Category: Cooking with Cannabis

Ever wonder what gives your favorite cannabis strain its pungent peppery smell and taste? Chances are, it’s caryophyllene.

If you’re like most people, you’ve never heard of it. And that doesn’t surprise us the least little bit. That’s because caryophyllene is a chemical component of cannabis that often gets lost in the glow of its cannabinoid cousins THC and CBD.

And even if you have heard of caryophyllene, it may have been pronounced so incorrectly that you wouldn’t in a million years connect it to the topic of this article.

But don’t let caryophyllene’s lack of notoriety and difficult pronunciation fool you — it’s an important part of the cannabis experience.

In this article, the all-things-cannabis experts at Honest Marijuana tell you everything you need to know about this tasty terpene.

What Is Caryophyllene?

Caryophyllene — β-caryophyllene (beta-caryophyllene) to be more precise — is a terpene that is extremely common in modern marijuana strains.

As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, caryophyllene is responsible for producing many of the warm, spicy, peppery flavors and smells you’ve come to enjoy in your ganja.

If you’re trying to imagine what caryophyllene smells and tastes like, think cinnamon, cloves, basil, and oregano — all of which express high percentages of caryophyllene in combination with other terpenes.

Other common plants that contain high amounts of caryophyllene include:

• Ylang ylang
• Rosemary
• Black caraway
• Hops

So, if you’ve ever run across any of those things growing in your garden, you’ve got a pretty good idea what caryophyllene tastes and smells like.

A Bit About Pronunciation

We’ll be the first to admit it: The word caryophyllene is a bit of a mouthful. It doesn’t help that it’s got multiple Y’s, a PH, and a double L crammed into the space of five small syllables.

Lucky for you, in addition to being experts on all things cannabis, we’re also experts on how to pronounce the complicated words that come with it.

Now, even though caryophyllene can technically be broken into five syllables (ca-ry-oph-yl-lene), we’re going to break it into four because the first two actually form an extremely common word. This makes it easier to get the hang of.

Here are the basics:

• Ca + ry = Carry
• Oph = Off (the major stress within the word goes here)
• Y = Uh
• Llene = Lean

Say those four words slowly several times putting the bulk of the stress on the second, and then gradually speed up until the syllables flow together just like any other word you’re familiar with.

Carry — Off — Uh — Lean

Keep practicing, and you’ll get it!

Throughout the beginning of this article, we’ve mentioned repeatedly that caryophyllene is a terpene. But what exactly does that mean? Read on for the answer.

What Are Terpenes?

Terpenes are a large class of chemical compounds (often taking the form of oils) that, when detected by your nose and tongue, produce an entire range of smells and flavors.

The general category of terpenes can be subdivided into monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes.

Monoterpenes — such as myrcene, limonene, and linalool — are light terpenes (think weight) that are responsible for a wide range of floral scents including rose, apple, geranium, kiwi, and jasmine.

Sesquiterpenes — such as caryophyllene, humulene, and cardinene — are heavy terpenes (again, think weight) that are responsible for a wide range of pungent scents including diesel fuel, skunk, tea tree, musk, and patchouli.

So, for example, the terpenes that give mint and chocolate their unique flavor can, with the right breeding, be produced in everyone’s favorite “baked” cannabis strain (Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies).

What’s more, combinations of terpenes can yield novel smells and tastes like skunk and diesel fuel (two decidedly non-plant aromas).

But the cool factor doesn’t stop there.

Terpenes — be they of the mono- or sesqui-variety — are not unique to sativa, indica, and ruderalis. In fact, all plants produce terpenes in various combinations and quantities.

That’s why all the flavors and aromas in the image at the start of this section are named after plants. Terpenes are responsible for creating those flavors and smells.

Terpenes also produce a wide range of health benefits and are useful for treating ailments, including:

• Anxiety
• Cancer
• Depression
• Insomnia
• Nausea
• Lack of appetite
• Muscle strain
• Asthma
• Breast cancer
• Stress
• Gallstones

That doesn’t mean you can use caryophyllene to treat all these disorders, however. Caryophyllene has its own unique effects and benefits.

