting an expensive one, only to find that smoking bongs isn’t for you, or do you get one from the cheaper end of the range, and not get as good as an experience, and finally give up?

These questions need no longer be a hinderance. The Waterfall Pulsar bong can be found from online retailers for only about £15, and gives a really good, clean hit, making it an ideal first time user bong.

It comes in a range of colours so you can be sure you’ll find one that matches your taste as well as your interior decorations. Simply fill the spherical bottom with water and aght it up and add your smoking mix to the ample sized bowl. Light it up and away you go.

The Pulsar comes apart, making it incredibly easy to clean (and a clean bong is very important – if you allow it to become blocked up with old smoking mix debris, it will not work as effectively) and its diminutive size makes it very easy to store.

In all, the Waterfall Pulsar comes very highly recommended from both verteran smokers and bong virgins alike.

Multi-pipe bongs are a special type of bong consisting of multiple plastic pipes. This device is perfect for parties and other social gatherings of smokers where you, and even three of your smoking buddies can share and enjoy your smoking experience and the delights of your favourite herbal highs. Multi-pipe bongs are in fact very popular among college students and teenagers who smoke legal herbs, dried lettuce and other tobacco-like products. The multi-pipe bong is usually passed around or placed in the middle where each member of the group can take turns in smoking.

Multi-pipe bongs do not only have plastic pipes on the outside but also channels of pipes in its interior helping to filter out the impurities of smoke produced. There is also a combustion chamber consisting of an inlet for placing the substance on and an outlet for the smoke to seep out. A typical multi-pipe bong is made from plain glass but other materials also prove to be ideal choices – metal, acrylic, wood and ceramics.

A number of veteran smokers of multi-pipe bongs claim that this type of smoking device is relatively safe to use compared to cigars and cigarettes. This is proven by the relatively lower incidence of lung cancer found among multi-pipe bong users.

The first option is to check out web sites devoted to legal highs.  Many people use bongs to enjoy different combinations of herbs, as well as herb and tobacco blends.  Some of these sites will include online stores, while others will have discussion boards where you can ask others for their recommendations about where to look for the right bong.  This can sometimes help you find an online store that did not show up when you did a browser search, and possibly save a little money as a result.

Another suggestion for buying a bong online is to conduct your search using descriptive keywords that narrow the results to only those types of bongs you are interested in buying.  There’s no point in wading through a number of results only to find that the store you are looking through only sells bamboo bongs and you want a glass bong.

When you find an online store that has what you want, make sure to bookmark the site.  That will make it easier to return after you compare their products with what you can find elsewhere.  Make sure to look at the shipping terms as well as the price of the bong you have in mind. You may find that while the purchase price is a little higher, some sites will also provide free shipping, a feature that may drive down your overall cost.

Bongs have many advantages over joints and pipes. For one thing, smoking bongs is healthier
for your lungs. The water in a bong filters harmful impurities and it cools
the smoke down before it gets to you, so you get a much smoother hit. Bongs
also don’t involve the use of any paper which only add to your intake
of and chemicals and toxins.

Variety

Bongs come in all shapes and sizes. Some bongs on the market today are designed
with extra features such as ice bongs. Ice bongs allow you to have ice above
the water level to act as a second filter, catching more tar and further cooling
down the smoke.

Economics

Another important factor is wastage. When you smoke joints, a lot of your mix
will burn away when you’re between tokes or passing it around. However,
with a bong, you use up your mix within a few tokes and you only need to load
a small amount. And if you do want to save some for later, you can easily extinguish
the bowl and you won’t lose any mix. The impact of smoking a bong is much
stronger than the impact of smoking a joint or pipe. This means that you don’t
need to use as much in order to get high.

Fun-factor

The ritual of making joints is something that your regular toker enjoys. But
consider the endless possibilities of creating your own bong. You can be inventive
in many ways, from testing different materials and sizes to adding extra pieces
for multi-user bongs. Making a bong can also be good social activity. Especially
when you’ve had a few smokes and you’re feeling creative. Always
try to personalise your own bong in some way, to add to the pleasure of using
it. For more advice on bong materials and where to find them, read How to Make
a Basic Bong.

Downside

I suppose the only disadvantage is with a bong is that it’s not so easy
to carry around. But you can find good travel bongs in most decent headshops these days. It’s worth trying out one or two, even if you just want to
vary your smoking habits.

Interesting fact: The word “bong” comes
from the Thai word “baung” which refers to a cut off section
of bamboo.
Cypress Hill, a well-known hip-hop band paid tribute to the bong in
their imaginatively named track “Hits From the Bong” …

Track: Hits From the Bong

Artist: Cypress Hill

Album: Black Sunday
“Hits From The Bong

Hits From The Bong

Hits From The Bong

Hits From The Bong

Pick it, pack it,

Fire it up, Come along,

And take a hit from the bong,

Put the blunt down just for a second,

Don’t get me wrong it’s not a new method,

Inhale, Exhale,

Just got a ounce in the mail,

I like a blunt or a big fat cone,

But my double barrel bong is gettin’ me stoned,

I’m skill it, There’s water inside don’t spill it,

It smells like shit on the carpet,

Still it, goes down smooth when I get a clean hit,

Of the skunky funky smelly green shit,

Sing my song, puff all night long,

As I take Hits from the bong…

Hits From The Bong y’all

Gonna get high,

Hits From The Bong

Gonna get high,

Hits From The Bong

Gonna get high,

Hits From The Bong

Let’s smoke that bowl, hit the bong,

And then take that finger off of that hole,

Plug it, unplug it,

Don’t straaaain, I love you Mary Jane,

She never complains, when I hit Mary,

With that flame, I light up the cherry,

She’s so good to me, when I pack a fresh bowl I clean the screen,

Don’t get me stirred up the smoke, through the bub-bling water,

Is Makin’ it pure so I got ta’, take my hit and hold it,

Just like Chong, I hit the bowl and I reload it,

Get my four-footer and bring it on…

As I take Hits from the bong,

Hits From The Bong

Can I get a hit

Hits From The Bong

Can I get a hit

Hits From The Bong”

Can I get a hit

Hits From The Bong

Can I get a hit

Hits From The Bong

Can I get a hit

Straighten your dick out…

Can I get a hit …

Hits From the Bong

Hits From the Bong

Hits From the Bong

Hits From the Bong

You will need:

1. 2 litre plastic bottle
2. Tin-foil
3. Scissors
4. Herb mix
5. Someone to help you

Step-by-Step:

Take the 2 litre bottle and cut or drill a hole in the middle of the base, at
the lowest point.

