How to Use a Hemp Wick: A Quick & Simple Guide

When it’s time to smoke a joint or bowl, you need something to light your marijuana. Whether it’s a Zippo or a Bic, the classic butane lighter is typically the weapon of choice for users. Indeed, one could argue that a lighter is the second most important piece of apparatus behind cannabis itself.

However, health-conscious marijuana lovers are searching for an alternative to the traditional lighter or matches. The hemp wick has come to the fore as one of the best options. Let’s learn more about it in this article.

What Is a Hemp Wick?

Hemp wick is a length of twine created from natural hemp fibers. It is covered in beeswax to help it act as a candlestick that takes a long time to burn. A hemp wick is used with bongs and pipes, and proponents say it is a much healthier option than a lighter.

Humankind has used hemp wicks for thousands of years. Manufacturers utilize the long, durable fibers of industrial hemp to create the wick. These fibers are also used to create rope, cord, and countless other useful items.

To ignite the hemp wick, you need a match or a lighter. Once you do, it burns slowly and is ideal for use with a bowl, bong, or any other smoking device. As it takes a long time to burn through the wick, you can keep it lit when adding more cannabis flower to your bowl, for example.

Once your session is finished, shake it or blow it out, and keep it ready for your next smoking session.

Why Should You Use a Hemp Wick?

The main issue revolves around the use of butane in a lighter. The gas causes the flame to burn at an exceedingly high temperature. Once you inhale, the smoke is significantly hotter, which could increase the damage caused to your throat and lungs. The smoke also brings the butane gas with it to your lungs and contains harmful substances such as carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide.

When you use matches to light your cannabis, you inhale a combination of wood, glue, and other combustible chemicals.

Lighting your joint with a match or lighter can damage the essential cannabinoids in the strain. 

The higher temperatures even impact the quality of the marijuana you consume. Cannabinoids and terpenes have specific burn-off points. When you go beyond certain temperatures, you don’t get the benefits of these compounds.

For instance, terpenes are responsible for the smell and taste of your weed. Burning them off reduces the flavor; a real shame if you’re smoking a particularly tasty strain such as Chocolate Haze!

The Hemp Wick Advantage

When you use hemp wick coated in beeswax, you end up with a much cleaner smoking experience. Yes, you need a lighter or match to start the process, but you can set them aside once the flame is burning. Remember, a wick is made from hemp, which is significantly healthier than butane! A hemp wick doesn’t produce the poisonous fumes associated with matches and butane lighters.

Another important point is that a hemp wick combusts at a much lower temperature than butane because it isn’t a gas. As a result, your marijuana buds don’t burn as fast. This means you get more hits from your cannabis than from a lighter.

The lower combustion temperature preserves more terpenes and cannabinoids, so you benefit from more flavorful hits.

Finally, you are more precise when using a hemp wick than a lighter. For instance, cornering the bowl is much easier to do with a hemp wick. Once you light it, the flame won’t go out, and it burns for a very long time. Consequently, you can take your time to truly enjoy the marijuana-using experience.

What Are the Disadvantages of Using a Hemp Wick?

In general, the pros of using a hemp wick far outweigh the cons. However, it isn’t the perfect solution. Here are a few of the downsides:

• Learning how to light a hemp wick properly takes a little practice. If you have poor hand-eye coordination or are already stoned, you might set fire to something apart from the wick!
• Despite their benefits, hemp wicks are not as popular as one might think. Finding one at your local smoke store could prove challenging. That said, you should be able to locate wicks online.
• A hemp wick is inconvenient if you’re planning to bring your smoking session on the road. Not everyone wants to carry a spool around with them! One option is to cut off a small section, but you could easily lose it.
• Hemp wicks have a pungent odor that isn’t easy to disguise or get rid of.

How to Use a Hemp Wick

The length of available wicks varies from a couple of feet to several hundred! You can also buy it in different diameters. Please note that the thicker the wick, the longer the flame burns.

The length of available wicks varies from a couple of feet to several hundred!

Here is a step-by-step guide to using a hemp wick.

• Unwrap the hemp wick and ensure one end is sticking out. Don’t unroll it too much if you buy a long one, or else it could get messy.
• Use your lighter to ignite the tip of the wick. The part of the wick exposed to butane burns away, so the rest is free from chemicals.
• Let the flame burn for perhaps a minute to ensure it is steady.
• Use it to light your cannabis as you would when using matches or a butane lighter. The good news is that a hemp wick keeps its shape when unrolled, so you don’t have to worry about it flopping down after being lit.
• Place the flame into the bowl or at the end of a joint and inhale. You can keep the lit wick in the bowl to ensure the cannabis burns evenly.
• When you’re finished using the wick, dip the tip in water, or blow out the flame. Please ensure the wick’s flame is extinguished before putting it back into the roll. Otherwise, it could continue to burn without you realizing it.

We recommend storing it somewhere clean where it won’t gather dust and debris.

Final Thoughts on Using a Hemp Wick

A growing number of cannabis users are turning towards hemp wicks as a healthier way of lighting their buds. Made from hemp fibers and covered in beeswax, a hemp wick can burn for a long time. It doesn’t produce the harmful chemicals associated with butane, and you could enjoy a tastier smoke.

If you’re interested in buying a hemp wick, you’ll probably need to go online as not many local stores stock this product at present.