Cannabis accessories cover everything from rolling papers to dab rigs, and the right pick comes down to how you like to use cannabis. This guide walks through each kind of gear: how it works, what it's made of, how to choose it and how to keep it clean. At the end, you'll find a starter kit that doesn't cost much.
Matching cannabis accessories to how you consume
Start with the format you enjoy, then pick the gear that suits it.
| If you prefer | Gear to consider | Works with |
|---|---|---|
| Rolling your own | Papers, cones or wraps, a grinder, filter tips and a rolling tray | Flower |
| Quick, simple sessions | A hand pipe or a one-hitter | Flower |
| Water-cooled draws | A bong or a bubbler | Flower |
| Heat without a flame | A dry-herb vaporizer, or a battery for cartridges | Flower, or oil cartridges |
| Concentrates | A dab rig or e-rig and dab tools | Wax, shatter, rosin and other extracts |
| Cooking at home | A decarb device, an herbal infuser, molds and a kitchen scale | Flower and kief |
| Keeping things fresh | Airtight jars, humidity packs and a lockable case | Everything |
In Michigan, adults 21 and older may buy, own and use cannabis accessories, and businesses may sell accessories to adults 21 and older. High Society's menus include an accessories category. What's on the shelf varies by store, so check your store's menu before you visit.
Bongs: how water filtration works, materials, choosing and cleaning
People have inhaled cannabis smoke for a very long time. Chemical residue in wooden braziers from a cemetery in western China shows cannabis was burned there at least 2,500 years ago. A bong applies a simple idea to that old habit: pass the smoke through water before you breathe it in.
How it works. Flower burns in a small bowl, often called the slide. As you inhale, smoke travels down a downstem into the water at the base, bubbles up through the chamber and reaches the mouthpiece. Pulling the slide at the end clears the chamber. Water cools the smoke, but it doesn't make smoking safe: cannabis smoke carries toxins and carcinogens similar to those in tobacco smoke.
Common styles:
- Beaker: a wide, flared base that's hard to tip over.
- Straight tube: a simple cylinder that's easy to clean.
- Bubbler: a small, handheld water pipe that's part pipe, part bong.
- Percolator: extra chambers that split smoke into more bubbles, adding drag and cleaning time.
- Ash catcher: an add-on that keeps the main water cleaner for longer.
Materials. Borosilicate glass handles heat well and tastes clean. Silicone is nearly unbreakable and packs well for travel. Acrylic is inexpensive but can hold odors, and ceramic is sturdy but heavy.
Choosing one. Think about stability, size, how easy it will be to clean and the joint size, usually 14 mm or 18 mm, which decides which bowls and add-ons fit.
Cleaning. Change the water after every session. For a deeper clean, add isopropyl alcohol and coarse salt, cover the openings and shake, then rinse thoroughly with warm water and let the piece dry completely. Isopropyl alcohol is a flammable liquid that irritates the eyes, nose and throat, so work in a ventilated room away from any flame. Our pipe and bong cleaning guide covers each piece step by step.
Pipes: styles, materials, choosing and cleaning
Hand pipes are the simplest way to smoke flower: pack the bowl, light it and draw. Many have a small carb hole on the side. Cover it while you light and inhale, then let go to clear the smoke.
- Spoon: the classic shape, with a bowl, a stem and a carb.
- One-hitter: a slim tube for a single small draw.
- Chillum: a straight, open-ended tube with no carb.
- Sherlock: a long, curved stem that rests easily in the hand.
- Steamroller: a horizontal tube with the bowl near one end, built for big draws.
Glass is the favorite for pipes because it tastes clean and shows you when it needs cleaning. Silicone survives drops, and many silicone pipes include a glass or metal bowl insert. Wood, stone and metal pipes exist too, though wood can change the flavor and metal gets hot. Skip makeshift pipes made from cans, foil, plastic or painted materials, since heating them can release fumes you don't want to inhale.
To clean a pipe, soak it in isopropyl alcohol with coarse salt in a sealed container, shake, then rinse and dry it well. Pipe cleaners reach into the stem. Our guide to packing a bowl covers the technique.
Vaporizers: dry-herb vs. concentrate, heating methods, add-ons and cleaning
Vaporizers heat cannabis enough to release cannabinoids and terpenes without burning it. There are two main kinds:
- Dry-herb vaporizers heat ground flower in a chamber. Portable units fit in a pocket, while desktop units stay home and often offer finer temperature control.
- Concentrate vapes heat oils and extracts. A vape pen is a battery paired with a pre-filled cartridge, and a dab pen heats small amounts of wax or similar concentrates.
Heating methods. Conduction heats flower through contact with a hot chamber; it warms up fast, and stirring helps it heat evenly. Convection passes hot air through the flower for more even heat, and hybrid designs use both. Lower temperatures tend to favor flavor, and higher ones make denser vapor.
Add-ons. Extra screens, spare mouthpieces, dosing capsules and water-pipe attachments are common extras.