Effects And Benefits Of Caryophyllene

In the case of caryophyllene, the effects and benefits are all rolled into one category. While THC will send you on a psychedelic trip (an extremely obvious effect that might not be considered a good thing), it will also reduce nausea and increase appetite (a definite benefit).

For terpenes and other minor cannabinoids (such as CBN, CBG, and THC-O-Acetate), the effects and the benefits can’t be so easily separated.

To make things as clear as possible, we discuss the effects and benefits of caryophyllene as if they were the same thing (because they pretty much are).

1) Anti-Inflammatory

Studies using caryophyllene to treat everything from osteoarthritis to allergies have shown that the terpene may one day be a major contributor to the care and management of chronic inflammatory diseases.

It’s important to note that the studies were conducted with higher levels of caryophyllene than you’re likely to get in any one smoke sesh, but the results were promising for the future of caryophyllene for treating medical conditions.

2) Antioxidant

Another beneficial effect of caryophyllene is that it has the ability to act as an antioxidant.

Antioxidants are chemicals that help remove free radicals (unstable atoms that can damage cells and cause illness and aging) from your body.

It may also have uses as an additive in sunscreen and anti-aging lotion.

3) Anti-Tumoral

Because caryophyllene has potential as a powerful anti-inflammatory, it may also serve as an anti-tumoral.

Recent studies delivered promising results that indicate that caryophyllene may play a role in encouraging anti-metastatic activity (preventing spread) in cancer cells.

However, the researchers warn not to take these results for more than they’re worth because the tests were only performed on single cells. More research is necessary to determine if caryophyllene has any effect on high-mass, malignant tumors.

4) Sedative

Marijuana’s tendency to act as a sedative and contribute to sleep is well known (couch-lock is one of the most common side effects of high-THC strains).

Now, research indicates that very high doses of caryophyllene may have a sedative effect in laboratory mice.

Again, more research is needed, but it’s easy to see how even small amounts of caryophyllene can, when combined with the sedative power of THC and CBD, contribute to your desire to catch some Zs.

Will Caryophyllene Get You High?

No, caryophyllene by itself will not get you high. The only way to experience the psychoactive effects associated with marijuana is to consume THC.

The thing is, unless you purchase a caryophyllene extract or a high-CBD/low-THC strain, there’s no way to take one without the other.

So, don’t conclude that just because your pot contains caryophyllene that you’re going to start hearing colors and get the munchies later on.

Caryophyllene is not the cause of your high — be it a contact high or direct ingestion — THC, and only THC, is responsible.

The Best Caryophyllene Strains

There are so many cannabis strains out there that it’s easy to get confused about which one to purchase — especially if you’re looking for a high-caryophyllene strain.

We’ve taken the time to do the research for you.

Below is a list of the best caryophyllene cannabis strains. Beware, though, that most of these contain some percentage of THC, so while you’re getting a healthy dose of caryophyllene, you may also be getting a healthy dose of everyone’s favorite psychedelic cannabinoid.

Choose these strains for the most caryophyllene:

• Sour Diesel
• Original Glue
• Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies (GSC)
• Candyland
• Chemdog
• Bubba Kush
• The White

If you want to experience caryophyllene in all its glory, try rolling a joint, packing a bowl, or making hash with one of these tasty strains.

And, regardless of which strain you choose, there’s one sure-fire way to ensure that you’ll get the most bang for your buck.

Capitalize On Caryophyllene With High-Quality Strains

The best way to capitalize on caryophyllene is to always buy the highest quality organic cannabis you can get your hands on.

If you’re buying dried and cured raw buds, do your research and choose strains from a reputable grower who uses the best organic methods available.

If you’re buying cannabis products — such as wax, shatter, pills, cream, or gummies — check the label or ask the budtenders if they can tell you about how the strains were grown.

Choosing organically grown marijuana that doesn’t rely on harmful fertilizers, heavy metals, or pesticides is a good idea however you consume your pot — whether that’s smoking, eating, or dripping it under your tongue.

