Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

The Grown-Up’s Guide to Everyday Carry Essentials for Cannabis

If you’re new to the cannabis scene, visiting a head shop can be a good reason to stop before you even get started. The blown glass, the graphic art posters, the overpowering smell of incense, and the bleary, ingratiating manner of the staff member behind the counter are enough to scare a person straight.

Visiting a dispensary isn’t always better. Much like walking into an Apple store, the sheer volume and variety of cannabis products can be overwhelming. You’re sure you don’t need all this stuff … but maybe you’d enjoy your marijuana more if you had it?

Here’s the honest truth: Unless you’re really trying to make a lifestyle shift (and we’re guessing you’re not), you shouldn’t spend more on your smoking accessories than you do on the stuff you’re going to smoke. Just a few everyday carry essentials are all you need to enjoy a nice, relaxing smoke and all the physical and mental benefits it brings.

For our favorite accessories, head here.

Pipe

Pay no attention to the man in the oversized skull T-shirt. The size, shape, and material of the pipe (or bowl) you choose are simply a matter of personal taste. If you’re a new smoker, you’re probably best off with a smaller-sized pipe, which gives you more control over how much you smoke at a given time. If you’re clumsy or plan to keep your pipe in your pocket (as we all do), look for a pipe made of borosilicate glass; you’ll be protected against breakage while preserving the flavor of your smoke.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Bubbler

A pipe is a basic cannabis necessity, but if you appreciate a smoother, creamier smoke, it’s worth investing in a bubbler. Smaller than an actual bong so you can operate them singlehandedly, these handheld water pipes have smaller chambers that let you savor the flavor of your smoke. While bubblers are bigger than the average pipe, pendant bubblers can be threaded on a string, making them easier to transport and keep track of. Look for a double-chambered bubbler for extra silky texture.

Bag or Jar

The classic phrase “Don’t get caught holding the bag” doesn’t apply so much now that weed has been legalized in many states. The new saying should be “Don’t get caught holding an inferior bag.” Yeah, that one needs work … but the principle remains true. While a simple Ziploc will do the job, it’s really just asking for trouble: the thin plastic can tear all too easily, and it’s not the best for protecting your bud from the elements. We prefer the pocket-sized Stasher bag, with its tough but slim profile and temperature-fast, food-grade silicone.

marijuana weed joint grinder
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Grinder

A loose nug in your bowl is a recipe for a bad smoke and a waste of money. That’s why you need to carry a grinder. Two-part grinders are the most basic models available, featuring only a lid and a grinding compartment. Three-part grinders include a compartment for catching the ground-up weed, and four-part grinders have yet another for collecting kief, the superfine crystals from the tip of the bud. (This stuff is worth saving; when spread on the inside of a bowl or sprinkled on top of a joint, it makes the smoke extra heady.) While you can definitely find cheap plastic grinders or pretty wooden ones, metal grinders are the best choice — effective, durable, and hard to lose.

Rolling Papers

Always a good idea in case you want to share a smoke without sharing what you’re smoking out of.

Lighter

This should go without saying. Then again, how many times have you heard the smokers around you asking each other for a light? Be a good citizen and always make sure to have a lighter on you — it’s the easiest possible way to become a hero. Many dispensaries will throw in a lighter with your purchase, but if you want to be a little more classy about it, invest in a refillable butane lighter like the classic Clipper Lighter, which includes a removable flint housing that acts as a tamping tool.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Chelsea Batten
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Chelsea Batten is a writer, photographer, and Kerouac groupie. One of the original digital nomads, she was seduced from life…
From The Crown to Stranger Things, these are best Netflix original series to stream right now
If you're a subscriber, you can't miss any of these original shows
Anya Taylor-Joy in The Queen's Gambit

While there are tons of streaming platforms out there these days, Netflix is the original. It's hard to believe it started off mailing DVDs to people's homes. While streaming used to mean showing content produced by others, it seems natural now that streaming services all produce their own content. In recent years, Netflix's original series and programming have become the dominant part of its library, and in that time, it has produced a truly extraordinary number of shows. It would honestly be hard to consume more than a fraction of the content they're putting out. And as part of their content, they've produced some great TV.
The best of Netflix's original television stands up to any other TV channel or streamer out there. It has produced shows across a variety of genres and formats, and it's found success in pretty much every area it has experimented with. The Netflix original series listed below are the cream of the crop and the very best that the streamer has to offer.

BoJack Horseman (2014)

Read more
Everything we know about Ryan Gosling’s The Fall Guy
The hit TV series The Fall Guy lives again in Ryan Gosling's new film.
Ryan Gosling in The Fall Guy.

After making an Oscar-nominated turn as Ken in Barbie, Ryan Gosling is starring in one of this year's biggest action movies, The Fall Guy. The film is based on the 1981 TV series of the same name, which featured Lee Majors as Colt Seavers, an aging stuntman who worked on the side as a bounty hunter. Majors, who was best known at the time for his legendary five-season run as The Six Million Dollar Man, used The Fall Guy to reestablish himself as a leading man, and he even sang the show's theme song, Unknown Stuntman, which is incredibly catchy.

The Fall Guy intro (1982)

Read more
How to smoke a cigar properly: The ultimate beginner’s guide
Person smoking a cigar

Whether you just got a gift for having a baby or want to look cool while drinking your whiskey, there are plenty of occasions to realize you don't the first thing about how to smoke a cigar. Do you need to cut it? How much (if at all) should you inhale when you puff on your cigar? And how do you get the fat thing lit? It's normal to be absolutely clueless when you begin smoking cigars, but there's something sexy about a person with a cigar in hand, especially if they know what they're doing. And that's what this guide is all about.

Read more