Product Review: The Herb Iron

Product name: The Herb Iron

i wonder if white herb irons are bad luck too...

Price: $74.99 on the herb iron website

Function: The herb iron is marketed as a healthy, butane-free way of lighting your "medicinal herbs." In addition, if used correctly, it can turn your bong or pipe into a vaporizer. The device plugs into the wall and uses a 25watt ceramic heating element.

Pros:
- The main selling point for the herb iron is that it eliminates the need for lighters, thereby preventing you from inhaling unwanted butane. According to wikipedia, “Inhalation of butane can cause euphoria, drowsiness, narcosis, asphyxia, cardiac arrhythmia, temporary memory loss and frostbite, which can result in death from asphyxiation and ventricular fibrillation.” None of that sounds like a good time while baked, and inhaling butane even in small amounts cannot be good for you. You’re probably not going to die or experience any horrific symptoms from lighting a joint or blazing a bowl with a bic, but if you can avoid inhaling harmful chemicals on a regular basis then you probably definitely should.

Butane is serious business

 

- Taste. There’s nothing like the taste of pure, completely untainted ganja smoke. The herb iron delivers that taste even better than the other popular butane lighter alternative; hemp wick. I love hemp wick and still use it pretty much every day, but the taste you get using the herb iron is simply unparalleled.

- Self cleaning. I haven’t had to perform any sort of maintenance/cleaning on my H.I. since I purchased it; everything just burns off.
-Vaporization. This is the big one for me. This device allows you to vape without having to give up your beloved glassware. All you have to do is hold the heating element above your bowl at the right distance (or buy the herb iron vapor attachment) and draw in. I like to vape my bowls first, only combusting the bowl after its fully vaporized. It's efficient, it's tasty, and most importantly it gets you really medicated.

- Warranty. The manufacturer offers "[coverage] against premature burn outs for 6 months from date of purchase" and they even offer to replace damaged herb irons as long as they are returned with the original sales invoice within 3 months of purchase.
- Cost effectiveness/Durability. Considering the durability of the device its likely that you'll actually save money in the long term due to the fact that you wont have to buy any more lighters.

Cons:

- Hemp wick is comparatively more convenient to use. You can wrap a bit of wick around a lighter and you’re good to go. On the other hand, the herb iron has a long cord that can be a little bit annoying to deal with during use. 
- The vaporization isn't perfect. Sometimes my bowl would smolder despite my efforts at vaping it. Not a huge deal in the end and the issue can be circumvented by purchasing the vapor attachment.
- The device is not portable, it requires an electrical outlet to operate. This is definitely a big downside, especially for people who like to smoke outdoors.
- Risk of accident. I’ve had my H.I. for a few months now and have had plenty of (small) accidents. I’ve melted a bit of the cord, burned a few plastic bathroom items, etc etc. Its pretty easy to forget you have the device in your hands during a post-bonghit coughing fit.

This is why you need to read the instruction manual

Rating: 5/5. The vaporization function alone is enough to make this device worth every penny. If you’re a cannabis connoisseur, you owe it to yourself to give the H.I. a try. If you don’t want to spend the money on an herb iron, at least pick up some hemp wick so you never have to inhale butane again. I prefer the beeline and Humboldt brands, however any brand will do.

Glass in the Grass: An Investigative Report

The prohibition of Cannabis has had disastrous consequences for public health. Like with alcohol, this prohibition has in some cases made the substance far more dangerous for the consumer due to lack of regulation. A medical marijuana patient in my community recently brought me a sample of his medicine  for examination. He suspected something was amiss with his cannabis because he felt ill after consumption and felt it damaged his lungs. Unfortunately, medical cannabis dispensaries are not available in this state, therefore some patients with chronic illnesses, such as the aforementioned patient, have to resort to the black market for their medical needs.

I examined the buds carefully under the microscope. Something stood out about many of the trichomes (crystalline particles present in cannabis buds), many looked almost metallic and far different than typical trichomes. I knew I had found some sort of contaminate so I began to ask questions: Is this natural or artificial? and If it's artificial why is it there? I had to have these answers.

