Joints are among the most popular ways to partake in a bit of cannabis, and among the most obvious visual signifiers of cannabis use. Once portrayed as a wad of twisted toilet paper, the joint has become a sleek symbol of the modern weed consumer, and their conical cousins are not just a goofy avatar of cannabis past, cone joints are big business.

A joint is considered a cone when the tip is wider than the mouthpiece. This method of rolling is preferential for anyone invested in the aesthetics of smoking, as the cone joint is a counterculture icon. Most crappy joints are as smokeable as a perfect cone, but one “looks” the part while the other is simply utilitarian. 

This is why people sharpen their rolling skills — being able to pull out a beautifully executed cone is membership in the cult of stoner personality. It’s a rebel yell, it sticks out, clearly exclaiming that it is not a cigarette. Here’s how you can craft your own perfect joint.

A step-by-step guide to roll your own cannabis cone joint

First things first: choose your favorite cannabis strain. 

Keep in mind that cones aren’t always mondo-sized behemoths with gram after gram of fancy weed inside. They come in pretty much any size, so try using the same amount of cannabis you’d put in a typical joint, then adjusting to your preferences. What makes a cone a joint is the shape, not the size (though they tend to lean a little girthy). 

Materials

• Cannabis strain of choice
• Rolling papers
• Crutch or filter tip
• Pen or toothpick (used to pack down the weed)

Directions for a hand-rolled cone

Step 1 — roll your crutch

Roll a ½” diameter crutch with lightweight cardboard or purpose-made tips. Hold it on the rolling paper in the fold or crease with the adhesive gum at the very top

Step 2 — fill your roll

Sprinkle your desired amount of well ground flower along the centerfold, this can be anything from a half gram to an entire eighth.

Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

Step 3 — shape your cone

Fold the excess paper up over the crutch and the flower using your thumbs and gentle pressure. Using a motion similar to snapping your fingers in slow motion, tuck the paper into the flower as you begin to form a joint.

Step 4 — twist it up

When you creep up to the top of the paper, lightly moisten the gum strip. Quickly finish the twist upwards to seal the joint. Tuck or twist the tip and you’re ready for fire.

Tip: If you usually roll with your fingers evenly placed on the paper, then to get a cone shape it’s helpful to position them much closer to the edges. Some people make an angled crease in the paper before beginning to create a guide, maintaining a tighter wrap on the bottom with a slightly loose arrangement on the top. 

Play with the tension you use at the top. Just like any joint, tight is good, but too tight means a sub-par burn. Conversely, if you roll or pack a cone too loosely, you’ll end up with a floppy and unreliable joint. 

Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

Directions to fill a pre-made cone

Step 1 — funnel your cannabis

Using a creased business card or sheet of paper, create a funnel for your herb. Depending on the size of the cone, you will need between ¾ gram and 2 grams of ground material to fill it up. Use the funnel to add a pinch of flower at a time into the cone.

Step 2 — pack it down

Using a pen or toothpick, push the ground material down gently, without too much force. Continue to add and pack the flower until you reach the tip.

Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

Step 3 — twist it up

Twist or fold the last ¼” of the cone into itself to create a bit of kindling for the flame of a lighter, match, or hemp wick.

The pros of cone smoking versus regular, uniform thickness joints are strictly personal. One doesn’t burn better than the other as long as they’re rolled proper.

Featured image by Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

The post How to roll a cone appeared first on Weedmaps News.

While glass bongs are great, beautiful to look at and smooth to hit, there’s an undeniable drawback to the material itself: glass shatters. A mere slip of the hand when cleaning or slip up after a night of drinking, and poof, your bong-vestment is gone, as are the memories attached to it. 

Breakable gear is clearly not ideal for getting stoned, but finding better options has proven difficult. Acrylic bongs taste like plastic. Silicone bongs are hard to clean and get gross with resin after a while. Ceramic bongs look cool but are also highly breakable. And if metal bongs exist, they shouldn’t. That sounds terrible. 

So what is the next best kind of bong? Bamboo bongs, of course. Unbreakable, durable and relatively simple to build yourself, bamboo bongs take the cake when it comes to glass alternatives, offering a fix to every downside of glass. 

Here’s everything you need to know about bamboo bongs — including how to make your own. 

What are bamboo bongs?

Bamboo bongs are bongs that are made out of bamboo. The word “bong” actually comes from the Thai and Vietnamese word “baung,” which describes a hollow wooden tube filled with water to smoke herbs. Clearly, they’ve been making bamboo bongs for way longer than we’ve been making glass ones, and with good reason. 

Bamboo is a mind-blowingly durable material that is stronger under tension than steel. It’s composed of up to 70 percent silica, which is the same element found in borosilicate glass, the kind of glass high quality bongs are made from. Many bamboo bong brands will temper the bamboo the same way glass blowers temper glass in order to bond the bamboo at a molecular level, making it even stronger. 

Whether you’re looking to make your own, or purchase one from the reputable brands listed below, bamboo bongs are generally constructed from a hollow piece of bamboo that is sealed with beeswax. Holes are drilled in to house a downstem, add water, and voila!

Using and cleaning a bamboo bong

You use a bamboo bong just like you would any other bong: simply fill it with water, load flower into the bowl and light up. Cleaning it, however, is another story. 

While a normal bong would require hot water, alcohol, and thick grain salt to get back to sparkling, bamboo bongs require a different, altogether softer cleaning ritual. Due to the beeswax lining the inside of most bamboo bongs, it’s important to NEVER use hot water when cleaning. Pipe cleaners, harsh brushes, or anything that will disrupt the wax lining are also on the no-no list. 

How to properly clean your bamboo bong:  

1. Remove downstem, (or leave in if you want)
2. Fill bong halfway with isopropyl alcohol 
3. Add a cup of uncooked rice
4. Shake vigorously as you would in cleaning a normal bong
5. Repeat until clean

If you need to reattach the downstem, melt a little beeswax in your hand and reseal along the opening. 

Some of our favorite bamboo bongs 

TokyoTokes BabyBoo Water Pipe

TokyoTokes make high-quality bamboo water pipes at totally doable prices. They’re solid, they hit great and each bong includes free custom laser engraving. Standing 10” tall, the BabyBoo is a compact little friend who is perfect for summer, ready to be thrown in a backpack to get you high on the go. 

Price: $99.99 (On sale now for $79.99)

The Maui Wowie Kahuna Peace Pipe 

Maui Wowie takes the organic approach with their Kahuna Peace Pipe. Meaning sorcerer or wizard in Hawaiian, this big boy features all organic materials, with the bamboo cured in limonene to prevent cracking and wear. Each bong includes an all-purpose conditioning salve to keep him looking suave, and a lifetime warranty against cracking or breaking. 

Price: $200

How to make a bamboo bong 

One of the best parts about a bamboo bong is that it’s relatively simple to make your own. For the DIYer in all of us, here’s a step by step guide on how to construct a totally natural bong out of wood, wax and a little bit of weed. 

Materials: 

• Piece of cured bamboo (1.5”-2” diameter)
• Drill
• Small drill bit (for pilot holes) 
• Large drill bit (for downstem holes)
• Downstem and bowl
• Wood saw
• Painter’s tape
• Vice grip
• Beeswax
• Rough Grit Sandpaper

Step 1: Cut the bamboo

When cutting the bamboo, it’s all about the nodes. 

Nodes have internal plates that can hold the water, so start by figuring out which node you want to make the bottom of the bong. About half an inch below, wrap painter’s tape to ensure an even cut. After cutting, make sure the bong stands straight before moving forward. 

Next, pick a height for your bong. Keep in mind that if your bong is tall enough to contain multiple nodes, then you’ll have to drill them out so that the bong remains at least somewhat hollow. Cut the bamboo to form the top of your bong, then drill away any internal node walls if necessary, and sand. 

Step 2: Drill the downstem hole

Place your downstem on the bong and position it where you want — roughly a few fingers above the bottom node. Put painters tape over the area, secure bamboo inside the vice grip and drill a hole slightly larger than the size of the downstem. Angle the hole diagonally down towards the bottom when drilling. Be very gentle, as bamboo is prone to cracking during this step. 

Step 3: Sand and clean

When it comes to bamboo bongs, quality is everything. To ensure your bong comes out right, sand every cut, drilled hole, as well as  the drilled out node walls internally, until all surfaces of the bong have a smooth, luxurious texture. 

