Jungle Fever: Smoking Paraphernalia & Legal Highs

Snuff is tobacco, or any herbal blend, that is dried and ground into a powder and inhaled through the nose. It was once the most popular way of consuming tobacco before it was overtaken and marginalised by smoking. Now with the health risks of smoking more apparent and the widespread ban on smoking in pubs and public buildings, snuff is making a comeback. As tax is not applied to snuff it is also considerably cheaper than smoking.

An important accessory that every snuff user should have is some kind of box. A proper snuff box is more than just a decorated container, it needs to be airtight so that the snuff keeps well and does not dry out. A snuff box that is too big will trap too much air and also ruin the snuff within. However, a container that is too small will not be able to hold enough snuff or require tiresome refills throughout the day.

Modern incarnations like the snuff bullet blizzard provide a convenient and hygienic means of storing your snuff, but with a sleeker, less old-fashioned look compared to snuff boxes. Screw caps and rubber rings keep them airtight and their metal finish makes them easy to clean out. The snuff bullet blizzard also has the advantage of being able to accurately dole out controlled doses. The snuff can be taken directly from the bullet or, as is more traditional, tapped onto the wrist or the back of the hand first. 

The legal status of cannabis seeds can be confusing. Under the Drugs Misuse Act 1971 the cultivating of cannabis seeds is illegal. However, as the seeds do not contain significant levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana, it is legal to buy, sell and possess seeds that have not germinated. A private member’s bill proposing the banning of cannabis seeds did get a reading in the House of Commons in 2008, but it failed to gain traction before it ran out of parliamentary time. Successive governments have been reluctant to criminalise cannabis seeds so their legal status seems unlikely to be changed for the foreseeable future. It can appear inconsistent that owning the seeds is acceptable yet growing them is not. However, it should be noted that large scale cannabis growers use cuttings, not seeds, and the seeds actually have a range of legitimate uses.

For example cannabis seeds have traditionally been used as bait by anglers. Boiled before use, they are a particularly effective lure for enticing carp. Birds, both wild and domestic, are also very fond of the seeds. For many years bird feed companies were among the few exempted from the total prohibition of hemp in the United States.

However, cannabis seeds are also fit for human consumption. They are extremely nutritious being a quarter protein and high in vitamins and essential fats such as Omega-3 and Omega-6. When dried and pressed they can also produce oil that is very low in saturated fats. This cannabis seed oil does not fry very well as it has a low smoking temperature, but it makes an excellent dressing. It has a nutty flavour, which is perhaps unsurprising considering that cannabis seeds are technically nuts. Cannabis seed oil has also been widely used in cosmetics as it moisturises the skin well without being greasy.

Salvia divinorum is a relative of the mint plant that originates from Mexico. It has also gained notoriety as a powerful hallucinogenic and, in the UK at least, as a legal high. Users report an altered perception of shapes and colours, the reliving of memories and some hysteria. The long-term side effects are still unknown, but due to salvia’s psychedelic impact it would be dangerous to drive, operate machinery or be left alone during a trip.

Salvia is traditionally consumed by slowly chewing a ball of leaves known as a quid. However, it is also smoked. Smoking generally brings on the effects quicker, typically after five minutes, before dissipating within half an hour. In contrast it can take over a quarter hour before chewing has an effect, but the trip can last over an hour. Due to the harshness of the smoke, vaporization may be preferred. The high vaporisation temperature can be an obstacle for smaller vaporisers like the Iolite (maximum temperature 190 C). More powerful models, such as the Volcano Vaporizer, and those that use an external lighter or heat gun, like the Eclipse Vape-2O Vaporizer, should be able to cope.

Roor pipes have a well deserved reputation as the finest smoking pipes available. Noted for their modern minimalist design with clean straight lines, Roor pipes are admired by glass blowers just as much as smokers as an excellent example of their art.

Made from borosilicate glass they are exceptionally strong, their sturdy construction is a major reason for the quality difference over their cheaper, but more fragile competitors. The Roor pipes come in a range of thickness from 2mm to their green line of pipes with 7mm walls. Each level is a significant progression in strength, and also price.

