Some people like to call the 21st century, “the age of the glass bong.” All the changes in state laws concerning cannabis have given the bong the status it deserves. Bongs have been around for more than 2,000 years. A Russian excavation project in 2013, discovered the gold bongs the Scythian tribal chiefs used to smoke opium and marijuana. Water pipes made their first appearance in China in the 16th century. In those days, bongs were made out of bamboo or metal. Country folks would use the bamboo version and merchants, and nobility would use the metal version. The size of the bong drawtube could be 3 inches or as much as 12 inches back then. Some bongs were straight, and some were bent. The size of the bowl was a one-hitter in most bongs, but there were bongs with bigger bowls.

Bongs have withstood the test of time. Just like other important tools, bongs have gone through a transformation of sorts, but they still remain the same in terms of service. Smoking a glass bong is a simple process. The smoker inhales so the bubbles that contain smoke come up the stem. Once the bong has a good deal of smoke in it, the stem is separated from the bong, and the smoke goes into the smoker’s lungs. When smokers use a bong to enjoy marijuana, the bong filters out most of the THC in the marijuana, so the user usually smokes more in order to get the desired effect. But the good news is, the water filtration system in the bong does remove some of the harmful components found in cannabis.

The most common type of bong is the glass bong. Glass can be blown, colored, and shaped in ways that make bongs stand out. Wholesale water pipes come in new designs, and they reach a wide audience. Some bongs come with glass notches, and the notches add a certain something that regular users can’t go without. Putting ice in the notches helps cool the smoke, and that makes the smoking experience cooler.

Percolator bongs are popular these days. Percolator bongs help with the filtering and cooling process because they have extra compartments for the smoke to pass through before it reaches the lungs. The quest to enjoy marijuana, tobacco, and herbs the best way possible is still a work in progress. New glass bong designs are giving people creative ways to achieve that quest.

The Federal Drug Paraphernalia Statute, which is part of the Controlled Substances Act, makes selling drug paraphernalia illegal in the United States. But the glass bongs sold in smoke shops around the United States are for legal dry herb and tobacco use, not for marijuana use. Even though the U.S. Government tried to ban bong sales in 2003, the bong is still as popular as it was back in the old days when nobility and common folks would sit around with a bong in front of them and smoked whatever made them feel the way they hoped to feel.