When you’re done, clean out all the sanding residue. If you use water, leave the bong out to dry. If you have access to compressed air, that works much better.

Step 4: Coat the bong with wax

Go outside — this part is messy. Heat up beeswax on the stove and pour it into the bong slowly and carefully. Roll the bong so the wax coats the inside edges without filling the cavity completely. After waxing, leave it to cool and settle for a couple hours. 

Step 5: Seal and insert downstem

Insert the downstem into its hole and seal around the edge with melted beeswax. Let cool and settle. 

Step 6: Enjoy! 

Fill with water, pack a bowl and enjoy. You’ve successfully made your very own bamboo bong. 

All photos provided by Tokyo Tokes 

The post Everything you need to know about bamboo bongs appeared first on Weedmaps News.

Glass is a staple cannabis consumption material, and pipes were once made of naturally derived materials. But then, Bob Snodgrass, while famously traveling on tour with the Grateful Dead, laid bare his talents and began designing innovative cannabis glassware that eventually had a hand in shaping an entire industry. Of all the renowned glass artists, Bob Snodgrass is held in the highest esteem.

Today, Bob Snodgrass and his family carry on a tradition that he cultivated from a love of cannabis and his incredible talent for glass sculpting. He currently counts at least five of his family members as official glass artist apprentices, and regularly teaches hands-on instruction. 

The method that created the Snodgrass Family Glass movement was invented by him, which according to the Snodgrass website, is a technique he refers to as  “Scientific Glassmaking.” 

Glass art is not new, Venetian glass makers have been doing their thing for aeons, but the specific inventions of Bob Snodgrass changed the art form forever. By mixing metals and lab-grade glass, Snodgrass created uncommon effects that fueled an entire subculture of art. Iridescence, gold sheens and intricate abstractions were all fueled by chemical reactions — not by simply adding colors or painting surfaces. 

When glass and talent collide

Snodgrass is seen as the father of borosilicate, aka ‘hard glass’ pipes and smokeware. He’s also notable as “the godfather of the bong renaissance.” In 2017, Northwest-centric publication The Stranger said in a deep dive on glass sculpture that Snodgrass’ decision to settle in Oregon directly led to his continued influence in the craft. Had he stayed in Ohio where he originated, they muse that the glass movement would have flourished in the Midwest instead. 

His glassware is often UV reactive, innovative in its function as well as its form, and the basic ‘spoon’ shaped glass pipe you can get at many corner stores come from his experiments.

The popularity of his glassware is fully based on its artistic appeal and the weight of the wisdom that Snodgrass bestowed upon this folk art. Glass pipes are now ubiquitous, and there are even specially invented tools based off of Snodgrass’ techniques.

He says of his passion for innovation, “I am an inventor. I got stuck in glassblowing because there are so many things to invent in it. I invented a new field in glass.”

If you’re looking to purchase Snodgrass glass, you can shop online but that is just one outlet. Snodgrass pieces are so popular and renowned that they sell for thousands at auctions and in galleries in downtown New York City. Generations of glassblowers to come owe their six figure pipe sales to this man, The Godfather of Pipes.

Featured image by Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

The post Bob Snodgrass, the godfather of the bong renaissance, briefly explained appeared first on Weedmaps News.

Dozens of cannabis shops across the country have suffered a one-two punch. First COVID-19 forced many to close down and then came the damage from what most owners have cited as people taking advantage of the recent protests against police brutality.

Boston-based Pure Oasis, the first adult-use, Black-owned cannabis shop in Boston, originally opened on March 9, 2020.

Two weeks later it closed for two months due to COVID-19 then reopened on May 25, the same day George Floyd was killed by the police in Minneapolis. Less than a week later the shop was ransacked by looters who made off with nearly $100,000 in cannabis and other products on June 1.

“They didn’t destroy the property, like other shops, they were just after the weed and they took it all,” said Kobie Evans, who owns Pure Oasis with comedian Kevin Hart.  “The robbery occurred at 1:40 in the morning, well after the streets were cleared of protestors and the police were elsewhere.”

Pure Oasis, which opened as part of Massachusetts’ social equity program, is one of the few dispensaries to employ people with prior drug convictions.

