Jungle Fever: Smoking Paraphernalia & Legal Highs

The Vape-2O Vaporizer is a vaporizer that uses interchangeable glass vials to heat essential oils and concentrates for vaporization.  It can use smoking herbs as well, but it works better with viscous liquids than with powders or ground herbs.  It is a highly portable vaporizer that is designed to attach to a water pipe such as a hookah or bong.  Users are warned that the glass vials can get extremely hot, so be careful not to touch them.

Essential Oils for the Eclipse Vape-2O Vaporizer

Essential oils are mostly used in aromatherapy, but a few are known to act as legal highs.  Clove oil is recommended as a mild psychedelic drug, especially when used in conjunction with elemi oil.  Be warned, however, it is toxic in large doses, so be sure to only use a few drops.

The essential oil of nutmeg is reported to have similar effects to ecstasy, but it can cause nausea, and so can be difficult to take in large enough doses to produce the desired effect. 

Finally, it is worth noting that the synthetic cannabinoid known as ‘spice’, made from herbs and essential oils, was once sold as a legal high in Britain, but is now a class B drug.

The pills have been popped, the herbal smoking blends have been safely disposed of in a spinning ashtray and you are recovering from a great night out. However, just like with illegal drugs, users of legal highs can experience a comedown after partying too hard.  This article looks at some of the ways you can restore vitality the morning after the night before.

Multivitamins

Your body can lose vitamins and minerals while you are off your face on legal highs.  Many online head shops sell recovery products designed to replace these nutrients, though there seems to be little difference to similar products sold in high street chemists, apart from the price.

Serotonin Boosters

Many legal highs boost the production of serotonin, the brain’s natural ‘happy chemical’, which can then become depleted, leading to a comedown.  Serotonin boosters operate on a ‘hair of the dog’ principle, giving a small boost of serotonin to regulate brain chemistry more effectively.

Valerian

Valerian is a herb used as a natural sedative, to help bring people down from the buzz caused by legal highs, if they need it, to allow for a good night’s sleep, and also as an anti-spasmodic.  A summary of studies into Valerian’s effectiveness published in the American Journal of Medicine showed mixed results, finding a statistically significant improvement in the sleep quality of those taking the herb, but finding evidence of bias and flawed methodology in the studies themselves.  However, it has been highly valued in both western herbalism and traditional Indian medicine for many centuries.

It is well known that smoking is extremely bad for your lungs, whether it is tobacco or other legal highs. One of the reasons for this is that smoking generally involves the substance being burnt and you inhale the smoke, leading to you breathing in carcinogens and other nasty toxins.

With vaporisers, however, the substance is not being burned, but heated and therefore you avoid breathing in many of the damaging; overall, it is perceived as being a healthier way to smoke. There are various vaporisers on the market, but the Iolite is ahead of its time and is available in the form of an extremely convenient hand held device.

This vaporiser runs on lighter fluid and heats up to the desired temperature within 45 seconds, making it quick, easy to use and very portable. The internal chamber holds 500g of your favourite legal high and will continue to vaporise the herbs for approximately 15 minutes.

The device is sold in an array of colours and has its own carrying case, so you can take it anywhere discreetly. It also has its own accessory package, which includes cleaning materials, spare herb containers and spare mouthpieces.

The Iolite vaporiser is available to buy on many websites and is fast becoming one of the most popular products of its kind. It does not come cheap, but in comparison with its competitors it is still good value and worth every penny.

The bong or a water pipe is a filtration device designed to help smoke a variety of substances, including legal highs such as herbal blends and tobacco. The bong is similar in principle to a hookah pipe, but is easier to carry around and stores away in smaller places. It has been used as a means of smoking substances for thousands of years and has remained relatively unchanged. Bongs and their counterparts are used all over the world, but particularly in Thailand, Laos and Africa.