With some research I discovered images online with identical contamination present in the buds. Micro grit contaminates consisting of silicon dioxide or silica micro particles. These particles act much in the same way that sand does in absorbing water. Growers would spray this contaminate on their still wet buds, the buds would then suck in the particles in throughout itself and weighing down the product. This silica contaminate can be compared to fiber glass and can be very harmful if smoked. This grower corrupted this medicine to make money! I was disgusted.

After preforming more tests, such as rubbing the trichomes against a CD to look for scratch marks, I knew for sure that this was silica micro contaminates. I got ahold of the patient that had given me the buds and other members of the medical marijuana community to warn them. Many were skeptical, claiming they knew their dealers very well, but after they brought in their cannabis for inspection and saw for themselves, they accepted this unfortunate truth. To describe some signature qualities of this bud I found it to always be unusually dry and  very mind smelling while looking very crystally due to the silica particles.

These patients had a variety of different dealers. I felt inclined to contact all of them to inform them that the product they were selling had been contaminated. To my surprise, I was met with immediate understanding by one who had suspected something was odd with the cannabis and he agreed to stop selling it, in return I suggested an extraction method that would allow the cannabinoids present in the buds to be put to good use. Other dealers however were much more hostile. I explained how they too could test their marijuana and I even offered to examine their product, none took up this offer however.

Weeks later I got a call from one of the hostile dealers. He tells me that he got a lung infection and only then did he realize there might be some truth to what I was saying. After conducting his own research he had come to the same conclusion I had. He agreed to meet me to further discuss the issue.

I was very apprehensive the entire way to the meeting, I had never met the guy and I didn't know what to expect. When I arrived at his place, I noticed many guns and equipment for hashish making. I ask about how he makes his hashish and extracts. He explained his procedures which I must say are very dangerous and flawed. He tells me he once had a kitchen set ablaze while making butane honey oil in his oven. NEVER HEAT VOLATILE FLAMMABLE SOLVENTS IN AN OVEN ESPECIALLY WITHOUT VENTILATION!

He tells me he confronted his source which grew the cannabis who eventually owned up to having sprayed micro contaminates to increase his profits. I was told he recently departed to Laos and the dealer I was talking to got out of the business after being tipped off that the DEA had a large file investigating him and his partners.

This problem was not unique to my area, other parts of the United States have reported similar contaminations in some areas. The United Kingdom had a big problem with this starting about 5 years ago and many articles have been written about it in England. This is why we must legalize marijuana, at the very least for medicinal use. It's a crime to deny these patients with terminal illnesses their medicine and force them  to pursue a black market alternative for their medical needs.

Product Review: The Smoke Buddy

Marijuana has a very distinct smell and when smoked has the potential to make an entire floor of a house smell dank.

Many have tried solutions such as opening windows, or using fabric softener stuffed in a toilet paper roll (commonly referred to as a spoof), but these methods are not always reliable.

The Smoke Buddy (available on Amazon) is essentially a commercially made sploof that filters smoke entirely. Blow smoke in one end, nothing comes out the other. If done properly many have found it possible to smoke feet away from someone undetected and avoid smelling up a room.

They are affordable and well worth it for use in the home, apartment, or car. I found that they last for a long time, but definitely need to be replaced every few months.

I recommend using a water pipe and small quantities of plant matter that can be completely sucked through to avoid smoke being released while burning. Sealable mason jars can be used to completely negate the dank smell of the marijuana buds themselves.

If you smoke indoors there is no reason not to have one of these!

THC Capsules: A Safe, Discrete Way to Consume Cannabis

A valid argument exists against medical marijuana: Smoke is unhealthy! Although that won't stop most of us,  those looking for a healthier alternative should consider vaporization, edibles, and THC capsules.

THC Capsules can be prepared in the convenience of your own home without use of any flammable or volatile solvents, infact most of the components you will likely have available at home.

Although the high itself is relative to the bud or trimmings used in production, most have experienced  clear headed, potent states of inebriation.

Materials Needed: Pipette, Empty capsules (Amazon), a small pot, extra virgin olive oil (other oils will work but go with this one), stove, some sort of rack that can hold the capsules upright ( I would suggest a component of a pill making kit, buy the whole kit on amazon for pretty cheap),  your plant matter, a thermometer and something the stir with.  THATS IT!

Step #1:

Grind your plant matter, as little as .5 or as much as an ounce and put it in your small pot.

Step #2:

Add a few ounces of oil.  You don't want to flood the pan but you should have more than a few table spoons.

Step #3:

Heat the oil, plant mixture to around 200 degrees F and stir occasionally for 2 to 6 hours ( the longer the better although 3 hours should be plenty)

Step #4:

Set up the pills in such a way that you can easily pipette the oil, chill the capsules in the fridge,  and cool the oil,

Step #5:

Once cooled, pipette the oil from the pot into the capsules, seal the capsules, and put them in the freezer for awhile. At this point they can be taken at any time.

I recommend taking marijuana capsules 1.5 to 2 hours after eating and avoid eating too much food afterwards. Take with a niacin tablet for extra potency to help with lipid absorption ( available at any health food store or amazon).

Note: The oil produced in this procedure can also be used in edibles in which case I recommend filtering out plant particulates before trying to handle the oil. This step is unnecessary for this procedure because the pipette only extracts oil.

Now you can enjoy your medical marijuana discretely anytime, anywhere!

Medicinal Cannabis Oil

Smoking marijuana oil has become a very popular method for medicinal cannabis ingestion. Some have suggested that certain variations of the oil have strong cancer killing properties. For those that don't have marijuana oil available for purchase at a dispensary, this guide will provide an easy method to prepare  iso-hash oil one variety of cannabis oil and was written for hypothetical purposes.

You Will Need:

2 Pyrex Trays of different sizes                                             1 sharp knife

1 bottle of 91 or 99% Isopropyl Alcohol ( I prefer 99%)             2 sealable mason jar

1  Filter Paper                                                                        1 Rubber  Band

Note: This procedure requires a well ventilated area away from flames and sparks. Isopropyl Alcohol is flammable. 

Step #1:

Grind your desired quantity of buds or clippings finely and put them in the mason jar.

Step #2: 

Pour the isopropyl alcohol into the jar so that the liquid is level with the plant matter. 

Step #3:

Seal the jar and shake vigorously for 20 seconds then quickly filter the liquid into the other mason jar, leaving the plant matter behind. Seal the original jar containing  the plant matter. ( It can be used for a second and 3rd wash) 

Step #4:

Boil water in a different room then pour boiling water in the larger of the 2 pyrex trays to about the half way point. 

Step #5: 

Pour the liquid you filtered from the first wash into the smaller of the two pyrex trays. Rest the smaller tray gently on top of the larger, water filled tray.

Step #6: 

Occasionally replace the water in the larger tray to speed up the process. 

Step #7:

Once all the alcohol has evaporated you can use a sharp blade to remove the oil and place it in your desired glass container. Evaporation should take about 30 minutes, perhaps longer depending on the volume and the % alcohol you used. ( 99% evaporates faster than 91%) 

I recommend manipulating the oil while heated in the pyrex tray to increase the viscosity of this hard to manipulate oil. You may choose to expose the oil to air for as long as 24 hours to ensure all the alcohol has evaporated, although this most likely won't be necessary. 

You can repeat the procedure using the same plant matter left in the first mason jar, although the product won't be as pure. 

I hope this guide helps many with their medical needs, although this should only be looked at as a theoretical proposal and should only be conducted under legal circumstances with additional research.

Increase Your Ganja's Potency with Decarboxylation

What is Decarboxylation?

Any process that removes a carboxyl group ( COOH ) from compound. 

Many have speculated that decarboxylating marijuana prior to smoking would have an increase in the immediate potency of the plant by not requiring your body to do the decarboxylation. 

Decarboxylation of Cannabis buds can be done using an oven and heating the buds for a short time. 

I preheated my oven to 210 degrees F and placed ground buds in a pyrex beaker evenly spread throughout. ( It doesn't have to be a beaker any pyrex dish will do) 

I left the buds in the oven for about 12 mins and observed just the slightest bit of golding.

I definitely noticed tangible benefits to completing this brief procedure. 

I strongly recommend decarboxylating your medical marijuana prior to use.