Cleaning. Switch the device off and let it cool first. Brush out a dry-herb chamber after each session, and wipe screens and mouthpieces with isopropyl alcohol now and then, keeping liquid away from the electronics. For cartridge batteries, a dry cotton swab keeps the connection clean.
Vaping isn't harmless. Little is known about the lung effects of inhaling cannabis by routes other than smoking, and vape pens may have respiratory effects similar to e-cigarettes. Buy cartridges from licensed stores; at High Society, products come from trusted vendors and have passed Michigan's testing standards. Our cannabis vaping guide covers getting started.
Papers, cones and wraps: materials, sizes and rolling tools
Rolling papers come in several materials, each with its own burn and taste:
- Wood pulp: the classic paper, a little thicker and easy to handle.
- Rice: very thin, with a slow, even burn.
- Hemp: a natural middle ground between the two.
- Clear cellulose: made from plant cellulose and popular for its see-through look.
- Unbleached versions: brown papers that skip the whitening step.
Sizes. Papers run from single wide through 1 1/4 to king size. Bigger papers hold more flower, so match the size to how much you plan to smoke.
Cones and wraps. Cones are pre-rolled empty papers you fill and pack, which suits anyone who hasn't mastered rolling. Wraps are thicker. Hemp wraps contain no tobacco, while cigar-style blunt wraps contain tobacco and nicotine.
Rolling tools. A grinder gives an even texture, and a four-piece grinder also collects kief. A rolling tray keeps things tidy, filter tips add structure to the mouth end, and a rolling machine helps if your fingers aren't cooperating. Our step-by-step guide shows how to roll a joint.
Dab rigs and e-rigs: parts, materials, must-have tools and upkeep
Dabbing means vaporizing a small amount of concentrate on a hot surface. A dab rig is a small water pipe built for the job:
- Rig body: the water pipe itself, usually glass.
- Nail or banger: the surface you heat. Quartz heats quickly and tastes clean, titanium is tough, and ceramic holds heat longer.
- Carb cap: a cover that traps heat and vapor so the concentrate vaporizes at a lower temperature.
- Dab tool: a small metal or glass pick for placing concentrate.
- Heat source: a butane torch for a traditional rig.
An e-rig swaps the torch for a battery-powered heater with preset temperatures, which makes sessions easier to repeat. Beyond the rig, you'll want a dab tool, a carb cap, cotton swabs, isopropyl alcohol and a silicone or glass container for your concentrate.
Handle the torch with care: keep it away from anything flammable, and never touch a banger until it has cooled. Upkeep is simple if you keep at it. Swab the banger after each dab while it's warm rather than hot, change the water often and give the glass an alcohol soak when residue builds up. Concentrates are far more potent than flower, so start with very small amounts.
Edible and infusion gear: decarb devices, infusers and molds
If you cook with cannabis, a few tools make results more consistent:
- Decarb devices: countertop units that heat flower at a set temperature in a sealed chamber, with little smell.
- Herbal infusers: machines that decarb and infuse butter or oil in one appliance.
- Silicone molds: for portioning gummies or chocolates evenly.
- A kitchen scale: for weighing flower accurately, so you can repeat a recipe.
- Labels: so every infused item in the kitchen is clearly marked.
Label every infused food with what it contains, and keep it apart from everyday snacks and away from children and pets.
Storage: containers, humidity control, smell-proof and child-resistant options
Good storage protects both your stash and your household.
- Airtight glass jars keep air and odor in, and glass doesn't hold smells. Pick a size that leaves little empty space.
- Humidity packs help flower stay in a steady range. An ASTM standard for dried flower calls for a water activity of 0.55 to 0.65, roughly 55 to 65 percent relative humidity in a sealed jar.
- Smell-proof cases and bags with sealing closures help when you're carrying products.
- Lockable boxes add protection at home. In Michigan, anything over 2.5 ounces kept at home must be stored in a container or area with locks or other security devices.
- Child-resistant containers add protection for flower, pre-rolls and concentrates. Michigan already requires child-resistant packaging for edibles, including drinks and tinctures, so keep those in the package they came in.
Our cannabis storage guide covers flower, edibles and concentrates in detail.
Building a starter kit on a budget
You don't need a cabinet full of gear. Pick one of these kits and add pieces as you learn what you enjoy.
| Kit | What's in it |
|---|---|
| Rolling kit | A grinder, papers or cones, filter tips, a lighter and an airtight jar |
| Pipe kit | A small glass or silicone pipe, a grinder, a lighter, an airtight jar, isopropyl alcohol, coarse salt and pipe cleaners |
| Vape kit | A battery and cartridge from a licensed store, or a dry-herb vaporizer and a grinder if you prefer flower |
A few ways to stretch your budget:
- Buy a decent grinder first, since it improves every other method.
- Choose glass for flavor and silicone for durability.
- Keep cleaning supplies on hand; clean gear lasts longer and tastes better.
- Start simple and upgrade only the pieces you use most.
When you're ready, browse the accessories section of your store's menu in our online shop, or ask our budtenders what fits your routine. 21+ only. Please consume responsibly.
