Bongs Vs Rigs: Why I'm Currently Choosing Dabs Over Bowls

In August of this year I had the pleasure of vending Product Earth Cannabis alongside my partner with both of our businesses. We spent 1 night in a tent and the other 3 nights were in a lovely hotel about 10-14mins drive from the NEAC. We knew after long trading hours engaging and working we would need to retreat back into our own bubble. 

Not wanting to be in & out all night trying to find spots in the hotel car park to smoke, I decided to take our Rig In One (RIO from StacheProducts) with us for some cheeky dabs in the hotel room under the extractor fan in the bathroom after seeing a friend of mine ripping dabs in her own hotel room on a Live stream.

After we made a couple of sales I sent my partner off in search of something we could afford that smelt good. He found some Kola Kubes budder from Subzero extracts which they sorted me out with at a lovely price.

I didn't smoke that much when we were at the NEAC; just a couple of jail house rollie sized blunts as I was always aware I was leaving Tay alone on the stall, or would be too busy looking at things to partake, so a few dabs in the evening were messing me up right & nice. 

When we got back from Product Earth I was combusting less & less. I basically used up the flower I had bought at PE and that was it. Peng The Magic Dragon and his carts were helping in between the dabs too. I’d have 2 dabs and been hiiiiigh. As much as I would think about another one, I didn’t need to get up for another…nor did I think I was capable, haha!

Product Earth was 19-22nd August, it is now 1st October, and my poor bongs have gathered dust. My grinder is…where IS my grinder? It actually had dust on it when I saw it last! The first time since I started blazing when I was 19! 

The last time I combusted was after Brumstrum on the 19th: I shared a blunt with Tay in bed…he had the lion's share. I have been enjoying Flower less and less. The acrid smell of the combustion seems to overpower the smell of the cannabis except for the old strain of high grade goodness. I tried a couple of toots 2 days ago..and after my face was filled with that dreaded acrid smell and I did NOT enjoy it. 

What have I found since I have reduced combustion? 

• My chest has stopped weezing. (I haven't used tobacco in 4yrs). The week before Product Earth I had declared I was going to try and take a tolerance break after it as I expected to have a tight chest after blazing hard while at the event as that was my experience from the previous year as a punter. I fully felt I had smoked more strains in one weekend as I had all year at PE2021! It was brilliant! So I anticipated the same this time round, not taking into account we would be working. As I have said above, I didn't smoke much and then hit the rig in the evenings. My chest wasn't audibly wheezing (especially when laying down). After over a month, the difference is amazing. I have stopped coughing dark gunk up in the mornings too!
• I think I am more active. Maybe without the carbon dioxide hit, although you are more stoned from the concentrate, it's not as heavy as you have got the CO2 in your system. So I am still managing to get housework, go out and about (by foot), get my work done.
• Contrary to the last point, I think I'm napping more. I don't nap in the day time unless I am NOT well. I’m calling them dab naps haha. Lil power naps in the day. I’m still new to full time dabbing so it is easy to over indulge as I haven't worked out my limits yet like I knew with Flower. That flavour can drive me to want maybe too big a hit or hit the rig a bit too soon after the last… so I need a dab nap! I think my sleep at night has improved since switching. I am guessing as it's a stronger hit, it's carrying me through more of the night than the bong hits would. Usually I am quite a disturbed sleeper. Don’t get me wrong, I am still having some bad nights but overall my quality of sleep has improved. However, I’d like to point out the fact that I am wanting to nap more could be aided by the fact I am doing more as covered in the last point. As I am neurodiverse and have chronic illnesses, I need to recoup more ‘spoons’ faster. 

• I think the amount I am spending on my meds is about the same at the moment so thanks to the connections I have made, my weekly amount spent on cannabis hasn't increased as I had thought it would by switching to extracts. I have been lucky enough to find reliable vendors with some lovely prices on some lovely strains. I am not 100% on this yet. It may be more for some weeks and less for others. With flower I knew that X amount should last me X amount of time so I would need to order on X day. I haven't worked out what will last what yet. Last order of 2gs lasted a week with rationing. A couple of weeks ago I chonged a 3.5g a bit too quick but I was recouping from an event and trying to take a few days off. At the moment I think on average it is working out about the same. Obviously you are ordering much less than you would have flower but it's called dabbing for a reason. You literally just need a dab. A tiny dab! A lil dab’ll do ya!

• I noticed I have been experiencing the munchies less. A few people put this down to the strain but over the past month or so I have had an array of flavours with different effects and have still noticed a decrease in that
  dept. However I will say that I have also been experiencing stomach issues the past month or so so the lack of extra appetite could be put down to that. I read that munchies were your body's way of trying to correct the imbalance in the body when you're overindulging, especially as cannabis can lower your blood sugar levels. If I were to have a guess it's that as I am not combusting but vaping, my body isnt feeling the need to correct the imbalance as much? I’m no scientist, it’s probably down to my current stomach issues. 

• I am using less Isopropyl alcohol for cleaning despite having an ISO bath at the ready. Because I am not having to use the ISO on the bongs for that gunky tary bong gurg and chucking it, I am saving money on ISO. There’s usually a delay on restocking so sometimes I am having to go without a little too long. A dirty bong is definitely bad for your chest but dear lord do I hate cleaning the bong. It’s a sensory nightmare for me. Having an ISO bath at the ready to dunk my bangers between dabs has been a game changer. The banger is always clean & ready, the rig stays cleaner and requires less faffing (just fresh water daily). There’s no smelly tar like stuff produced so cleaning becomes a doddle . The extracts start melting as soon as they come into contact with the alcohol so the task of cleaning the kit becomes a matter of minutes and not a bi-weekly mission. Plus no nasty bong gurg smells!!! So with the regular cleaning between dabs you’re cleaning less. 

• Our home smells fresher and we aren't living in smog. Not that cannabis leaves a massively pongy smell but still. Tay was smoking outside before as he used tobacco with his cannabis. He's recently quit but still works outside most days. In the evenings he's rolling a blunt and nursing it so we are only having to sit in a temporary cloud and not an ever increasing smoke screen as I chain bong my way to bedtime. 

Do I miss Flower?

Yes, I still love Flower. I took those couple of toots on Tay’s blunt as I miss sitting there and nursing a blunt. But the combustion…doesn't agree with me anymore. Maybe it just wasn't the tastiest flower and I will find something that's suuuper delicious when it's smoked too. Times like right this moment, as I am whacking away at the keyboard, it’s so nice to have a blunt burning. Stop for a moment, take a toot and contemplate what I have just written/am about to write. I miss it in the evenings, sharing a blunt in front of a movie with Tay. Maybe I am just super sensitive to it right now as I have only recently stopped. I know I won’t keep trying but only when there's a special bud in front of me can I hear calling me to roll her up and smoke. 

Check out my previous articles on dabbing, a collaboration between myself and GlassWorks710. Our next article we hope will help be a guide when you're purchasing a rig and set up for the first time. Get 15% off their website with BUDDYMARY at checkout. 

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