Roor pipes also come in a range of chamber sizes up to the Blue 1000, which as its name suggests holds 1000 ml of smoke. The chambers are also well engineered so that the scientifically determined optimum ratio of water and smoke can be reached to maximise the smoker’s enjoyment. Most customers choose the straight shaped chamber, but those who prefer a smoother smoke can opt for a beaker base that allows extra cooling. Roor has also introduced the Classic Pipe with a bulb base, reminiscent of the water pipes of the Middle East and the Orient.

The superb meeting of form and function that Roor pipes embody make them the standard that other pipes should aspire too. They may be pricey, but they remain the prime choice for those who refuse to compromise on quality.

Switching to roll ups can be an easy way to save money. Yet choosing the right rolling paper can seem bewildering as it can have a significant impact on the smoking experience, and several factors should be kept in mind.

Size is an obvious criterion. The regular Rizla paper is 70mm, with Kingsize papers coming in at 100mm.  However, for when you want a really big cigarette you can use Rips – these come in rolls of up to 7 metres.

The thickness of the paper is also important. Medium weight paper, like Rizla green, burns easily, and they are less fiddly to roll. However, the paper will have a greater impact on the flavour that can detract from the tobacco. These smokers may prefer thinner papers like Rizla blue, or even thinner paper like Rizla silver or OCB No. 4. The less dexterous may want help from a device like a Rizla rolling machine tin. These are cheap and widely available and make working with fragile thin paper far easier.

The paper’s material will also have an influence. For example flax has a neutral flavour, while wood pulp cellulose can have a harsher taste. Rice paper, as used by Rizla, is often bleached with chlorine. Organic papers are available for smokers who want to avoid such chemicals. Raw is a brand that only produces pure hemp paper and most of the major manufacturers have a chlorine free paper in their range, such as Rizla white and OCB organic slims. Far from minimising the interference of the paper some smokers seek out flavoured paper. Rizla orange imparts a liquorice taste to the smoke for example. Smaller brands such as Tops have an even wider range of available flavours such as sunrise strawberry and velvet peach.

Choosing a rolling paper is ultimately a matter of personal preference. The roll up smoker is blessed with choice and much to consider, but a little experimentation will help them find their ideal paper.

Kanna is the common name for Sceletium tortuosum; this herb originates from South Africa where it has a long history as a mood elevator and anti-depressant. The precise chemical mechanism is still not fully understood, but Kanna contains alkaloids, in particular mesembrines, that appear to work in a similar fashion to modern pharmaceutical SSRIs like Prozac.

The benefits of using Kanna are a reduction in stress and anxiety and an uplifting of moods. It is particularly useful for those suffering from irritability, phobias, depression and post traumatic stress disorder. In high doses it can produce a euphoric feeling followed by a period of sedation. Kanna has relatively few negative side effects, but some users report headaches, slight nausea, a loss of appetite and insomnia. It is recommended that Kanna should be avoided by those who are pregnant or on psychiatric or sedative drugs.

Kanna can be sold as preformed pills in 50mg doses or more cheaply as a loose powder. This can be slowly chewed dry or mixed in with hot water and drunk as a tea. It can also be smoked or vaporized using a vaporizer like the Iolite by those who want to avoid the carcinogens and other toxins produced by burning. Some users even prefer to snort Kanna. A snuff bullet blizzard can be a useful tool for storing and measuring out Kanna for those who choose this method.

In the heyday of snuff it was often kept in finely presented boxes, beautifully fashioned from wood or metal.  Perhaps lacking the value of an antique the modern day successor to the snuff box, the snuff bullet blizzard, is still stylish with a sleek metallic finish and wide choice of colours. The aluminium shell provides a convenient store and protection for your snuff, while its compact and lightweight design lets it fit comfortably in your pocket so your snuff can always be with you. When you need it the snuff bullet blizzard measures out and dispenses the desired hit.