Plus, choosing a high-quality organic bud (or insisting on high-quality organic strains in the products you purchase) will ensure that you get the most caryophyllene possible.

For more information on all things cannabis and to check out our 100% all-natural marijuana products, visit HonestMarijuana.com today.

The post Caryophyllene: Definition, Effects, And Benefits appeared first on Honest Marijuana.

Source: honestm

Learning how to put out a joint and save it for later is an essential skill for all cannaenthusiasts. In fact, it’s right up there with the likes of packing a bowl, using a grinder, and cleaning a dab rig.

But, how, exactly, should you extinguish your joints for best effect? And how can you save the leftovers for later?

In this article, the all-things-cannabis experts at Honest Marijuana answer those questions and walk you step-by-step through the process of learning how to put out a joint.

How To Put Out A Joint

1) Leaving

The easiest way to learn how to put out a joint is just to leave it sitting in an ashtray.

Before you say, “Great!” and click away, this isn’t the absolute best way to extinguish your J because the bud inside will continue to burn just a little bit. It won’t burn a lot because there won’t be enough airflow to really ignite, but it will still smolder before going out completely.

Try this method to see if it works (and how you feel about it). Just be sure to ALWAYS leave the smoldering joint on or in an inflammable container like an ashtray, a metal can, a plate, or a glass cup.

2) Blowing

This is one of our favorite ways of learning how to put out a joint for the simple reason that it’s so completely counterintuitive. You wouldn’t think that it’d work, but it does!

Here’s how to do it: Blow into the joint for 10 seconds. That’s it!

The air blowing out the burning end of the joint isolates the cherry from the fuel (the ground plant matter), makes it burn faster, and, basically, causes the tip to consume itself.

3) Stubbing

Stubbing is, perhaps, the most familiar way of learning how to put out a joint.

It’s similar to the technique employed by cigarette smokers: press the tip of the joint against a flat, hard surface.

The only difference is that you should be gentler with a joint because the paper is thinner and more liable to break. If you stub too hard, you’ll squash the skunk stick and ruin its shape.

4) Flicking

The goal of flicking is to physically separate the burning cherry from the rest of the joint. Without the burning plant matter, the J will go out, and you can store it for later.

To flick correctly, hold the joint gently in one hand and flick the tip toward the ashtray with the bottom of your lighter, a finger on the opposite hand (try using your fingernail), or some other hard object.

5) Grazing

In terms of how to put out a joint, grazing is similar to stubbing, but with a lot less force.

To graze your joint out, position it horizontally and then gently rub the burning cherry (left to right or up and down) against the walls of the ashtray.

Doing this will cause the burning plant matter to fall away, extinguish the joint, and allow you to save it for later.

6) Cutting

A surefire way to extinguish your burning Js so you can save them for later is to cut the cherry off the tip with a pair of sharp scissors or a knife.

You can either hold the joint in one hand and snip or cut with the other hand. Or, you can place the joint on a plate or ashtray and perform a bit of simple surgery to separate the burning plant matter from the rest of the roll.

How To Save A Joint For Later

Once you’ve learned how to put out a joint, the next step is saving it for later. But you shouldn’t just leave your doobies lying around exposed to the elements for days on end. That’s a recipe for ruination.

The best way to preserve a half-smoked doobie for later is to store it correctly.

Effective Storage Methods

Glass

A glass canning jar with a lid is perfect for storing half-smoked Js. Mason jars are impermeable to oxygen, aren’t affected by residual humidity, and are inert to temperature fluctuations.

In addition, glass doesn’t secrete any chemical compounds that will kill the fresh aroma of the terpenes (e.g., humulene and myrcene) in your joint.

Unfortunately, most clear mason jars won’t protect your ganja from becoming dry and brittle due to sunlight or heat damage. That’s why opaque or dark, tinted glass jars are always a good option.

If you can’t find dark glass jars, just use clear glass and store it in a closet or cabinet away from residual heat sources.

