Jungle Fever: Smoking Paraphernalia & Legal Highs

Cigarettes now have a pretty bad reputation, and pipe smoking and cigars follow close behind because they all involve the inhalation of smoke, which contains carcinogenic elements.  There is, however, an alternative to these which has been around for several thousand years and removes most of the harmful products that cause cancer and various other conditions.

We are talking about the bong, a variation on and probably original form of the more familiar hookah pipe, or hubble-bubble, which is still commonly seen throughout the Middle East today.  Bongs have their origins in the countries of Eastern Asia such as Thailand, and the unusual name comes from the Thai word for a hollow bamboo shoot, which was the original inhalation conduit.

Hookah pipes and bongs use the same method of getting purified smoke to the lungs rather than inhaling it directly from the burning plant material.  They use water as a filtration mechanism to filter out the harmful molecules, which become trapped in the water as the smoke bubbles through.  The tube is then used to suck up the vapour when the bubbles burst above the water, hence the common description, ‘hubble-bubble’.

Vaporizers cut out the smoke entirely by only heating the plant mixture to a point just short of actual combustion to release a vapour of active ingredients, and are widely regarded as the safest equipment for inhaling plant products.  The sophisticated Volcano Vaporizer is used in aromatherapy to give patients controlled dosages of vapour.

Spinning ashtrays look great in any environment, either inside or outside of the home.  You could place your spinning ashtray in the living room, the kitchen, the bedroom, the patio or the office.  They are useful and look good wherever they are located.

There are many designs that you can choose from and colours that will ensure your chosen model will fit into any décor.  The concept and basic design is quite old, but has been updated with contemporary design and colours. 

The ethos of the spinning ashtray is simple.  It can be enjoyed as an ornament in its own right as well as being extremely useful.  It keeps the place tidy by hiding the butt and ash from your cigarettes.  As you enjoy your smoke you use the ashtray as normal, tipping your ash into it.  When you have finished, simply press down with the butt of the cigarette and the ashtray spins everything to the bottom. 

These things bring out the child in us all and it is a sure bet that everyone will be competing to be the first to twirl the contents to the bottom of the tray.  When it comes to emptying ashtray, you twist off the top and discard the contents into the rubbish bin; it is as simple as that.

Spinning ashtrays come in various sizes and bargains can be found on many reputable retail websites.

Cigarette smokers have been using Rizla papers for years to enjoy their favourite smokes, and because of the range of sizes and types they are also popular with people who enjoy a legal high by inhaling various mixtures of plant products.

There is something of an art to getting the perfect tubular shape when making a cigarette with legal high material, and lots of smokers find that using a rolling machine from Rizla is more convenient as it guarantees equal density and regularity in the finished product.  Material can be wasted if the paper is packed too loosely or too tightly, and the hit will be less uniform and efficient, so using a Rizla rolling machine tin or the basic machine on its own makes sense.

A Rizla rolling machine consists of a small metal frame the length of a cigarette and the plant material of choice, perhaps mixed with a little tobacco, is dropped uniformly along the groove formed by the single sheet of plastic hanging from the frame.  A filter is placed at one end if you so desire and then the plastic is rolled up to form a tube before a paper is inserted into it; the user then rolls out a perfectly formed cigarette, licking the adhesive strip just prior to completing the roll and then pushing it out and enjoying the perfect smoke.

Rolling machines are inexpensive and can be carried around conveniently, and if you go for the rolling machine combined with the tin you can carry your tobacco, herbal products, papers and filters in it.

With the UK and other Western countries banning smoking in public places, it is becoming ever harder to find someplace to sit and enjoy a cigarette.  So, when you do light up and indulge you want the experience to be pleasurable and fun.

One of the things that you can do to add enjoyment to your smoking experience is to have an array of smoking accessories surrounding you.  One of the cheapest and easiest accessories to buy is an ashtray.  Forget the boring versions of old, nowadays, you can buy a novelty ashtray that will make you smile and bring hours of pleasure. 

