A lot of people find their lives improved by cannabis, but there are some downsides. Smoking itself can cause some pulmonary risk, and then there is the dreaded resin lip. Also called sh*t lip or bong lip, all of these names refer to the phenomenon where dark-colored, sticky resin gets on the lips after hitting a joint, blunt, or bong.
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This has not happened to everyone. However, based on the countless Reddit posts about how to cure it, stoners out there are baffled as to how to avoid resin lip. The resin that builds up on lips is the same as that which builds up in smoking pieces. It does not taste good and indicates that there may also be some gunk getting into the lungs.
There are no deadset reasons that this happens, but there are a few tried and true ways to avoid bong lips.
Avoid resin lips with joints
The most solid way to avoid resin lips when smoking joints is to use filter tips. At the very least, a joint tip creates space between the burning flower and lips, reducing the risk of resin touching them. Certain models can also filter out unwanted compounds and cool down smoke.
Rolling less tightly may also help in this regard. Many believe that compressed smoke increases the chances of resin lip. Faster airflow should translate to less build-up, so technically, rolling looser will reduce the risk.
Fixing resin lips is easier with rolled-up treasures like blunts and joints, but it becomes more complicated with bombs.
What causes bong lip?
There are a few theories about what causes bong lip. Obviously, having a clean bong is the first step to avoiding this anomaly. However, when black, tar-like gunk ends up on lips after hitting a freshly cleaned piece, people are left only with questions. These theories hold the most weight.
Grind less fine
One Redditor declared that grinding their weed less finely solved their bong lip problem. A few commenters chimed in that the hack immediately worked. Finely ground cannabis will likely get packed more tightly, creating less airflow, which increases the risk of resin.
Give less lip
When people get comfortable hitting a bong, some can let their lips slide into the bong tube while pulling. Curing chronic resin mouth could be as easy as consciously pulling lips out of the tube each hit.
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Find a filter
Much like joint filter tips, there are mouth piece filters for bongs and other glass pieces. Moose Labs is one of the first to introduce a filter that snuggles into a bong tube. A small carbon filter sits in the middle of the conical, silicone piece to not only stop resin from hitting the lips, but also to filter unwanted gunk from getting into the lungs.
Get a new bong
The last resort for getting rid of sh*t lip is to get a new setup. Sometimes it is hard to clean a bong, the downstem continues trapping resin, or the chambers trap moisture. Whatever the reason, at a certain point, stoners must decide between dealing with resin lips or getting a new bong.
Fighting resin lip one theory at a time
Nobody wants sticky black crap on their lips after ripping the bong. Turns out they don’t have to. There are ways to avoid resin lip from joints, blunts, or bongs. Though nothing is scientifically proven, fellow cannabis consumers have shared that these methods could do the trick.