“Our shop, after all, was created as a solution model to address discriminatory police policies in drug enforcement, and we’ve got a long way to go,” Evans said. “Naturally we stand in solidarity with the protests against police brutality in Minneapolis and around the nation.”

Pure Oasis was lucky enough to open the very next day after the looting occurred, thanks to the generosity of the cannabis community.

“People started calling right away and offering their help – a pound of weed here, a few pre-rolls there. It was amazing. Folks in the cannabis community seem to embrace each other,” Kobie said.

‘We can rebuild our store, but you can’t bring someone back to life…’

Two other dispensaries outside Boston were also looted and not all cannabis shops have been as fortunate as Pure Oasis.

In California, among the Los Angeles-area dispensaries vandalized was Cookies on Melrose, which is co-owned by rapper and weed entrepreneur Berner. 

Shortly after his shop was robbed, Berner released a video in which he made it clear that he was more concerned about the injustices being highlighted by protestors than stolen cannabis merchandise. “I can’t expect anything less until justice is served.

“We can rebuild our store, but you can’t bring someone back to life…we stand with what’s going on in the world. A statement needed to be made,” Berner said in the video.

MedMen temporarily closed all of its locations, according to Marijuana Moment, after several of its Los Angeles stores were totally cleaned out. 

In the Midwest, the Chicago Sun Times reported that the city’s Mission Dispensary South Shore was destroyed and three others were targeted.

Kris Krane, Mission’s president, said the shop’s staff, 90% of whom are people of color, closed the dispensary when they saw that neighboring stores were starting to be ransacked.

He and his team got out safely minutes before it was “targeted by 40 to 50 men and women, some armed. Everything of value was taken, and the store was mostly destroyed,” Krane wrote on Facebook.

“Despite the sadness and destruction, my support for the protests and the underlying goal of ending police brutality, systemic law enforcement reform, and societal recognition of the fundamental humanity of people of color in this country remains undeterred,” Krane wrote.

Shops in Pennsylvania, New York, Florida, Ohio, and Oregon were ransacked or robbed, according to THCNet.

“What’s happening is that the protests were so huge that looters insulated themselves within those large groups,” said Eugenio Garcia, founder & CEO of online publication Cannabis Now. He opened the Cannabis Now CBD shop in Los Angeles in May 2019. A year later the shop was ransacked and robbed of nearly $100,000 worth of products.

“It was very difficult to watch how criminals embedded themselves with the peaceful demonstrators who are seeking justice and an end to the murder and police harassment of African-Americans,” he said.

Garcia arrived at his shop after reports of looting. He said he was then physically threatened and assaulted when he couldn’t remember the combination to the safe. Once he escaped from the 15 or so looters, it was heartrending to watch, via the store’s cameras, as his shop got torn apart.

“For the entire decade since our publication began, Cannabis Now has been all about building an all-inclusive community knowing full well that Blacks and Latinos, of which I am one, are constantly and indiscriminately targeted by law enforcement for weed violations. We also know that racial injustice has been a part of this society forever,” Garcia said. “Still, our efforts to help change all that are as strong as ever.”

And now the efforts to rebuild

Many, like Cannabis Now’s shop, have opened their own GoFundMe pages to raise money for reopening.

The owners of hemp farm and retailer The Botanical Joint are hosting a GoFundMe fundraiser for Black-owned CBD and cannabis companies that they’ve worked with in the past.  

Most cannabis businesses are unable to purchase insurance coverage on their property or protection against robbery. Hence, the GoFundMe campaigns.

This, in addition to a lack of access to banking and financial institutions, has kept cannabis businesses in a consistently vulnerable situation for years. Even credit card companies such as Mastercard and Visa refuse to code cannabis sales, forcing dispensaries and cannabis events to operate on a cash-only basis.

Cannabis dispensaries across the country suffered significant losses from which they may not recover. Most owners vowed to rebuild. The question now is how.

Featured image by Josh Chapman

The post Covid-19 and Black Lives Matter are reshaping America. How will cannabis retailers rebuild? appeared first on Weedmaps News.

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The post Los Angeles Resets Marijuana Program To Combat Racial Inequality appeared first on The Fresh Toast.

The VLBC is urging state lawmakers to adopt significant changes.

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The post What Healthcare Workers Need To Know About Newest FDA Drug Approvals appeared first on The Fresh Toast.