The snuff bullet blizzard has the attraction of being very simple to use. Open up the main compartment and fill it with your favourite snuff or legal high blend before replacing the lid. When you want to take a sniff, twist the arrow on the side so that it points down. Then turn the whole bullet upside down. The arrow should now be pointing up. Give the snuff bullet blizzard a few taps or a shake so that the snuff can fall from the main compartment into the inner chamber. By filling this second chamber you ensure you get the same accurate dose each time. Turn the bullet back the right way, making sure that the arrow keeps pointing up. Now you can sniff your snuff through the small hole at the top.

Rizla rolling machines were invented by James Bonsack, a Virginia teenager, in 1881.  To be technically correct, they are called ‘rolling machines for rice papers from Lacroix’, as anyone who watches QI will know.  Since the machines were invented, they have made it very easy for anyone to roll their own cigarettes. All that is required is to put a smoking herb such as wild dagga, kanna, or a blend like Greengo into the belt, roll it and then add the rolling paper to wrap it around the cigarette.  Moisten the gummed edge and stick it down to create the perfect rolled herbal cigarette.

Now, the Rizla rolling machine tin makes this simple process even simpler.  The tin stores your herbal blend and your rolling papers.  Simply place them into the machine and close the lid.  Rizla rolling machine tins are available in standard or king size, and can be found in various designs, such as one with a picture of Bob Marley.  The tins use a wide belt instead of the usual blue blind familiar from standard Rizla rolling machines, for a much smoother roll.

Legal highs fall into several categories. In this article, we will look at the main divisions, though some legal highs can fall into more than one category. As always, it cannot be stressed enough that legal does not necessarily mean safe, and that something labelled ‘legal ecstasy’, for example, can be just as powerful, or even more powerful, as the real thing.

Legal Speed and Ecstasy

These drugs mimic the effects of amphetamines and MDMA, or ecstasy, which combines amphetamines with a mild hallucinogen, which makes colours and sounds appear more vivid.  Products such as High Beams, which are sold as a legal alternative, tend to be synthetic drugs with little herbal content, and it is not always easy to tell exactly what is in them. Suppliers usually warn you not to take them with alcohol, as they can lead to dehydration and the mother of all hangovers.

Legal Hallucinogens

These are typically natural drugs such as fly agaric mushrooms or salvia, which have been used for centuries to promote trance-like states and hallucinations. As they are plant or fungus based, people often assume that the effects are milder than those of synthetic drugs, but this is not always the case. Very often, they are labelled as being for research purposes only and not for human consumption, in order to exploit a loophole in the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Smoking Blends

These are blends of herbs and flowers that can be smoked in a Roor pipe, converted into roll-ups using a Rizla rolling machine, used in vaporizers such as the Volcano Vaporizer or Iolite, or inhaled like snuff using the Blizzard Snuff Bullet.

Blends available include Pineapple Express, a pineapple scented mixture of herbs and synthetic chemicals inspired by the film of the same name, and Algerian Blend, which contains five psychoactive herbs soaked in valerian and wild lettuce resins for a sedative effect. Smoked to excess, however, it can act like an opiate, so be careful.

The Volcano Vaporizer is one of the biggest selling brands of vaporizer, allowing those giving up smoking to heat herbs and flowers up to the exact correct temperature, releasing vapour rather than smoke for a healthier alternative to smoking.  To use it, switch it on and leave to heat for three to five minutes.  Insert your legal high into the chamber. Popular herbs for vaporisers include damiana, baybean and marshmallow leaves.

It is now time to insert the special Volcano Vaporizer bags.  Once the bag has filled with smoke, remove the bag, valve and mouthpiece for the Volcano Vaporizer solid valve, or just the bag and mouthpiece for the Volcano Vaporizer easy valve.  Inhale through the mouthpiece. 

The Volcano Vaporizer, from Storz and Bickel, is widely recognised as being one of the most efficient vaporizers on the market.  Whilst it is expensive compared to other vaporizers, its popularity testifies to the fact that it really works.  Tens of thousands of users cannot be wrong.

The Volcano Digit

The latest addition to the Volcano Vaporizer family is the Volcano Digit.  It differs from the classic design in that it includes a large LED display showing the set temperature and the actual temperature, in either Fahrenheit or Celsius.