Over the course of the last decade, dozens of states have considered the full legalization of marijuana, even for recreational purposes. While not all of those initiatives have been passed or even made it onto ballots, eight states currently have fully legalized the recreational use of cannabis. What’s more, there are only three states left in the entire United States that have a complete prohibition on all forms of the herb.

This widespread and long overdue acceptance of the choice of cannabis smokers to use their favored psychoactive substance has given rise to a huge market for pipes, bongs and other smoking accessories. Smokea is arguably the nation’s foremost retailer of cannabis accessories, carrying all of the biggest names in the business as well as their own line of high-end pipes and bongs.

With cannabis finally being recognized across the country as a safe alternative to alcohol and a potentially life-saving medicine for some hard-to-treat conditions, there has never been a better time to be a cannabis connoisseur. One of the most important decisions that anyone who regularly smokes marijuana will be faced with is what method they prefer for inhaling the herb. Many of these people who haven’t made extensive use of bongs may be amazed by what an incredible difference a good water bong can make.

Bongs can be a Smoker’s Best Friend

One of the great things about cannabis is all the different ways in which it can be ingested. The most popular of these, of course, is by smoking it. And there are many different ways in which it can be smoked. Anyone familiar with the harsh smoke that is produced by filterless joints knows that regularly smoking cannabis by such means can induce coughing, cause vocal hoarseness and even lead to temporary or permanent lung dysfunction. In fact, smoking joints is little different from smoking a tobacco cigarette. The only difference is the usually far lower frequency that marijuana smokers engage in joint smoking.

On the other hand, a bong provides a very different smoking experience. Because the cannabis smoke is forced to travel through water, which acts as a natural filter, no burning material or large particulates can make it through and be inhaled into the user’s lungs. Most people describe bong smoke as being much more similar to vaping or inhaling steam than the harsh smoke that comes from a filterless joint. This means that bong smokers can typically inhale large amounts of smoke without having coughing fits. It also enables longer-term use with drastically reduced effects on the lungs.

Research has also shown that those who use bongs, rather than smoking from joints or bowls, have markedly reduced rates of lung diseases, including emphysema and cancer. This should be good news to any fan of smoking ganja, as the main risk to marijuana smokers is long-term lung disease.

Bongs can transform the smoking experience, making it possible to consume large amounts of cannabis at any one time with virtually no adverse effects.