Double, double toke and trouble;
Flower burn and pumpkin bubble.
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With fall upon us and Halloween right around the corner, it’s time to fill those gourds up with tap water and smoke pot through them.
You will need a pumpkin, a screwdriver (or similar implement), a downstem, a bowl piece and a knife (optional).
Step 1: Acquire a pumpkin
For this, I headed to Spooky’s Pumpkin Patch, located in the parking lot of the abandoned Kmart on College Avenue and Drake Road. Being from Southern California, I felt right at home in this performative imitation of rural life.
I explained our circumstances to the young farmer, Cody.
“Word,” Cody responded, instantly here for it. “I haven’t (made a bong) out of a pumpkin, but I definitely made them out of clay in school.”
We discussed the logistics — should we use a smaller one for greater convenience or a skinny one for a more traditional water pipe shape?
We ended up with a classic pumpkin-looking pumpkin — about 10 inches tall and 10 inches wide. It cost $8.
Step 2: Punch some holes
This exercise does not call for proper jack-o’-lantern-style carving – no need to hollow out the guts. This will add a smooth, humid quality to the smoke yet will surprisingly not make it taste overly pumpkiny.
Simply use your screwdriver or similar tool to punch a hole in your pumpkin roughly three inches from the base, and widen it to almost accommodate the size of your downstem. Remember, it needs to be airtight.
In case you don’t have a downstem on hand, multiple area smoke shops confirmed they sell downstems for around $10-$15 apiece.
Twist the downstem into the opening at about a 45-degree angle, and punch a second (smaller) hole opposite the first, about two inches from the pumpkin’s stem. This is the hole from which you will be drawing smoke.
Step 3: Fill the pumpkin with water
From here, use your downstem as a makeshift funnel and use it to fill the pumpkin with a few cups of water.
We made the mistake of inserting our downstem at something of a right angle, meaning some water poured out when the pumpkin rested naturally. Not the end of the world – simply prop it up on a small object.
If you’re able to draw through the second hole and hear the distinctly deep rumbling sound of a water pipe in action, it’s time for the next step.
Step 4: Pack a bowl
Finely grind some cannabis and pack a compatible bowl piece. Once the bowl and downstem are properly assembled, place your lips around the smoking hole.
You may need to employ a friend’s help in igniting the flower and removing the bowl piece — it’s difficult to see the bottom of a pumpkin when your face is firmly suctioned to the top.
Because the chamber is so large, you will need to essentially clear the bowl in order to fill the big berry with dope smoke.
Remove the bowl piece and draw smoke through the top hole. High-five everyone, and repeat as needed.
Email or tweet pictures of your pumpkin bong to Hayden Hawley at cannabis@collegian.com or on Twitter @hateonhawley.