Make a bowl to fit over the top of the bottle which will hold your herb mix.
This can be constructed easily from tin foil with a few holes pinned through
it if you don’t have anything else to use. (See How
to Make a Basic Bong for more detailed instructions.)

Hold your finger over the hole at the bottom of the bottle and fill it with
water.

Get a mate to fill your bowl with your herb mix, place it into the top of the
bottle and light it.

Release your finger from the bottle. As the water drains out, gravity will pull
the smoke into the bottle and you end up with 2 litres of smoke trapped inside
your bong.

Replace your finger over the hole. Remove the bowl (careful – it will
be hot) and put your mouth over the top of the bottle to inhale the smoke. The
hole at the bottom can also be used as a rush-hole to force the smoke into your
lungs half way through your toke.

You will need:

1. 2 litre plastic bottle
2. Bucket
3. Tin Foil
4. Herb mix

If you have a nearby headshop (or check online) you can buy bowls and gauze
which you can use instead of tin-foil.

Step-by-Step:

1. Cut off the base of the bottle.
   
2. Fill the bucket with water.
   
3. Cut a square of tin-foil and fold it into a triangle (it should be 4 layers thick). Then twist the foil around your finger to make a cone/ bowl shape
   and cut away any excess. Pierce the base of it a few times with a pin.

   

4. Push the bottle into the bucket so that it fills up with water.
5. Fill the bowl with herb, then place it in the top of the bottle and light.
   
6. Pull the bottle up and it will fill up with smoke. Make sure you don’t
   pull it all the way out of the water.

   

7. Take off the bowl and put your mouth over the top of the bottle (mind your
   fingers – the bowl can get pretty hot!).

   

8. As you inhale, gravity pulls the bong down into the bucket and forces the
   smoke straight into your lungs.

   

9. Sit down – you might find things going sideways rather quickly!

If you can’t be bothered to make a gravity bong, there’s a great
one on the market called the Bukket
Bong. It’s really effective, doesn’t need any water and it’s
totally portable – comes with its own bag and everything!

Choosing your materials

You will need:

1. A plastic container
2. Hosepipe
3. Tin-foil
4. Bluetack (or silicone if you can get hold of it).
5. Herb mix
6. Grinder
7. Scissors
8. Water supply

If you have a nearby headshop (or check online) you can buy things like ready-made stem and cones (downpipes) or separate drop-in cones, then you can do away with the hosepipe and tin foil.

1. The plastic container is the main chamber for your bong. It can be anything
   that stands upright without falling over and has a small enough hole at the
   top for a mouthpiece. If you’re in doubt about what plastic to use,
   the general rule is that if you can use it to pack food, it’s safe to
   use for a bong.
2. Your bong’s stem can be made from cut down hosepipe.
3. A make-shift bowl for your bong can be made from layers of tin foil with
   pin-holes punched through. Or you might find a suitable part from an old pipe.
   Consider the size of your bong bowl and how much mix you want it to hold.
4. Your bong must be airtight to avoid wastage and ensure a smooth toke. Silicone
   is the best option, but if you don’t have a nearby supplier, go for
   something like Bluetack.
5. Your herb mix is whatever you fancy. Some people mix tobacco with herb when
   smoking bongs, but you don’t have to do this. As long as you’ve
   got plenty of your favourite herb – that’s the main concern.
6. Grind your mix before you smoke it – this makes for an easier toke (and
   you can pack it down and get more in when it’s finer).
   
7. To make holes in your container you’ll need scissors or other sharp instruments.
8. All bongs need water so make sure you’re near a clean water supply.

Constructing Your Bong

1. First, make a hole in the side of your plastic container. Make sure it is
   high enough up to allow at least half of your stem into the container.
2. Cut a hole in the opposite side of the container. This will be the rush-hole
   (or “zoom-hole”) for your bong. It should be positioned so that
   you can easily reach it with your thumb when you toke, but not too low –
   you also need enough space for your bong water.

   

3. Insert your stem through the first hole. Try to keep it as upright as possible.
   Whilst smoking from your bong you want the bowl to face upwards to ensure
   no mix falls out.
4. Seal the join around the stem and the plastic container to make your bong
   airtight.
5. Cut a square of tin-foil and fold it into a triangle (it should be 4 layers
   thick). Then twist the foil around your finger to make a cone/ bowl shape
   and cut away any excess. Pierce the base of it a few times with a pin.

   

   

6. Fill around 2 inches of your bong with water. Make sure it is about 1 inch
   below the rush-hole, otherwise water might spill when you toke.
7. Fill your bowl with your herb mix. Insert it into your stem. You’re
   ready for a hit.

   

Operating Your Bong

1. Place your mouth over the bong’s mouthpiece (the top of the plastic
   container).

   

2. Place your thumb or a finger over the rush-hole.
3. Half way through your inhalation, release your finger from the rush-hole.
   This has the effect of shooting the rest of the smoke out of the bong and
   straight into your lungs.