Product review of the Incredibowl m420 Deluxe kit below. Click the link to read the review in The Daily Doobie.

http://issuu.com/dailydoobie/docs/tdd_i10issue

What, exactly, is the Incredibowl? It’s not a vaporizer, it’s a pipe, or, as the company website describes, a “smoke injection system” (patent pending) engineered to filter and cool smoke, thereby reducing tars and enabling a more pleasant smoking experience.  The manufacturer, Boulder, Colorado’s Incredibowl Industries, has won 13 Cannabis Cup awards for their innovative pipes.  

The Mycroft Sherlock pipe is for consumers who enjoy pipes, and want the technology of the Incredibowl. The Incredibowl m420 Deluxe has 2 pipes in one kit. The Deluxe model has an m420 Incredibowl, a clear glass Sherlock style pipe called the Mycroft, and replacement parts (always nice to have on hand when needed!). Constructed with high grade and sturdy components, Incredibowls are designed for long term durability. The carrying case is a military grade smell proof hard plastic case with two latches. The m420 tube is clear shatterproof polycarbonate. The external part of the Incredibowl itself is made with high grade aluminum, which acts as “unbreakable armor” for the glass bowl inside, kept in place by FDA-approved high temperature O rings. The small container comes with spare screens, 2 sizes of gaskets and a glass bowl. And the kit comes with instructions. So how many stoners does it take to assemble an Incredibowl m420 Mycroft pipe? I was determined to figure this out. In this instance, it took three people. One person to miss the first step not mentioned on the instructions, another person to make a bunch of phone calls and a feminine voice of experience to point out the obvious.

Granted, most customers are not concerned with ruining a fresh manicure assembling an Incredibowl. In my case, one foul slip and the smooth pale pink coating on my nails could be compromised.  Regardless of these personal high stakes, I couldn’t assemble the Sherlock on my own.  The instructions seemed easy enough, only three diagrams to follow.  Initially, I was trying to put both pipes together, which didn’t fit together, and didn’t look like the diagrams at all.  The result was a Sherlock that looked really happy to see me. After a couple of phone calls, I discovered that the first step is actually disassembling the m420. That means rolling up the silicon gasket sleeve, removing the bowl assembly from the m420 shaft, and then following the diagrams. Insert the bowl into the Sherlock opening, roll the silicone sleeve over the edge and adjust the seating for an airtight fit.  Then add a screen to the bottom of the bowl. It took a couple of pulls and gasket adjustments to get a good draw. At last, with everything properly assembled, I was the happy one!

Smoking an Incredibowl is a very engineered experience. It’s not pipe smoking in the old fashioned sense. First, “You light the bowl and create suction establishing negative pressure that draws the hot smoke into the Incredibowl.” Second, “smoke spirals in the nozzle which causes it to cool, allowing the tars to get more solid and sticky. The cooled smoke passes through a screen leaving the tars behind.” Third, “the cool filtered smoke then expands into the Expansion Chamber. When the gases expand, they lose energy, causing them to cool.”  What is the difference between clearing the carb of a regular pipe, and clearing the Expansion Chamber of an Incredibowl?  Usually smokers lift the finger covering the carb hole and continue to draw air. With an Incredibowl, “you pull the Bowl/Armor, opening the annular Purge Carb. The negative pressure in the Expansion Chamber causes cool air to rush in through the geometrically arranged carb holes 360 degrees around the entire circumference of the piece. The rush of air cools the smoke one last time and pushes the cool smoke quickly and smoothly into your lungs.”

Tight gasket seals are the key to enjoying an Incredibowl. It works great. Using a bud of a homegrown caregiver variety called Preston, I enjoyed the cooler smoke. It was easier on the lungs, I didn’t cough, and nothing felt harsh.  I appreciate the design and ingenuity of the Incredibowl. It’s a solid and sturdy piece of equipment.  Tech loving cannabis smokers will love this pipe too.