Novelty ashtrays are not just for discarding matches, butts and ash, they are there to be admired and fit into your home décor as an ornament in their own right.  You can buy round ones, chunky ones and square ones in a colour that will match or contrast with your room décor.  You can buy one for just a couple of pounds or splash out for a Marilyn Munro image or an Alice in Wonderland character.

There are ashtray designed in the shape of dice, perfect for that evening game of Monopoly or you could opt for one that is painted with various leaf designs, very subtle.  If you want to hide the butts and reduce the smell then go for a ‘push down’ ashtray.  The residue of your smoke will spin to the bottom of the ashtray.  Rasta designs are very popular with this type of ashtray.

Blunts are a mixture of herbs and tobacco smoked in the shell of a particular make of cigar, and have become a favoured and trendy drug in many areas, enjoyed openly by folks in all walks of life despite having begun life in the early 1980s amongst the Jamaican population of New York.

The type of cigar leaf used in the creation of the classic blunt is that of the Phillies Blunt brand, which is claimed by aficionados to produce just the right taste and burn in the optimal way, which is basically smoothly and slowly.

Other brands can also be used, in particular the Dutch Masters and White Owl brands, but Phillies Blunts are the leaf used by master rollers the world over.

Blunts are more economical than cigarettes because they can be put down and come back to later without burning themselves out, and the high can be achieved by the use of a number of easily-purchased and totally legal herbal products.  These are all now widely available on the internet as well as in the high street.

Blunts are also known as LPs, and are promoted on a variety of casual wear and sporting equipment such as baseball caps, having almost become an accepted part of mainstream society; they are even seen by some as a fashion accessory.  There are some who will want to stick to bongs and pipes for smoking their legal highs, but for many blunts are definitely where it is at these days.

Nowadays, smokers are able to choose from a wide range of ashtrays to suit their particular lifestyle or living arrangements.  Novelty ashtrays that resemble kitchen objects such as fruit bowls in bold primary colours can brighten up a room and blend seamlessly with interior decor and furnishings, whilst providing a convenient deposit for cigarette butts and discarded ash.

Glass ashtrays are a popular choice in living rooms or when used during social occasions at dinner parties; clear crystal helps to reflect light from crockery and glassware at dinner tables to create a sophisticated ambiance.  Large plate-sized ashtrays for shared use also come in crystal or ornate designs that are ideal for elegant table designs and centre pieces.  Glass ashtrays are available in shot glasses, spinning discs and bottle tops as well as fruit and ceramic leaves.

Novelty ashtrays that are made to look like everyday objects are the most versatile, especially when they come in the form of spinning ashtrays such as dice, or themed characters and icons from music, TV, and film.  Rubik’s cubes are the ultimate 80’s icon, perfect for games rooms and themed rooms.  Supporters of football sometimes use ashtrays that champion their chosen teams and ashtrays that embody the womanly form grace many a bar and dining room of even the most modest country or men’s club.  Regardless of your needs, you are sure to find an ashtray that complements your existing room.

Ginseng bath salts are taken to energise and reinvigorate the body and can be taken orally in smaller doses, while Guarana capsules can help to support energy levels and maintain an active lifestyle.

Sida cordifolia is a type of herbal Ecstasy which is completely legal to use, and is often taken as an aphrodisiac.  Depending on how you react to the drug, it can also have the effect of inducing a feeling of anxiety.  However, some people feel the possible negative effects of taking this herb are far outweighed by the overall sense of wellbeing it induces.  It is not considered an addictive substance.

Hawaiian Baby Woodrose is a powerful hallucinogenic which is traditionally used in religious initiation ceremonies and is renowned for its visionary trips and otherworldly sensations.  Although the drug provides a very similar sensation to taking LSD, it does induce less profound visual images.  Trips can last as long as six to eight hours and end with a warm tranquil feeling of wellbeing once the effects start to wear off.

