What accessories do I need to get started with cannabis?

Once your cannabis is secure, you’ll probably need a few things to enjoy it, depending on what kind of cannabis you purchased. 

If you purchased cannabis flower, you can smoke it in a joint, a pipe, a bong, or even a dry herb vaporizer. The first thing you’ll need, no matter how you choose to smoke flower, is an herb grinder. If you want to roll a joint, you’ll need rolling papers and filter tips. Or, if you’d like to smoke out of a pipe or a bong, you will need those devices. You can get smoking accessories at most dispensaries, or if there’s something special you’re looking for, check out your local smoke shop. You can also find dry herb vapes at smoke shops, or online. 

If you purchased concentrates, you can use those in a variety of ways. The easiest is an extract pen or e-rig, and is probably the most approachable method for dabbing newcomers. You can also get a glass rig, a banger, and a torch, or if you want something even easier, you can get a nectar collector, which requires you to heat up the tip, and you smoke the concentrate similar to sipping out of a straw – when the hot tip is near the extract, it will vaporize. Another method of utilizing concentrates is in combination with flower - you can put extracts on top of a bowl, or even place them in a joint before you roll it up. This will not only give more flavor to your flower, but will also increase the potency. 

If you purchased a cartridge, you will need a battery attachment to use the cartridge. The most common is called 510 thread cartridges, which the standard cartridge with the threading at the bottom. There are also some proprietary systems, which mean the cartridges are specially designed for only one type of battery, which is not universal. Although you need to purchase a special battery, which can sometimes add to cost, many of these proprietary cartridge systems offer an incredibly smooth, efficient vaping experience. One such system, called Airo, offers beautifully designed batteries that activate as you inhale. They do not require clicking the button on the pen, like many of the 510 batteries, and also vibrate very gently as you inhale so you know that the pen is working. We carry the Airo brand at Got Greens! Be sure and check out our menu. 

Typically, with edibles and topicals, you just eat them or apply them – so accessories are not usually needed.


Rhys Harper

Emmy-nominated photographer + filmmaker