In the six months since coronavirus lockdowns hit the U.S.—yes, it’s already been six months—Americans across the country have started smoking record amounts of weed. And, to be fair, with never-ending piles of anxiety constantly washing over all of us, outrageous unemployment levels, and half a year stuck at home, it’s not surprising that so many people have rekindled an affair with Mary Jane.
But with more folks upping their zaza intake or rolling up for the first time in the middle of a global pandemic, cannabis safety is more important than ever before. Especially as new data about low outdoor transmission rates inspires safely distanced street meet-ups, park hangouts, and backyard picnics, a classic puff-puff-pass rotation definitely won’t meet CDC standards.
Thankfully, with the help of a few unique products and newly popular consumption techniques, you can blaze safely with less worry about catching COVID-19 or a case. These are our favorite socially distanced and safety-focused smoking accessories.
Stüdenglass Gravity Hookah
If you’ve spent any time in a college dorm, you’re probably familiar with a gravity bong. The classic campus version usually consists of a large pot of water and a bottomless two-liter soda bottle with the top turned into a pipe bowl. When you light the bowl and pull the soda bottle up, the two-liter fills with smoke. Once smoke fills the bottle, stoners unscrew the top and push the bottle back into the pot of water, releasing a huge plume of heavily concentrated smoke.
The Stüdenglass Gravity Hookah is a large tabletop device that follows the same general concept of a college grav bong, but instead of an old Coke bottle, this uses two large, sturdy hourglass chambers that rotate, fill with smoke, and send your favorite strain billowing into the air. Simply put your face near the mouthpiece and inhale after every turn and you and your friends can share a bong without ever touching your lips to the space-age water pipe. An early prototype of the Stüdenglass Gravity Hookah went viral on social media a few years back thanks to Seth Rogen, but the product hasn’t been available at retail until now. The Stüdenglass might be the coolest socially distant smoking device, but it is also the most expensive, with a $499 price tag.
Moose Labs MouthPeace
Want to continue using your favorite bong, but you’re worried about spreading a virus with leftover spittle? Worry no longer. The Moose Labs MouthPeace is a silicone mouthpiece with a personal carbon filter made to fit any and all bongs. Each mouthpiece add-on is an open-ended plug with a carbon filter in the middle, giving you a clean surface to inhale from and offering protection from dirty water and lurking germs. For only $10 apiece and $8 for a back-up roll of carbon filters, the Moose Labs’ mouthpiece is cheap enough for your whole crew to have their own and create an impenetrable smoke sesh bubble.
Resolution Gel Glass Cleaner
No matter what mouthpiece you use, though, if you are going to be using—and certainly if you are going to be sharing—a glass piece, it is important to keep it sparkling clean and disinfected. For the best clean possible, we use Resolution Gel. It comes in a resealable pouch for easy access, is made with all-natural ingredients, and gets any glass or ceramic piece gunk free in minutes. To make the cleaning process even easier, Resolution sells a set of spill-proof silicone caps made to fit any bong. Even if you’re not inviting guests back to your apartment, you still don’t want to be the smoker with the resin-caked, swamp water bong.
Summerland Hemp Wick
Want to help a friend light their joint, but don’t want to break social distancing boundaries? Design-focused pipe, bong, and accessory company Summerland makes matchbooks full of hemp wick that can be sparked and stretched up to 4.20 feet (four feet 2.4 inches, to be exact). Sure, it might be a little unwieldy if you unwrap the whole thing, but if your friend needs to spark their spliff across the picnic blanket and can’t find their Bic, a hemp wick will come in handy and still let you keep your distance.
Smokebuddy Handheld Smoke Filter
In order to avoid exhaling potentially viral clouds of kush into the air, consider using the Smokebuddy. The colorful accessory is a pocket-sized carbon filter that allows users to breathe out nothing but clean air after a blunt rip, bong hit, or quick toke on a dugout. No matter where you are, if you’re smoking, the least you can do for the people around you is make sure your exhales are immaculate and infection-free.
The PowerHitter
The PowerHitter first hit the scene in the 1970s and recently returned as the perfect socially distant accessory for sharing joints on the go. The simple machine is a heavy-duty plastic squeeze bottle with a specially designed cap. Simply fit your lit joint into the holder built into the cap, screw the joint inside of the bottle, and every squeeze will produce a steady shotgun stream of fresh smoke. You can pass the PowerHitter around while everyone pushes smoke into their face and inhales without any bodily contact. For even better social distancing, the PowerHitter can be gently tossed without disturbing the joint inside. Lastly, because the entire joint is hidden inside the bottle, the PowerHitter is a great tool for sneaking a toke in the park.
Blunt Glue
Even if you use a tool like the Power Hitter to make sure that your joints are being shared without any mouthpiece mingling, the joint or blunt rolling process is still sealed with an unsanitary amount of spit. That’s where Blunt Glue comes into play. Instead of licking your blunts or papers to secure your roll, this all-natural adhesive is like a stoner glue stick specifically made for smoking. If there’s one lesson weed smokers can learn from COVID-19, it is to keep your saliva to yourself.
Dogwalkers Solo Mini Joints
When you’re in the mood for a pre-roll during a pandemic, try skipping the king-sized party cones for a product specifically made for an individual experience. At dispensaries in Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Nevada, the company Dogwalkers sells packs of miniature pre-rolls specifically twisted for a short walk around the block with your pup. Because they are sold in tins of five, a pack of Dogwalkers is the perfect way to share a joint with friends without actually passing or sharing saliva.
SilverStick One-Hitters Save the Day
Typically, chillums and one-hitters have been the pot paraphernalia of choice for high school stoners and grandparents at Grateful Dead shows. But with the whole puff, puff, pass thing put on pause for a while, mini-pipes for solo smoking are a must-have. Not only are one-hitters and chillums easy for quick hits on the go, but with only a couple snaps in each bowl, you’ll have no problem turning down any unprompted requests to share. If you’re into sleek metal, Silver Stick makes a great selection of one-hitters in a few sizes and finishes, complete with miniature disposable filters and leather carrying cases.
Make Edibles With the MagicalButter Machine
Sometimes, the safest way to smoke in the pandemic is not to smoke at all and to just eat your weed instead. Not only do edibles fit perfectly with any backyard or public park picnic, they can also serve as BYO appetizers on a restaurant patio. Sometimes, though, cooking edibles can be a little difficult. To take the guesswork, chemistry, and baking skills out of the equation, pick up a MagicalButter machine. The company makes a decarboxylation box to perfectly toast your herbs to activate the THC. Then an infusion machine blends and steeps your weed with butter or your chosen oil. Once the machine is done, you can simply spread your bud butter on toast or bake a batch of brownies for your next socially distant outdoor gathering with friends.
