By Miguel Ordoñez


Sharing a joint is a cherished practice in stoner culture. It’s been this way since time immemorial, and it’s a tradition that likely isn’t going away any time soon. It’s the best way to make new friends while strengthening bonds with old ones.

But on the flip side, there’s the issue of hygiene. Especially for those who identify as germaphobes, the mere idea of ingesting another person’s oral fluids is a nightmare. And that apprehension is understandable.

So what’s the deal here? Are these concerns valid? Or is it all paranoia? We’ll discuss this much-talked-about topic, and provide some tips for sharing weed safely.

How Germs Spread

To fully answer the question of whether it's safe to share weed, we must first look at how germs actually spread. Perhaps we all have a general idea of how it works, but let’s get a little scientific here.

As otolaryngologist Dr Michael Benniger tells the Cleveland Clinic[1], human saliva contains antibodies and enzymes that “decrease the risk of contagions”. However, he also points out that any activity that involves swapping spit “is a high-risk contact”. That means the transmission of germs—including those that spread severe diseases—is easier.

It’s also important to note that different kinds of bacteria exist all around us. According to[2] Piedmont Atlanta Hospital infectious disease expert Dr Christine Zurawski, MD, viruses and bacteria “are part of our daily lives”. It’s just a matter of determining which ones are “good” and which ones are “bad”.

Dr Zurawski points out that bacteria on personal belongings like a phone isn’t something to be worried about. Rather, it’s the pathogens outside of your home that can be a cause for concern.

How Germs Spread

Can Sharing a Joint Get You Sick?

According to[3] NYU Clinical Professor of Microbiology and Pathology Philip Tierno, about 80% of infectious diseases spread through direct and indirect contact. That includes touching surfaces and then a sensitive part of your body, like your eye.

In the case of sharing saliva, Tierno explains that such activities—including sharing joints—puts people at risk of catching the flu and herpes. You’re also predisposed to contracting strep throat, staph infections, stomach flu, and even meningitis.

  • Can You Get Herpes From Sharing a Joint or Bong?

Germs need a moist environment to keep themselves alive outside the body. This then begs some questions: how does this apply to passing joints? Can these germs stay alive on the crutch of a jay?

According to Tierno, the humidity of the surrounding air is “sufficient moisture” to help germs thrive. And if sharing a joint indoors where no UV light is present, staph, for example, can remain alive for months.

With that in mind, sharing a joint with a group of people could increase the chance of contracting or passing various diseases, including viral diseases like herpes. But according to Tierno, exposure to any form of UV light can kill bacteria within “a minute”.

But does that mean trying to “burn off” pathogens on the crutch/filter of a joint with a lighter is a suitable solution? As of right now, it remains a smoker’s myth, and no evidence points to an affirmative answer, so far.

What about bongs, though? There isn’t as much saliva contact, so does it make any difference? Unfortunately, the answer isn’t very favourable for bong lovers. Since there is still lip contact with the device, yes, you can catch herpes and other diseases from other smokers.

If we’re talking about herpes, in particular, sharing joints or bongs could result in contracting herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1). To make a distinction, HSV-1 is transmitted orally, while HSV-2 spreads through skin-to-skin contact.

In the case of HSV-1, the highest chances of transmission occur if an infected person comes into direct contact with another. So if one person in the group has the virus, there’s a good chance they’ll spread it to everyone they touch base with.

Most HSV-1 cases are not severe. However, studies[4] have discovered that it can cause temporal lobe damage, even Alzheimer’s disease. It would definitely be best to avoid it.

Can Sharing a Joint Get You Sick?
  • Can Sharing Weed Cause Coronavirus Infection?

If you’re reading this during the time of COVID-19, you’ve likely grown very familiar with its effects and how it spreads. And despite taking precautionary measures, a good handful of you were likely still unfortunate enough to catch it.

As we’ve all seen, the coronavirus easily spreads through mere respiratory droplets. So if a sneeze from close range can cause an infection, sharing weed through a joint or bong definitely can.

If you or anyone in your group is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, it would be best not to puff, puff, pass.

  • What About HIV?

In this case, you have nothing to worry about. HIV is primarily passed around through sharing needles or syringes and through sexual contact. So unless you plan on doing any of this, you shouldn’t worry about HIV infection through smoking.

How to Share Weed Safely

Given these concerns, is it possible to safely share weed? This is a valid question that germaphobes have lingering in their minds, and we may have the answer.

  • Joints

There is a safe, contactless way to share a joint, believe it or not. And it involves a little trick of the hand.

Start off by placing the non-burning end of an unlit joint between your two smallest fingers. Next, connect your index finger to your thumb to create a circle with your hand.

The other hand will serve as a base to your rounded paw, so you’ll form it into a cup-like shape. Connect both hands by having the fingers of your cupped hand touching the smallest fingers of your rounded hand.

The hole you created using your rounded hand will act as a chamber to puff in some smoke from. Have someone light the joint, and as you’ll see, there is no contact with your mouth and the joint, lessening the likelihood of potential bacteria and disease transmission. It may take some practice, but decent hits are achievable.

How to Share Weed Safely
  • Vapes

The previous strategy you used may not work with vapes, which means there is no way to prevent saliva transmission.

Your best bet here would be to sanitise the mouthpiece after every use. Some options include hot water, germ-killing hand sanitiser, or soap and water. It can be a bit of a hassle to cleanse and rinse it every time, but it is the best way to prevent contamination.

  • Bongs

On the other hand, the bong’s rounded shape allows for the same treatment you’d give the joint method—use your hands to avoid mouth-to-bong contact. But even passing it around can still lead to contamination.

Just like with the vape, bongs need regular sanitising. The great thing here is that high-quality glass bongs are easy to cleanse and rinse.

  • Share a Joint With Close Friends Only

Knowing the people in your joint circle minimises the risk of infection. That is, of course, if they are honest about their physical condition.

In any case, keep your inner smoking circle as small as possible, and make sure that no one is displaying any symptoms. Anyone who does should (temporarily) not be included in the circle.

  • Watch Out in Times of COVID

If you’re reading this during COVID, taking extra precautions is a no-brainer. In this case, avoid sharing joints or bongs altogether.

Sure, you can have small gatherings with close friends. But you may want to do away with any activity that involves the sharing of saliva. As the often-used but still effective saying goes: it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Sharing Weed: Some Germs Are Inevitable

Whether or not you identify as a germaphobe, it doesn’t hurt to be extra careful with germ and bacteria transmission. But at the same time, it pays to know the dos and don'ts so you can still enjoy smoking with friends.

By knowing the right bits of information, you can share weed with mates while doing your best to prevent the spread of disease. There is always some inherent risk when sharing a joint, but this sort of social smoking ritual is also one of the things that makes the cannabis community so connected. So it’s up to you. And in case you forget the tips and tricks, you always have this article to look back on.

External Resources:
  1. Does Saliva Have Health Risks? 3 Ways Germs Can Spread https://health.clevelandclinic.org
  2. Are you a germaphobe? https://www.piedmont.org
  3. The Germaphobe's Guide to Sharing a Joint https://www.vice.com
  4. Herpes Simplex Type I (HSV-1) Infection of the Nervous System https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Disclaimer:
This content is for educational purposes only. The information provided is derived from research gathered from external sources.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: