Active Charcoal in Bong Water - Lower risk of cancer?

[Corksil]

SWIM remembers reading on this forum a few days ago something about how the carcinogenic particals of smoke are in the charred black ash in the smoke. He has done limited reading, but has a hypothesis. According to an idea he got from another website, he is wondering if putting active charcoal in bong-water would help filter out/neutralize the carcinogenic particals.

So - If SWIM acquired a small amount (several ounces would be plenty for a while... He reads that for fishtank purification it's about 1.3tbsp/gallon) of active charcoal, the kind used in fishtank filtration systems, could he put it in his bong water and it would lower the chance of the carcinogenic particles reaching his lungs etc? If he is misinformed, please inform him. If there are any sort of filters that serve this purpose, he is interested in looking into them. He wants to be smoking for a lifetime and he also smokes cancer sticks.

Thanks so much, happy toking!

[Kodi]

No idea about this, the only thing swim knows active charcaol tabs are good for is beating a breathalizer

[keats]

SWIM feels pretty strongly that wouldn't work, and no offense but if you smoke cigarettes bong smoke is the least of your worries. The increase in risk of cancer due to smoking cigarettes is exponentially higher than that of marijuana smoke. Regardless of how often you're smoking weed or what method you using, and especially smoking out of a bong, the amount of cancer causing carcinogens you're getting is minimal. This reminds me of people who go to huge lengths to try and figure out how to reduce their soft drinks from 100 calories to 80 calories to "be healthier" while consuming 4000 calories worth of fat every day. If you want to get less cancer causing carcinogens stop smoking cigarettes.

[Corksil]

SWIM really doesn't want to start a debate about how pot smoke is not bad for the lungs... BUT SWIM feels (this is his own belief, he would like to continue believing this, even if he is wrong) that pot smoke in the lungs is worse than NO smoke in the lungs. He smokes cigarettes infrequently, totally maybe 2 a week. (Pretty much just when he's not smoking marijuana, places such as outside the bar, work, some parties.)

Could this hypothesis theoretically be true?

[keats]

It could theoretically work in the same sense that it could theoretically be true that marijuana smoke through a bong could give you cancer. If you're going to stick to your own (admittedly unfounded) beliefs why are you bothering to ask us? Don't know what else to tell you, there's no evidence to support your hypothesis that active charcoal might filter out carcinogens, but then there's no evidence that marijuana smoke causes cancer either. Given you've already stated you want to continue believing this even if it's wrong it sounds like you may as well put charcoal in your bong. Maybe the placebo effect will help you, who knows?

[Corksil]

Interesting viewpoint. SWIM feels that constant marijuana smoke in the lungs is worse that no smoke in the lungs. Is this off-base?

If not, and SWIK agrees, what would be the main sources of harm resulting from marijuana smoke in the lungs? SWIM speculates it would be from toxins, which if could theoretically be filtered out without difficulty, might be taken care of by charcoal. Large percentages of tar are filtered out by the water, SWIM believes. Now for those damn particles... How would SWIK go about making the already (almost harmless) smoke fully harmless? Thanks for the input.

[Mescaloid]

Save for a vaporizer. Maybe for some charcoal too. MJ smoke don't cause cancer. To much worries causes cancer.

[keats]

Well if you're talking about short term inconviences (not health problems) then yes, no smoke is better than any kind of smoke. If you're a marathon runner who smokes blunts every day, for example, you're going to feel it. It's not damaging your lungs or putting you at risk for disease, but it's "bad" for your lungs in the sense that it'll make you feel shorter of breath. Mescaloid is spot on in recommending a vaporizer, SWIM's been using one (vaporbros before, volcano now) and they're worth every penny. They'll save you money because they're more efficient, they give a unique and fun high, and most importantly to you they'll save your lungs a lot of grief, you can get BLAZED and not feel it at all the next day. Definately the way to go if you're worried about making your lungs feel tip top, a lot better idea than putting charcoal in a bong.

[Corksil]

SWIM just got done looking into vaporizers. It seems there are two types, convection and conduction. One has the heat source touching the buds, the other one heats them with steam. He sees the main name repeated the most is Volcano. He reads that Volcano seems to make one main unit. This unit is expensive.

Does SWIK have a recommended model of Volcano or any advice to aid in his decision?

[Mescaloid]

Why don't you try a bulb made vaporizer. Easy, cheap and almost smokeless!

http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/sho...ight=vaporizer

[keats]

The volcano only has one model, and it is indeed expensive. Another, cheaper model that works very well is the vaporbros vaporizer, which is a sort of wood box with a heating element and a seperate long plastic and glass "whip" or long tube. That will will run you somewhere in the 150$ range instead of the much more expensive volcano and it does a good job while being easy on the lungs. The aforementioned bulk vaporizers do work, and they do produce less smoke than a pipe or bong, but they're not great. A volcano really is a worthwhile investment, though.

[Hadean]

You don't even have to worry about it. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...501729_pf.html

Reputation Comments on this post:

informative link

[Corksil]

SWIM sees two models of Volcano, a digital and analog model. Apparently the analog is the original version, and the digital is the newest. (If powers of speculation don't fail me...)

Thanks for the link about cancer, very informative. And SWIM will be sure to look at the lightbulb link. Thanks to all above posters.

*SWIM adds Volcano to his list of desired items. Right underneath private yacht.*