Don't Smoke the Reclaim. Here's Why.

There’s a handful of things to avoid when you’re enjoying cannabis. Whether it’s because you don’t want to overdo it, or you simply want to protect your health, these are best practices that are worth taking seriously. Not smoking the reclaim is one of them.

What in the world is reclaim?

Weed reclaim is the resin buildup leftover on your pipe, dab rig or other tools after smoking weed. The buildup, or reclaim, is a result of the resin condensing and sticking to the surface. The leftover substance is usually yellow or brown, depending on what you were smoking.

Why is it bad to smoke it?

Reclaim does not contain terpenes, nor does it contain as many cannabinoids as unsmoked cannabis, so you won’t get nearly as much out of it. In addition, smoking reclaim can be potentially harmful. The substance contains a considerable amount of carbon byproducts; it’s like trying to smoke ash or tar. Not surprisingly, it also tastes fairly bad.

But what can it do to you?

You’re inhaling the smoke of a previously smoked substance, so you run the risk of harming your lungs. Plus, in addition to giving you a sore throat and a headache, reclaim can cause difficulty with breathing. So, if you smoke reclaim frequently enough, you could wind up in the doctor’s office with respiratory issues.

Any other tips?

In addition to not going out of your way to smoke the stuff, you should also clean your pipes and dab rigs regularly to get rid of the buildup, as you don’t want to smoke it inadvertently.

When cleaning, it’s not a good idea to use isopropyl or grain alcohol, which are common practices, but can also be toxic. Not only will you get rid of any harmful reclaim; you’ll also get the best quality cannabis from using regularly cleaned tools.

Sources: Leafly, Weedmaps, Leafly