1. A GRINDER

If your herb is cured properly, then you can often break it by hand. This can take time, while precious oils and crystals from your herb can stick to your hands and are lost. It is not long before most smokers upgrade to a grinder to break up their buds.

In ancient times, (50 years ago) people would use small scissors to break up their dried herb. These days, hands down the most efficient way of breaking up your herb is to use a grinder. Just like any good kitchen tool, the materials used to make grinders range from cheap plastics to medical grade titanium. A serious smoker uses a metal grinder with a chamber large enough to accommodate enough nugs to be ground for one session. You don't want to grind too much herb ahead of time, the more surface area your plant matter has, the quicker it can dry out.

A grinder is a simple but valuable device. The central chamber is lined with teeth on top and bottom to grind your herb. The bottom section of the grinding chamber has holes of some shape and pattern that allows ground material to fall into the storage chamber. The storage chamber is the largest section of the grinder, but is often optional and can be removed in favor of just a pollen collector or even simpler a bottom plate. The bottom chamber is usually covered by a screen so that fine pollen or "kief" from the ground herb can collect there over time.

2. A 420 JAR

Baggies are for schwag, and you are better than that. You've upgraded, leveled up, and otherwise gained enough smoking wisdom to know that your finest herbs deserve the best storage possible, with the best style possible as well. There is no other cannabis storage choice to make but a 420 Jar from 420 Science. We have been doing this for over ten years, and we kick ass at it. We offer tons of designs on a mind-blowing assortment of storage solutions that feature cool stuff like Swiss UV glass, gasket seal mason jars with latch tops, affordable screw top jars, silicone inserts and much more.

You can get a jar almost anywhere. You probably have a mayonnaise jar you can rinse out right now and throw your nugs in, but do you want to? Our jars have designs made by professional artists that are updated all the time. All our 420 Jars are also covered with our lifetime guarantee. If it breaks, we'll send another one to you, forever. You just pay the shipping. A jar from 420 Science is a jar for life.

3. NATURAL ROLLING PAPERS

There are many names for a "reefer cigarette". Whether you call it a joint, blunt, spliff, jay rod, condor feather, doobie, dizzy stick, devil's eggroll or some other dumb name you are going to smoke one at some point. Be prepared with a pack of papers that are made out of the same thing you are smoking. Natural hemp papers are the best choice for hand rolled sessions.

4. DIGITAL SCALE

Know your dosage, this is medication, right? Every good chef knows to measure out their ingredients. Make sure your “friends” are not "eyeballing" it when they give you your herb and use it to learn what your average session takes so you can track your usage. Be responsible and knowledgeable about your favorite hobby.

5. A PIPE THAT LOVES YOU BACK

Oh man, don't even get us started on picking the right pipe; that's a whole different article. But, needless to say, get something that truly makes you happy to look at and smoke out of every time you use it. If it does not mean that to you, then you didn't get the right piece.

It is important to test out a few styles first. Your friends will be the best at helping you navigate the complicated and arduous task of sitting around and hitting every piece they can bring over for you to try one day. You will survive and recover with the knowledge of what kind of thing you like to smoke out of.

Most people still favor the classic dry pipe in the shape of a spoon. They are often referred to as Spoon Pipes or Bowls and have endured the centuries as mankind's oldest and most commonly used method of ingesting the sweet smoke and vapors from burning plant material. There are more shapes and styles to count, we recommend a hand pipe that has features to prevent ash from pulling through and is made from durable Borosilicate glass. Pipes can have water filtration as well, and these are referred to as Bubble pipes or Bubblers. If you want more of a rip than that, you want a water pipe. Most commonly known as a bong or tube, glass water pipes offer maximum filtration and chamber size to deliver the largest volume of smoke at a comfortable temperature.

6. SOMEWHERE TO PUT IT ALL

A shoebox under your bed just is not good enough anymore. Respect yourself first, and then others will. If you are around nothing but chill bros all the time, we recommend you build yourself a nice shelf and proudly display your stash jar, smoking apparatus, and other prized accessories for all to see. You made some good purchasing decisions, why not be proud of it?

If discretion is still needed, then get a nice vintage suitcase with a lock. One with mysterious travel stamps from unpronounceable lands posted all over, and scratch marks that look vaguely like a monkey's claw. The point is, make sure it is secure, but still expresses your personality.