The bong allows the user inhale cool smoke, which is safer for the lungs and mouth and generally more pleasant. The vapours travel through the water and the user inhales it from the mouthpiece at the top of the device. Studies suggest that some of the mind-altering properties are lost in this process, so the user will have to inhale more smoke in order to have the same effect. This may result in having to use more of the legal substance than regular tobacco smoking.

There are many different types and sizes of bongs available on the market today and buying them is simple, especially online. In many shops bongs are classed as water pipes or smoking pipes, because it is illegal to sell any paraphernalia that is linked to illegal drugs, which is often the case with the bong. However, it is perfectly legal to buy and own a bong, as long as you are not smoking illegal substances. Other devices that are similar include Roor Pipes and chillums, which are also legal to use.

Although legal highs are widely used, it does not mean that your safety is guaranteed when you use them. Legal highs cannot be sold for human consumption and many outlets state that they are for research or scientific purposes only. This is the only way that the thousands of online suppliers can sell legal highs.

It is important to realise that since many legal highs are designed to mimic illegal drugs and that they can be as strong, if not stronger than the real thing. Therefore many people become ill or suffer undesirable effects, just as they would from illegal drugs. The truly worrying fact about legal highs is that there is very little research carried out on them. As a result, we know almost nothing about their long-term effects on health.

In addition, you may be purchasing a legal high that has components of illegal drugs, unbeknownst to you. This may find you getting into serious trouble if caught with the drug, even though you bought it believing it to entirely be legal. This is a great concern to the UK government and criminal justice department and possibly as soon as autumn 2011, new laws could be introduced banning some currently legal highs altogether.

If you are buying and using legal highs, ensure that you are in familiar surroundings, not mixing them with alcohol and always with people that you regard as friends or whom you trust. Remember that different drugs affect people in varying ways. It is also worth noting that using devices such as the Iolite can prevent you breathing in noxious gases when inhaling vaporised drugs.

Herbal highs refer to organic compounds and is a term covering all legal recreational drugs, rather than specific substances. Users of herbal highs should always try to verify the ingredients, as it is easy for a manufacturer to substitute other substances for herbs and get away with it, so always be cautious.

Types of Herbal Highs

One of the most common and popular herbal highs is Salvia Divinorum, which is a plant-based hallucinogenic drug that is also used by some native tribes as a healing substance. This drug, which is smoked, often through a pipe or bong, enables the user to become disassociated with reality, feel at ease and relaxed and often induces laughing. Varying doses are recommended, depending on how many times the user has previously smoked the substance.

Another popular herbal high is Red Vein Indonesian Kratom, which is either drunk in a tea or smoked. This is a legal substance, which is said to relax the user and help to reduce anxiety. However, it can become addictive and caution is advised in order to prevent the user from becoming dependent on the substance to relax and reduce stress.

Both these substances can be smoked in devices such as the Eclipse Vape-2O Vaporizer or by being rolled into herbal cigarettes, using a Rizla rolling machine.

Some herbal highs may become illegal, in time, as more research is carried out on their long-term effects on people’s health. You are therefore advised to keep an eye on the Government’s website, in the Crime and Justice section, just to be sure.

There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of websites selling legal highs in the UK. Many of them have information and advice ranging from what substance is the most popular to guidance for newcomers to the legal high scene.

The more reputable websites will provide information on each product, including dosage, what to expect, the type of drug and also what other drugs are similar. This is a good place to start if you are looking to try a legal high for the first time; these sites also sell all the equipment you need to get started.

You may find that companies that have set up websites also visit festivals and large public gatherings on a regular basis. They know that a large proportion of their customer base will be at such events and everything they are selling is completely legal. Examples include Herbal Highs.com, Shivaheadshop.com and The Coffeesh0p.

Many websites post to UK and overseas addresses and often advertise that your purchase will be wrapped and delivered discretely. Even though your legal substances are not breaking any laws, some members of the public still have a certain attitude towards those who buy such products and the suppliers know that providing inconspicuous packaging will encourage people to buy.

