By RQS Editorial Team


There are many, many ways to consume cannabis. Whether we smoke it, eat it, or vaporize it, there are almost endless methods within each of these categories to keep our weed intake novel. One that's been around for a while, but never fails to entertain, is the gas mask bong. Here we look into the pros and cons, and even how to make your very own at home.

The History of the Gas Mask

The gas mask was invented as a piece of military equipment to protect against inhaling poisonous gases, and later adapted to work against a wide range of pollutants and toxins, in all manner of situations. Gas masks create a seal over the whole face, protecting all vulnerable points: eyes, nose, and mouth.

The First World War was the catalyst for mass-produced gas masks, in response to the extensive use of chemical warfare. The first models used wood charcoal to absorb poisonous gases. The British Respirator, Anti-Gas, Light, was developed in 1943. It was made of plastic and rubber, reducing the weight and bulk, and creating a better fit. Since then, gas mask development has reflected the advancements in chemical warfare, protecting against ever-evolving threats.

However, as with many items in today's culture, the gas mask now has a more quirky purpose—that of a bong.

What Is a Gas Mask Bong?

A gas mask bong is a simple gas mask that you can connect to the end of a regular bong. Unlike a classic bong, where the smoke is inhaled and then exhaled into the surrounding environment, a gas mask bong traps the smoke inside and creates a hotbox.

Step 1

What Is Hotboxing?

Hotboxing is the act of smoking in a small, enclosed space such as a car or bathroom—or perhaps a gas mask bong. As it is a closed environment, the exhaled smoke remains, to be inhaled again. The main aim of hotboxing is to get even higher by ensuring none of that THC goes to waste.

While inhaling secondhand smoke can get you high, it is not as effective as a direct hit. Hotboxing also comes with some issues, such as irritating your eyes and face and reducing your oxygen intake. Moreover, it may be that most of the THC is rapidly absorbed through your lungs anyway.

Types of Gas Mask Bongs

Gas mask bongs are a bit of a novelty. You can pick them up for a reasonable price at most headshops. Due to their gimmicky nature, there are plenty of colourful designs alongside more plain, unassuming versions. The bong and the mask come in various materials, like glass, acrylic, metal, etc. Similarly to dab rig setups, it's all about personalisation.

How to Use a Gas Mask Bong

  1. First, fill the bong with water and attach it to the gas mask. Then, pack the bowl with ground cannabis flower.
  2. Put the gas mask on, with the mouthpiece in position. Tighten the straps so it's a snug fit.
  3. Slide the bowl into the bong, light it up, and clear the chamber. The gas mask will fill up with smoke. It should allow you to exhale without pushing air into the bong.
  4. Remove the mask when you've had enough. It can be pretty awkward to get off, especially if you’re now heavily stoned. It may be best to detach the bong before removing the mask, lest you risk a spill!

The Advantages of a Gas Mask Bong

Some of the advantages of a gas mask bong are:

  • More smoke and active cannabinoids are funnelled up the bong stem and directly into your lungs, as the gas mask forms an airtight connection with the bong.
  • It’s a great way to save weed and get a substantial hit.
  • If you invite friends over to smoke and chill, or go to a festival or party, the gas mask bong can be great fun.
Step 1

The Disadvantages of a Gas Mask Bong

It’s not all fun with a gas mask bong, though:

  • They can be unsuitable for lengthy smoking sessions.
  • Since one hit can be enough, those unfamiliar with bongs can have a negative experience if they go too hard.
  • The gas mask traps all of the smoke inside. This can irritate and sting the eyes. However, some designs feature a separate sealed section for your eyes to avoid this problem.
  • Passing a gas mask bong around your daily smoke squad isn't practical. These bongs are cumbersome, fiddly, and way more inconvenient than just passing a joint around.
  • It’s unclear how much extra THC you actually consume by hotboxing.
  • If you’re prone to anxiety of claustrophobia, gas mask bongs plus weed can certainly trigger it!

Are Gas Mask Bongs Dangerous?

Smoke inhalation is the point of using a gas mask bong. It can, however, also be an undesirable consequence. When you inhale, the smoke travels to your lungs, enters the bloodstream, and gets you high.

Yet, following the first exhale, the smoke can't escape the mask, and you are then just repeatedly inhaling secondhand smoke. This smoke can contain increased levels of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, both of which can impair your breathing. Carbon monoxide is created by the incomplete burning of any carbon material, including cannabis.

The reduction of oxygen can also make you feel lightheaded, dizzy, or nauseated. It can be hard to determine why you feel funny if you are getting high simultaneously. Try to limit your time with the mask on. Alternatively, have a smoking buddy with you to "spot" you while using the gas mask, in case anything goes wrong.