Titanium

If you can’t find a glass container with a lid, an airtight container made of titanium is your next best option to preserve your half-smoked joints.

And the container doesn’t have to be huge. A simple titanium tube with a lid — a cigar– or cigarillo-sized container, for example — is sufficient to store the leftovers once you’ve learned how to put out a joint.

You don’t need a lot of room to store multiple joints because you’re going to come back and finish that sucker off today or tomorrow, right?

Resealable Cans

Another good option for long- or short-term storage after you learn how to put out a joint is a resealable can.

Honest Marijuana, for example, sells its loose bud in metal containers that are about the size of tuna cans. The idea of preserving food and other perishables in metal cans has been around for more than 200 years, so you know it works.

HMJ’s cans even come with a resealable plastic lid that locks in the freshness and keeps the bud (or the joint) inside from going bad. You can use empty cans to store all kinds of pot-related material — from half-smoked joints to leftover wax and shatter.

Avoid Plastic Bags

Whenever you can, avoid storing your joint — extinguished or otherwise — in a plastic bag.

Plastic is positively one of the worst ways to save a J for later. The most notorious culprit is the plastic baggie.

Plastic baggies do absolutely nothing to keep light, air, heat, cold, or moisture out of your marijuana. You’d be better off just leaving the joint sitting on the windowsill and saving the plastic baggie for your munchie mix or olive loaf sandwich.

In addition, plastic is a horrible material for keeping pot fresh because it has a static charge that can pull precious trichomes from the plant matter onto the plastic and create a fine, sticky, powdery mess that you’ll never be able to get out of the bag back into the J.

As we mentioned earlier, if you’re going to blaze the rest of the joint in a couple hours, you’ll be fine just leaving the remains lying in the ashtray. No need to toss it in a plastic bag.

If you’re going to wake and bake before breakfast and may need to put the joint out halfway through, plan to store the remains in a glass jar, titanium container, or resealable can.

Learning How To Put Out A Joint Starts With What You Put In

When you’re learning how to put out a joint, make it easier on yourself by thinking about what you put in the joint at the start. Whether you buy a J at the local dispensary or roll your own at home, always use the best bud whenever possible.

Anything less than the best, and you run the risk of having a bad trip. No one wants that.

Plus, the best weed burns better and smoother and will go out easier when it’s time to toke and run.

And what exactly is the best?

It’s fresh, high-quality, organically-grown cannabis, like the ganja gold we grow at Honest Marijuana.

Sure, you could save some dough by buying regs or mids, but they’re going to deliver an unsatisfying experience that will ruin the moment.

Instead, always buy the best beasters whenever possible— or, better yet, headies if you can swing it — to make the whole joint-smoking experience better.

Plus, with a high-quality, organic strain like those grown at Honest Marijuana, you’ll need less weed to experience the effects you’re after. A toke or two from high-quality bud goes a long way.

Then, you can put out the joint and save it for later.

To get the most out of the experience, always choose a high-quality, sustainably-sourced, organically-grown cannabis bud for inside your joint.

Not sure how to go about finding said high-quality, sustainably-sourced, organically-grown cannabis? Just ask for Honest Marijuana.

At our Rocky-Mountain-based grow facility, we employ world-class organic growing methodologies to provide cannabis connoisseurs with the purest marijuana experience on the planet.

We grow our plants the way Mother Nature intended: in organic soil without chemicals or pesticides. We even hand-trim our plants so that they’re organic from the ground up.

With Honest Marijuana, you’re guaranteed to get the freshest, tastiest, highest-quality strain possible with which to learn how to put out a joint once you’ve had enough.

Not only does bud from HMJ make all your smoking, dabbing, and edible experiences infinitely better, but it also means that the joints you roll are better, tastier, and well worth the effort.

So, don’t settle for an inferior strain. Get the best strains on the planet — the Honest Marijuana strains — learn how to put out a joint correctly, and experience cannabis the way it was meant to be.

For more information on all things cannabis and to check out our 100% all-natural marijuana products, visit HonestMarijuana.com today.

The post How To Put Out A Joint And Save It For Later appeared first on Honest Marijuana.

Source: honestm

So you want to learn how to roll a Swisher, eh? Kudos!

Rolling weed into various packages is a skill that all cannaseurs should acquire. You just never know when you’re going to run out of the supplies you need to get your ganja on and have to improvise or MacGyver your way to your next high.

That’s where learning how to roll a Swisher comes into play — it’s just one more option in your marijuana toolbox.

In this article, the all-things-cannabis experts at Honest Marijuana give you a step-by-step guide to help you learn, practice, and master the art and science of rolling a Swisher.

What Is A Swisher?

A Swisher is a blunt made from your favorite strain of cannabis and a cleaned-out Swisher Sweets® cigarillo wrapper.

In their original form, Swishers are less like cigars and more like elongated cigarettes (hence the name “cigarillo,” which is Spanish for small cigar). The classic Swisher Sweets cigarillo measures in at around 4.375 inches long by a bit over 0.5 inches in diameter.

If you’re trying to get a sense of the size, pick up an unsharpened pencil and grip half of it in your closed fist. The uncovered part is roughly the length and diameter of the cigarillo you’ll use to learn how to roll a Swisher.

There are other Swisher sizes available, so, really, go with what feels right. As long as you’re using authentic Swisher Sweets to roll your blunt, you’ll be fine.

How To Roll A Swisher

Supplies

• Swisher Sweets® cigarillos
• Your favorite strain of weed
• Grinder
• Small knife or razor blade
• Food scale
• Clean tray to work on
• Water
• Paper towel
• Patience
• Practice

Instructions

1) Purchase Ganja And Swisher Sweets®

The first step in learning how to roll a Swisher is having all your supplies on hand. Take a few minutes to gather everything together in one place and give yourself plenty of room to work.

If you’re fresh out of weed, and you don’t have any stray Swishers lying around, get to buying some, son.

HMJ Tip: Buy at least two cigarillos — more would be better — because you will make mistakes, and you will have to start over. Making extra trips to the corner bodega to pick up more Swishers is one of the most annoying things about the whole process.

Prepare yourself mentally and physically by stocking up on wraps ahead of time.

2) Empty The Swisher Wrapper

With the small knife or razor blade, slice the cigarillo lengthwise down the middle.

Gently tease the wrapper apart and empty the tobacco into a small container (or the garbage).

HMJ Tip: Use the sharpest, smallest cutting tool you can get your hands on. Sharp blades make cleaner cuts and make the whole process easier.

If you have access to a scalpel or one of those art knives with the triangular blades, that’s ideal. If you can’t find either of those, a razor blade is a cheap and effective alternative.

3) Grind Your Ganja

If you don’t have a grinder, get one. It makes everything easier.

If you need to clean said grinder, take a few minutes to read our instructional article How To Clean A Grinder In 5 Easy Steps. Doing so — actually cleaning the grinder, not just reading the article — will improve the taste and experience of your final blunt.

Grind up 1-1.5 grams of your favorite ganja strain so you have plenty to work with. And don’t get too aggressive with your grinding.

The goal here is a nice, fluffy consistency with plenty of small chunks. This facilitates airflow and makes the burn down easier and more enjoyable.

4) Moisten The Swisher Wrapper

This step is optional — and with practice, you may not need it anyway — but we want to make it easy for those first-time tokers out there.

With a damp paper towel, pat the cigar wrap until it feels moist. Be careful not to saturate the cigar wrap with too much liquid (so no dunking it in a bowl of water).

Getting the cigar wrap just a little bit wet will make it easier to work with and prevent it from tearing in places it shouldn’t.

5) Load It

Pack the empty Swisher wrapper with as much of the 1-1.5 grams of weed as possible. You don’t want to pack it so full that it won’t close, but you want enough cannabis inside to support the wrapper once it’s on fire.

One gram is a good starting point, but we wouldn’t suggest trying to push it much higher than 1.5 grams.

Somewhere between these two numbers makes the end product better because an overloaded Swisher will be a pain to roll and smoke, and an underloaded Swisher will collapse after you light it.

HMJ Tip: Load up the center of the wrapper with more weed than the ends. When you close it back up, the weed will spread and fill out the ends for a nice, even thickness.

6) Roll It

Remember the patience and practice we mentioned in the supplies section above? Yeah, you’re going to need those now.

Once you’ve got the wrapper loaded with a gram or so of ganja, gently and slowly tuck and roll the wrapper around the bud with your fingers and thumbs until you’ve got a closed tube with weed inside.

As you’re rolling what will become your Swisher blunt, don’t fret too much if you can’t recreate a perfect cylinder. The wrapper will “remember” its previous shape, but the marijuana inside may deform it slightly. As long as you can get it closed — and keep it closed — you’ll be good.

And, above all else, be gentle as you learn how to roll a Swisher so you don’t crack or tear the wrapper and ruin the look and feel of your new favorite blunt.

HMJ Tip: Practice your rolling technique with the tobacco you took out of the Swisher wrapper and a quarter of a piece of printer paper (4.25” x 5.5” or 10.8 cm x 14 cm for those of you who can handle the metric system).

If you already threw away the tobacco, and you don’t feel like rooting around in last night’s garbage, no biggie, you can always practice with marijuana’s stunt double, oregano.

7) Seal It

When you’ve got the Swisher rolled to your liking, moisten the exposed edge from end to end and then seal it down (like licking and closing an envelope).

If you’re familiar with rolling joints, learning how to roll a Swisher and close it correctly may require a bit more saliva to seal than you’re used to.

The cigarillo wrappers are thicker and denser than pretty much every rolling paper there is, so don’t be afraid to give your Swisher a real tongue-lashing!

HMJ Tip: If you’re feeling really daring and want an extra kick, try closing and sealing your Swisher with a bit of cannabis oil instead of licking the edge.

This is a perfect way to take your Swisher from exceptional to out of this world.

When you’ve licked your Swisher into submission or glued it closed with honey oil, “bake” the blunt by running a lighter lengthwise under the exposed edge to help seal everything together.

8) Light It

If you got the knack of how to roll a Swisher right off the bat, congrats! If not, that’s okay too. Remember, patience and practice are the foundation of a good hand-rolled ganja stick.

Before you blaze away, take a moment to admire what you did. Doesn’t DIY feel good?

You know what feels even better? A deep toke from the finished product. Now, make fire and light that sucker up!

9) Share It

Toking solo is a great way to experience the joys and rewards of learning how to roll a Swisher. But for more fun than you thought humanly possible, puff, puff, pass your new creation with friends.

10) Enjoy It

Enjoying the fruits of learning how to roll a Swisher is pretty easy — just inhale and wait for the THC, CBD, CBG, CBN, and other cannabinoids to take effect.

But, after that, if you need something to occupy your mind, body, or both, check out these articles from the HMJ blog for suggestions:

• The Top 40 Fun Things To Do While High | Honest Marijuana
• The 50 Best Movies To Watch High
• 50 Mind-Blowing High Questions To Ponder When You’re Stoned

How To Roll A Swisher: Quality In = Quality Out

If you want to learn how to roll a Swisher the right way, it all starts with what you put inside. To put it simply, quality in equals quality out.

To get the most out of the experience, always choose a high-quality, sustainably-sourced, organically-grown cannabis bud to add to the Swisher wrapper.

Not sure how to go about finding said high-quality, sustainably-sourced, organically-grown cannabis? Just ask for Honest Marijuana.

At our Rocky-Mountain-based grow facility, we employ world-class organic growing methodologies to provide cannabis connoisseurs with the purest marijuana experience on the planet.

We grow our plants the way Mother Nature intended: in organic soil without chemicals or pesticides. We even hand-trim our plants so that they’re organic from the ground up.

Not only does that make all your smoking, dabbing, and edible experiences infinitely better, but it also means that the Swishers you roll are better, tastier, and well worth the effort.

So, don’t settle for an inferior strain. Get the best strains on the planet — the Honest Marijuana strains — learn how to roll a Swisher correctly, and experience cannabis the way it was meant to be.

For more information on all things cannabis and to check out our 100-percent all-natural marijuana products, visit HonestMarijuana.com today.

The post How To Roll A Swisher: A Step-By-Step Guide appeared first on Honest Marijuana.

Source: honestm

At Honest Marijuana, we love to dab (the cannabis concentrate, not the gesture from a few years back), and it didn’t take us long to master the process. What did take us a while to get the hang of was learning how to clean a dab rig correctly.

Dab rigs, like bongs, can get notoriously dirty after just a few smokes. The cannabis resin that builds up inside the glass is a tarry mess and can be extremely difficult to remove if left too long.

We’ve even heard stories of dabbers using harsh chemicals like carburetor cleaner to get the resin out (don’t do that). These caustic substances can leave behind trace amounts of residue that can be toxic when heated.

All you really need is a few natural ingredients and a bit of elbow grease to get the job done.

In this article, we reveal what those natural ingredients are and discuss everything you need to know about how to clean a dab rig.

How To Clean A Dab Rig

Supplies

• Hot water
  Isopropyl/rubbing alcohol (the higher the percentage the better)
  Salt
  Hand towels
  Cotton balls
  Q-tips
  Small sealable plastic baggies or food storage containers with lids
  Bottle brush or pipe cleaners (optional)

Instructions

1) Dump Out The Dirty Dab Water

The first step in learning how to clean a dab rig is to dump out the dirty dab water.

You’d think this would be a given and not worth mentioning, but we’ve seen plenty of dabbers forget this simplest of steps and wind up with a lap full of dab water.

Don’t set yourself up for failure. Always dump the dab water first.

2) Disassemble The Dab Rig

The next step in learning how to clean a dab rig is to take everything apart. Separate the nail or the banger from the rig itself. If you’ve got a carb cap or a converter, remove that too.

If your rig has any other movable or removable parts, you guessed it, you need to take those apart as well.

At the end of the process, your dab rig will be completely disassembled.

3) Rinse All The Parts In Hot Water

Hot running water is a great way to start the cleaning process. It dislodges the surface resin that builds up over time and starts to dissolve the bonds that bind the gunk in place.

Get the water as hot as you can tolerate and consider wearing dish-washing gloves (those ugly yellow things). The gloves allow you to make the water hotter which turbo-charges the process.

If you think about it while you’re rinsing, fill from the top and empty from the stem opening. This will minimize the chances of the loose residue getting caught anywhere else.

4) Put Each Loose Piece In Its Own Container

This step in our guide on how to clean a dab rig requires that you put each loose piece in its own container.

It doesn’t matter if you use sealable sandwich bags or food storage containers as long as you can seal them.

And, no, you don’t have to put the bulk of the dab rig itself (the water chamber and neck) in a sandwich bag or closable container. We’ll wash that by hand in a later step.

5) Add Natural Cleaning Agents

After you’ve got each loose piece in its own baggie or container, pour in at least ¼ cup of rubbing alcohol along with at least one tablespoon of salt.

For larger pieces, go with ½ cup rubbing alcohol and two tablespoons of salt. The proportions aren’t really important, just so that both ingredients are there.

Why alcohol and salt?

Rubbing alcohol is mildly acidic which helps to break down the sticky resin that builds up inside the bong.

Salt is an abrasive that works in concert with the acid to add scrubbing power to the solution.

If you don’t have rubbing alcohol, you can use vinegar (another mild acid). If you don’t have salt, you can use rice to help scrub the dab rig clean.

If you choose to use rice, don’t let it sit too long in the alcohol (or vinegar) because it will start to absorb the liquid and soften. If it gets too soft, it won’t be abrasive enough to do any good.

And if you do decide to use rice, don’t eat it no matter how hungry you get. Those pesky (or awesome) munchies can make you eat some really weird stuff. Resist the urge to make stir fry with the rice you use to clean your dab rig…no matter how delicious it looks.

6) Shake It, Baby

Next, seal the baggies or put lids on the containers and shake them vigorously. This moves the alcohol and the salt through all the tiny curves and crevices and breaks up the ganja resin that’s gathered there.

When you think you’ve shaken enough, shake more. Depending on how dirty your rig is, you may need to do this for at least five minutes to really dislodge the sticky mess.

If you’ve added enough alcohol to completely cover each piece, you can let them soak for 10 to 15 minutes, and then come back and shake some more. This is especially useful if you’ve built up layer upon layer of rig resin from years of use.

Once the small pieces are clean to your satisfaction, set them aside (still soaking in their baggies), and turn your attention to the main event: how to clean the dab rig itself.

7) Pour Salt And Alcohol Into The Rig

Add at least two tablespoons of salt into your glass pipe; three would be better. Depending on the size of the rig you’re using, you may want to add four or five.

However much you add, keep in mind that salt dissolves in liquids, so put enough salt in the water chamber that some stays out of solution (not dissolved). This helps increase the abrasiveness of the solution you’re making and removes more of the gunk from the glass.

Next, pour at least ½ cup of rubbing alcohol into your dab rig. Again, depending on the size of the pipe itself, you may need to add more. Don’t worry about the ratio of salt to alcohol. It really doesn’t make any difference as long as there’s enough of both to get a good swishing going.

If you don’t have rubbing alcohol, use vinegar. If you don’t have salt, use rice.

8) Plug The Holes And Shake

Though this sounds vaguely dirty, it’s one of the most important steps in the whole process of learning how to clean a dab rig.

Using hand towels, plug all the holes in the glass. You can also use plastic wrap and rubber bands to seal the holes if that works better for you. If the holes are small enough, you could also use cotton balls or scotch tape. And, if you really wanted to get fancy, you could purchase a few beaker stoppers from your local beaker store and plug the holes that way.

If you live in an area with no beaker store (we feel sorry for you), just place one hand over the mouth and one hand over the hole where the stem goes. Don’t forget to put a finger over the carburetor hole.

Then, just like you did with the small pieces in their baggies, shake that sucker vigorously so that the alcohol and salt solution moves around on all the surfaces. Continue to shake the whole thing for at least five minutes. Then shake longer.

While you’re shaking the bong, you can feel good about the fact that you exercised today (thanks, dynamic inertia!). Who knew shaking would be such hard work?

9) Rinse All The Pieces With Hot Water

Remove the small pieces from their baggies or containers and dump the alcohol/salt solution from the dab rig. Rinse all the pieces with the hottest water you can get.

Rinsing helps to remove the residual resin, the salt, and the alcohol from the surfaces of your pipe. If some stubborn gunk remains (particularly in the bowl or the stem), use a Q-tip or a bottle brush (probably available at your local beaker store) to pick away at the mass.

After you remove that last little piece, rinse again with hot water and let everything air dry before lighting up again.

10) Repeat

This step is optional, but if you never learned how to clean your dab rig and it’s got lots of gunk on it (first, ewww), you may have to repeat the entire process again (and again, and again).

Eventually, the alcohol, the salt, and the repeated agitation will peel away the layers of goo to reveal the sparkling glass underneath.

The Key To How To Clean A Dab Rig

As you can tell from this article, learning how to clean your glass rig isn’t all that difficult. And once you’ve got it down, the whole process won’t take but a few minutes to complete.

You can avoid long, involved cleaning if you live by one simple rule: rinse with a few natural ingredients after every use. That’s the key to how to clean a dab rig.

If rinsing it every time is just too much, every other time will suffice.

And you don’t have to use caustic cleaners that contain all kinds of toxic chemicals. If you take care of your equipment, the only cleaning agent you’ll need will be hot water, salt, and isopropyl/rubbing alcohol.

With these items and a bit of diligence, you can keep your dab rig sparkling and crystal clear as the day you bought it. Happy dabbing!

For more information on all things cannabis and to check out our 100% all-natural marijuana products, visit HonestMarijuana.com today.

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Source: honestm