For pipe smoking, it’s my preference to use colored glass.  After repeated use, some of the crevices and nooks on most pipes are hard to clean and the colored glass ultimately gives the eye something else to look at than the resin buildup.  I was hesitant to like the clear glass because I was concerned it wouldn’t age well.  The design of the Mycroft is simple, it looks super easy to keep clean with an alcohol bath and a few cotton swabs.

Another good feature in the Deluxe kit is the adjustable foam interior of the hard shell carrying case. The foam barrier is adaptable and the case has room enough to put a vial of cannabis and a lighter in with Incredibowl.

In summation, I highly recommend the Incredibowl. This is a high tech product with an innovative and effective design.

http://issuu.com/thcmag/docs/september2013_condensed

Dear Lady Cannabis, Which is more effective glycerin tincture or alcohol-based tincture? I have heard that alcohol is better but it burns the underside of my tongue and is far less pleasant. Thank you ever so, Lady D

Dear Lady D, Thank you for your question. I agree the burn of alcohol tinctures can be very unpleasant.  I suggest diluting the dropper of tincture in two or three ounces of water or tea.

Alcohol tinctures are more effective than glycerin ones, up to ten times more effective. Alcohol makes stronger medicinal cannabis tinctures because it is better at breaking down the cannabinoids in the plant material than glycerin.  Glycerin tincture is primarily an alcohol free option for patients sensitive to alcohol. Denver based certified herbalist, Ms. Pendleton, suggests exploring different manufacturers or batches of alcohol tinctures because production methods vary and the taste of a different alcohol tincture might be better than the unpleasant one you’ve experienced. Even though glycerin tincture is less potent, it is more palatable and that might be the better choice for you.

Dear Lady Cannabis, I’m a Denver local and attend shows at Red Rocks Amphitheatre every summer for the past 20 years. I appreciate how relatively relaxed security has been in regards to pot smoking in the venue. Pot smoking has been tolerated. This summer, as I sit at my reserved seat before a show, smoking a doobie, I was asked by security to take it out to the smoking section with the cigarette smokers. I’ve known other concertgoers have this same experience. What is going on? Didn’t we legalize it?   Show Stoner

Dear Show Stoner, Red Rocks is an enjoyable concert venue, isn’t it? I have been to the Colorado Symphony concerts this summer and each performance was memorable and delightful.  It does seem ironic to pass cannabis legalization in Colorado and now cannabis smokers are being asked to smoke outside the seating area at Red Rocks.

Security largely turns a blind eye to cannabis smoking because ticketholders who are high ultimately make their jobs easier with a laid back and more manageable crowd. This is in contrast to the rowdy and inappropriate behavior regularly exhibited by the “one too many” alcohol drinkers at the show. Cannabis is such a popular recreational choice at Red Rocks; it is simply not possible to stop everyone from smoking cannabis.

In your situation, timing might be the issue. If there is a performance happening onstage, generally, security won’t hassle you. If you are lighting up soon after the doors open and the security staff is standing around in broad daylight looking for something to do, you’ll probably be asked to move to the smoking section. As our society is shifting to cannabis being a legally recognized recreational drug, the guidelines of acceptable use will change. Smoking cannabis is still smoking and over the years, cigarette smoking has been relegated to the periphery and contained in smoking sections. We will have to see if public cannabis smoking receives the same treatment.  At your next concert at Red Rocks, as you enjoy the view from your seats before the show, you might use a portable vaporizer that won’t interfere with your neighbor’s air space or perhaps you can enjoy a classic pot brownie.

Dear Lady Cannabis, I was hanging out in a smoking circle. I borrowed a lighter to spark a bowl. I passed the lighter with the bowl and my friend said the lighter is supposed to be returned to him, the owner, immediately.  Did I commit a faux pas?   Lighter Larry 

Dear Lighter Larry, Oh dear, your friend is sour from one too many of his lighters being accidently pocketed by a stony someone in the smoking circle.  No you didn’t commit a faux pas. Since you are smoking out of a bowl, the lighter is passed with the bowl for each person to spark the bowl. If you are smoking a joint, it makes sense to promptly return the lighter to your friend. Losing lighters is a common nuisance, so look out for yourself and others and keep matches or a lighter on hand. You’ll be prepared and your friend will be more comfortable.