As a complete sensory experience, a gas mask bong can be pretty uncomfortable. Your eyes may be irritated, and it certainly won't be the best "taste" experience you've ever had. If you have claustrophobia, anxiety, stress, or panic attacks, the gas mask bong may not be for you. The immediate environment of a gas mask bong may exacerbate any symptoms. This is especially true if you get too stoned or have a low tolerance.

Does a Gas Mask Bong Get You Higher?

Some will say yes, as, with any bong, the size of the hit will be more significant. However, science tells us that gas mask bongs are not a very efficient or effective way to get high, despite their appearance.

The first inhale of smoke you take will undoubtedly be full of THC, but it’s very possible that no good will come from breathing it back in after you have exhaled. At least, that’s what the studies say[1]. You're basically engulfing your face in a cloud of almost inert smoke.

However, some people swear that gas mask bongs or hotboxing do get them higher. Yet, this myth can be busted using the same explanation that discounts the idea of "holding a hit" for a better high.

What Is Holding a Hit?

The commonly held perception is that holding smoke in the lungs longer will give the body extra time to absorb more THC. Unfortunately, this is most likely not the case.

If you hold in your hit, it may feel “stronger”, but all you are doing is depriving your brain of oxygen. The effect of this is feeling a bit lightheaded. Add carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and other toxins into the equation, and that dizzy feeling can feel more intense.

With the gas mask bong, the longer the mask is on, the higher your heart rate gets. Your blood is being pumped faster to compensate for lower oxygen levels. Your body will also naturally begin to release adrenaline as part of the flight-or-fight response, which further compounds the increased "high" sensation. Oxygen deprivation can also cause a tingling feeling on the face and body. This is another response that can be mistaken for feeling higher than usual.

How to Make a Gas Mask Bong

If you still want to give a gas mask bong a go, but don't want to pay for one, you can make your own version, which will act similarly. The following method uses a simple plastic bottle instead of a gas mask—something almost everyone will have in their kitchen.

Equipment

  • 1.5 or 2-litre plastic bottle with lid
  • Pair of scissors
  • Drill
  • Electrical tape (optional)
How to Make a Gas Mask Bong

Directions

  1. Wash out the bottle and cut the rounded bottom portion off of it.
  2. Now, starting at the bottom of what's left of the bottle, cut out a U-shaped section down one side so the bottle can fit over your face like a mask. However, where the bottle begins to curve in toward the mouthpiece and lid, end the cut. Trim the edges so they feel comfortable when you put the bottle against your face. If you want to make the edges more comfortable and secure, cover them with electrical tape.
  3. Slide the cut-open bottle, with the lid pointing down, under your chin and around the sides of your face. The lid should sit just below your chin with the sides resting snugly along your face.
  4. Drill a small hole in the middle of the bottle lid.

How to Use a DIY Gas Mask Bong

  1. Roll a joint that will fit into the hole in the lid.
  2. Light it, and take a couple of puffs to get it burning.
  3. Place it into the hole, and screw the lid onto the bottle.
  4. Place the mask against your face and take a deep inhale.
  5. Remove the mask when exhaling.

How to Clean a Gas Mask Bong

Clean your gas mask bong in the same way you would clean a glass bong. Isopropyl alcohol or hot soapy water are standard choices. If you're using an actual bong, changing the water between smoking sessions is definitely recommended. Clean the gas mask itself with an antibacterial wipe or warm soapy water and a cloth. Leave it in an airy place to dry out thoroughly.

Glass Bong vs Gas Mask Bong

There are some differences between a gas mask bong and the standard glass bong:

  • Using a gas mask bong inherently allows you to hotbox, whereas glass bongs do not.
  • A gas mask bong is very large and awkward compared to glass bongs, which are available in a range of styles and sizes.
  • Glass bongs are also available at a range of price points.
  • Glass bongs are suited to general, everyday smoking sessions. Gas mask bongs are not.
Glass Bong vs Gas Mask Bong

Should I Try a Gas Mask Bong?

The gas mask bong is an excellent smoking accessory. It can be fun to use and is a fantastic party piece. For the most part, though, we’d recommend sticking to regular bongs or dabs if you are looking for a substantial hit. Concentrates will get you higher, and they will do it without compromising taste, smell, or sociability.

The bottom line is this: gas mask bongs are basically toys that cannot fulfil the everyday function of a regular bong. So if you buy or make one, know that it will likely be a rarely used novelty piece, not a substitute for a normal bong.

External Resources:
  1. Chemistry, Metabolism, and Toxicology of Cannabis: Clinical Implications 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: