Hemp Wick: Worth It or Just a Gimmick?

If you’re like me and subscribe to cannabis-friendly subscription boxes, you have probably received hemp wick with at least one of your boxes. When I received my first bundle of Raw hemp wick from Cannabox, I was puzzled and had no idea how or why to use it to enhance my smoking experience. Using a hemp wick lighter instead of a regular lighter had to be beneficial somehow, so I set out to find out why. 

Hemp wicks have been around since ancient Egypt when ancient people created primitive candles using melted animal fat to coat their hemp fibers. In the Middle Ages, beeswax replaced tallow, and people started making sweet-smelling candles that needed a wick to burn. This considerable candle improvement made hemp wicks popular with candlemakers, but how did it become a trade tool for tokers? 

Nobody knows who started using hemp wick to smoke weed, but cannabis lore says that back in the 1960s and 1970s, some hippies were using waxed material to light their herb. Allegedly, when police officers saw that these hippies knew how to use hemp wick to enhance their cannabis experience, they referred to them as “dopes smoking with their rope.” If you have ever heard the term “dope rope,” these legendary stoners are where that saying comes from.

Fast forward to now, and the popularity of hemp wick has skyrocketed. Walk into any head shop, and you will likely see hemp wick dispensers, lighters, and wick-only bundles to create your own hemp wick-wrapped smoking accessory. I have received quite a few 4-foot hemp wick bundles in my subscription boxes, and I tried them but was unimpressed. However, once I got my first pack of Bee Line hemp wick, I was hooked.

As a creature of habit, using hemp wick didn’t come naturally to me. When I spark up to medicate, I typically just use a regular lighter to burn my herb. Once I wrapped my lighter in hemp wick, I would light the wick with the lighter and then use the lit wick to flame my bud. Using the hemp wick seemed like an extra and unnecessary step – until I started only using hemp wick to smoke flower.

I am a lady who loves to experiment with weed and different smoking methods. My typical go-to piece is a one-hitter because I am cheap and don’t like to waste weed. Thinking logically, when I use a traditional lighter to spark my hitter, I also inhale the flammable butane that keeps my lighter lit. I hypothesized that, after using hemp wick exclusively, my lungs would feel better from not inhaling a dangerous gas. 

After two weeks of using hemp wick, I noticed that my morning smoker's cough was disappearing. I also realized during these two weeks that I was sleeping better. Since I made no other lifestyle changes,  I can assume that my hypothesis was correct that inhaling less butane when smoking has a positive impact on the lungs. I mean, it makes sense, right? 

These days, I try to use hemp wick for smoking weed as much as possible. Sometimes, it’s simply not convenient, but I am trying my best to make sure a hemp wick option is always available and within arm's reach when I want to get lifted. 

Have you used hemp wick to smoke your weed? Do you like it? Hit me up on social media, and let’s talk about it!