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Is it Safe to Smoke Resin?
Have you ever bought a glass pipe and were really happy to use it? It worked really well when you first got it. Every hit just knocked you on your butt. Over time, you realize you’re not getting as much smoke and it’s lost its efficiency. The color has changed and the inside is filled with resin that looks like black gunk. That’s when you know it’s time for you to clean your glass pipe.
The buildup of black gunk is resin, also called marijuana reclaim. It’s generally not the most pleasant thing to smoke but many people try. Some people out of desperation scrape out the resin and smoke it. We’re going to tell you why you should stop that immediately.
What’s Resin?
First, let’s make it clear that we are NOT talking about “live resin” or “rosin“. Both live resin and rosin are cannabis concentrates that are carefully extracted from the plant. You CAN smoke or vape live resin and rosin.
What we’re talking about in this article, is resin, or the sticky leftover oils of the plant mixed with tar, and ash. Resin is the byproduct of smoking or vaping cannabis.
When you clean your pipe or vape, you will notice a tar-like dark black or dark brown material. Resin is NOT a magic gooey substance that will “get you higher” than regular flower either. Because it has already been smoked or vaped, resin or, reclaim, contains a significantly less THC and other cannabinoids than you might expect.
Resin usually builds up on the surface areas of where the herb directly touched it builds up or within the path the vapor or smoke passes through.
You’ll find tons of resin in the bowl of your pipe. Sticky resin is what makes vapes and pipes annoying to clean. Vapes also can contain resin build up but a convection vaporizer will usually produce less resin than a conduction vape.
Cleaning
Knowing how to clean your water pipe or hand pipes is important. A freshly cleaned pipe will feel like it did the first day you got it. Regularly cleaning the mouthpiece portion of a device is important too. One thing to remember about different materials to smoke from is that silicone water pipes don’t collect as much residue.
What you need to effectively clean your glass smoking accessories:
To start cleaning your glass smoking accessories, gather isopropyl alcohol, a cleaning brush with bristles or pipe cleaners, and salt. Pour your rubbing alcohol into a ziplock bag and add approx 2 tablespoons of salt. Allow the piece to soak in the alcohol to begin dissolving the resin. Shake the ziplock bag occasionally. Use the brush or pipe clears to scrub away any remaining resin. When you are done, run your glass piece through hot water to get rid of all the leftover salt.
Resin will only make a vape pen work harder to heat it up, but don’t soak electrical items in alcohol. Vaporizers cleaning requires more care. You should consult the manual and instructions that came with your dry herb vaporizer. Most vapes can be cleaned with a q-tip lightly dipped into isopropyl alcohol. Heat up the vaporizer up beforehand to make sure the resin easily comes off.
Is Smoking Cannabis Reclaim Healthy?
The simplest answer anyone can give for this is, NO. Resin is not good for you. Marijuana is healthier than tobacco but that doesn’t mean the byproducts are also beneficial. There are side effects of smoking resin so it is not recommended.
Cons of Smoking Resin
Short High
Many people smoke resin because they want to get high but most of the cannabinoids are consumed or combusted prior to the formation of resin which means the high from resin is short lived. On top of that, it gives you a strong come down that just makes you feel very tired and lethargic.
Headaches
Smoking ash and tar full of carbon waste can give you a headache. This can be from the excess carbon monoxide. Benzene is also another chemical compound that is found if something reaches high enough temperatures, and can cause headaches, dizziness, rapid heart rate and more.
Irritated Throat
The smoke from reclaim is much thicker (and dirtier) than from flower. It’s harsher which can irritate your throat. Additionally, resin requires hotter temperatures to smoke than flower. This high heat can be irritating to your mouth and throat.
Heavy Lungs
Have you ever smoked too much and began coughing? Then your lungs feel heavy and you can’t take another hit of the joint? Just a couple hits from resin can leave you with this heavy-lunged feeling.
How to Smoke Reclaim
We are NOT fans of smoking resin but we know a lot of people are going to still try it.
To remove the resin from your pipe, gently use a lighter to heat the bowl for 3-4 seconds. This will soften the resin. You can then use a sharp tool like a dabber to scrape the resing out of the bowl. Roll into tiny balls and smoke (you’ll need a lot more heat than flower).
Conclusion: Smoking Resin is Gross
The best way to avoid high heat or the harsh tastes of resin is to clean your glass piece or vaporizer regularly.
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