Kratom is available in different forms and is similar to taking opium by creating a relaxed dreamy state of mind and a tranquil calm, at the same time as helping with mental alertness and keeping you clear eyed and bushy tailed throughout the night and into the following day.

These are just some of the legal highs available, with many others to choose from.

Bongs, those essentially simple pieces of equipment used to filter smoke from herbs and deliver it through the mouth for a legal high, have their origin in the Far East, in Thailand and Laos.

The term itself has been used for hundreds, if not thousands, of years to describe bamboo worked into a tubular structure, and nowadays they are being manufactured by modern methods and using synthetic materials to bring the joys of a safe and legal high to a growing number of health conscious smokers.  They are available at many sites on the web and also in the high street, and are a much safer way of inhaling plant derivatives than smoking cigarettes or blunts.

Water is used in the bong to filter harmful substances present in the smoke from burning herbs of various kinds, and it also cools the smoke in the process.  A number of aromatic substances such as rose petals and different types of natural oils can be added to adjust the effect of the filtered smoke and induce a sensation of calm and wellbeing.

For serious bong users, glass bongs are especially attractive because, although bamboo is the traditional material favoured by enthusiastic purists, it contributes its own unwanted residues to the smoke.  Glass contributes nothing, and therefore the smoke contains only toxins which are filtered away and the active substances that induce the desired effect.

There are all sorts of models available, from portable bongs to multi-pipe bongs that are used by a group of people in a social setting.

Blunts made their first appearance in the colourful and vibrant Jamaican community in New York in the early 1980s and have been a fixture in the legal highs scene ever since.

A blunt is simply a mixture of herbs and tobacco wrapped in cigar wrappers, and it is also commonly and affectionately known by aficionados as an LP or ‘el pees’.  The term ‘blunt’ is borrowed from the cigar brand that is favoured as the best type to provide the shell for the herbal mixture.  Although Phillies Blunts cigars are the most popular for this, other brands often used include White Owl and Dutch Masters.  We must take the word of the experts when it comes to such esoteric matters as rolling the finest blunt from the best materials available.

A blunt will last longer than the average joint made from cigarette wrappers because the enclosing cigar leaves will burn slower and at a steadier rate, as well as adding their own distinctive flavour to the inhaled smoke.  It can be laid aside at convenience and then lit again without becoming a pile of ash in the ashtray, so it saves on money and is cheaper than smoking cigarettes.

Blunts can of course be used to smoke illegal substances, but many users prefer them as a safer alternative to cigarettes, and the legal herbs combine with the tobacco to deliver a punchy high that is much prized by enthusiasts, who often compete with one another like celebrity chefs coming up with innovative creations.

You don’t have to be a desperate criminal or a spaced-out delinquent to get high these days, and it is a common misconception that the people looking for a quick high are shady characters or the dregs of society skulking in stairwells and back alleys, desperate for a “fix”.

In truth, many perfectly respectable and useful members of society, from politicians to bankers to people just looking to relax after a hard day’s work, like to enjoy some natural herbs occasionally and enjoy a legal high either alone or with like-minded friends.  Many people are now discovering the benefits of inhaling filtered vapours from natural plant products rather than killing themselves with alcohol and tobacco, so there are even definite health benefits to inhaling these natural derivatives.

Natural herbs have been used in a multitude of combinations down the centuries and even millennia to enhance a sense of well-being.  Nowadays, modern technology is being used to reproduce and optimise ancient and traditional pieces of equipment to bring the same soothing effect to the pressurised victims of Western capitalism and help them restore some balance into their dysfunctional and alienated lives.

Bongs are a typical example of the sort of kit we are talking about, and one of the simplest methods of getting mild natural hallucinogens to the brain in as healthy a way as possible.  Water is used to cool the smoke produced by heating the herbs, and natural oils and aromatics are used to enhance the experience and prolong the effect.