These sites also sell devices such as Rizla rolling machines and Snuff bullet blizzards, along with a wide range of accessories and other paraphernalia.

Whenever you order legal substances from websites please ensure that you know precisely what you are buying; the effects and side effects of the drug and also that it is a reputable site selling exactly what it is advertising.

Legal highs are not just used in the UK by people trying to have a good time. There are many significant and cultural reasons for certain substances being used throughout the world.

The Mugwort, which grows as a weed in the UK and in other temperate countries, is also known as Chrysanthemum weed, Old Uncle Henry and Sailor’s Tobacco. It has been used for centuries for medicinal purposes, insect repellents and as a legal high.

These plants were used to remove parasitic worms from people’s intestines and stomachs, to abort pregnancies and as treatment for heart problems. The plant holds psychoactive properties called “Thujones” and is used today as a smokeable legal high.

In Medieval times the Mugwort plant was used in witchcraft, thanks to its mind altering properties and also because it was perceived to be lucky. Even today some people believe it helps to enhance dreams and the ability to control the dreaming, even when it is simply laid beside the sleeping person.

Another herbal high that is commonly used in traditional cultural rituals is the Ayahuasca infusion. It is taken from a vine and mixed with leaves from the jungles of the Amazon. This is used by the indigenous people of the region for a variety of purposes and has been for many generations. Uses include, rituals of prophecy and divination, healing and cleansing and for many other little known sacred purposes.

Roor pipes and other devices are examples of modern takes on the cultural bongs and water pipes that many tribes used in the past. They are available online and in specialist shops.

Salvia is a legal high made from the soft leaves of the Mexican plant Salvia Divinorum.  The leaves contain a psychoactive chemical which produces hallucinations when chewed or dried and smoked.  It is often marketed as a herbal high or branded as herbal ecstasy.

There have been very few research studies conducted on the long or short term effects of salvia, though it is not known to be physically or psychologically addictive.  Users report varying different experiences depending on dosages.  Salvia’s effects can vary from fairly mild to full blown psychedelic hallucinations.  Users also report that they can lose all sense of time.  In higher doses, salvia can cause vivid images (hallucinations) and a more scary experience, rather than a fun one as is often advertised. 

Side effects can include throat and lung irritation, and occasionally the drug can cause extreme headaches.  Additionally, users do report mild irritability after using this drug.  The most harmful effect resulting from using this product is usually a result of injuries sustained whilst under its influence.  There is also some concern that this product can trigger psychotic episodes in people with mental health problems a long time after they have taken this drug.

Possession of salvia is not against the law, but it is illegal to sell it or supply, or advertise it for human consumption.  Salvia is usually administered through smoking, either in smoking pipes or vaporizers, such as the vapir 2.

The Volcano Vaporizer is a device that releases a plant material’s natural fragrances and active ingredients, using hot air.  The material is vaporized by a stream of hot air, which is regulated at a certain temperature so that the flavours and elements are released and can be inhaled by the user.

Vaporizing is a healthier option for anyone who enjoys the effects of tobacco and other plant materials.  Smoking or the use of incense, also releases fragrances and active ingredients of plants, but their release involves carbonisation and combustion of the plant material.  This process causes unpleasant smells, irritation of the throat and lungs and toxic by-products.  The high temperatures involved also wastes much of the plant material unnecessarily.

The gentle vaporizing of plant materials by the Volcano vaporizer means that you enjoy a safer and more economical experience, so gentle, in fact, is the vaporizing process that not all the plant material is used in one session.  This means that you can re-use the mixture several times before you need to re-fill the chamber.  Once all the mixture and aroma have disappeared you simply empty and refill the device with your favourite blend.

The Volcano vaporizer is regarded as one of the safest and most technologically advanced models of its type currently on the market.  Its accurate temperature control has earned the product a great reputation.  Its shape and use of high quality materials ensure that it is entirely safe and extremely efficient.