Review: The PerfectPipe – A Filtered Pipe For Cannabis

By Keith Mansur

Oregon Cannabis Connection

We occasionally do product reviews in the OCC, and I thought this would be appropriate for the Dispensary Connection section since you will likely find the PerfectPipe at your local cannabis dispensary.

A bold name, you might say, for little chillum to claim. Most cannabis smoking aficionados do not consider a chillum to be perfect, by any means. They are small, they hold a small amount, and they aren’t shaped like a pipe…more like a cigarette. But, this is not your average chillum, that’s for sure.

What Randal Barrett and his company R&D Innovations LLC, has created is a small, portable, effective smoking pipe that holds a small filter, like a cigarette filter. Barrett explained that the PerfectPipe was scientifically designed to eliminate the hot ash and decrease the hot tar and particulates from getting into your mouth and throat. We were intrigued and wanted to try their product.

We got a couple of pipe kits from PerfectPipe and a package of filters to try out. At first glance, they seem a bit unimpressive. That was just the packaging, which is the only poorly designed element of the PerfectPipe. It could be more exciting and up-to-date. The rest of the system worked effectively and simply.

Following the instructions that come with the pipe, we loaded a small amount of ground cannabis flower into the receptacle end, which holds a small stainless steel screen as a layer of first protection. We lit the pipe with a Bic lighter, not a torch lighter which, according to PerfectPipe, can be more harmful than a simple flame due to the intense heat they produce. (Tip: Remove flame quickly, fire destroys desired elements instantly!) We drew on it slowly so not to unduly increase the heat and make more sparks than necessary. Their instructions are clear on using the technique of a slow, gentle draw to reduce the heat.

It worked great! The hit was much cooler than my usual pipe hit, and much less harsh. As a former cigarette smoker, the filter was a refreshing addition since it did help with the heat and sparks. I thought it worked as Barrett claimed. It was simple and effective.

There is an occasion… or two…a week…when I smoke my old trusty glass pipe, that a HUGE spark will ignite and go straight down the pipe, through the mouthpiece, strategically miss my teeth, tongue, and roof of my mouth to travel part way down my throat, making me gag and cough unbearably. After hitting the PerfectPipe, I pondered how many much smaller ashy particles were making it much further into my respiratory system than just past my tonsils, and with every single drag on my pipe, not just the occasional break-free spark!

The pipe comes with some filters, but you will want to get a ample supply (they’re only $1.95 for 100). The instructions explain that after each bowl smoked, you should replace the filter. You only have to cut one apart to see the effectiveness and why another filter is recommended. Plus, your next bowl will taste much better!

The overall cost is low. The pipe itself is usually sold as a five pack for $24.95. The kit includes 5 PerfectPipes with Courtesy Caps, 1 PerfectPipe Tool, extra screens & Filters. Additional filters are only 1.95 for 100, or you can get a smaller kit with 1 Pipe, screens, filters, and tool for under 10 dollars. They also their large package deal, the Cleaning Kit set, which also includes a Box w/5 Pipes & Filters, 20 Courtesy Caps & 25 Stainless Steel Screens, all for only $34.95.

There is another reason I found the idea of filtered cannabis smoke interesting. I have been a hard core pipe smoker for many years. 30 years ago I used small metal pipes, often brass, and made a few from plumbing parts I got at the local hardware store. 15 years ago I switched to hard glass pipes when I was exposed to amazing Oregon glass, which is still my preferred method of using cannabis. However, this past April I had a heart attack at 49 years old and it has made me reconsider my marijuana consumption method of choice, smoking a pipe. After all, my cigarette smoking is the driving force behind the heart attack in the first place.

We all know marijuana is medicinal, but smoking anything is not a very good idea, not even medical cannabis, and especially if you have suffered a heart attack! Smoke is not good for your arteries, and I was told by my cardiologist that cannabis could be harmful as well, so the PerfectPipe may help me prevent a little of the irritation and harmful effects of the smoke. Edibles are probably what I should be doing, but smoking a little weed from time to time is something I can still enjoy with this product.

They provide information online at www.theperfectpipe.com explaining pipe smoking problems, risks, and studies on smoking and cancer. They acknowledge that more research needs to be done to determine the effectiveness of filtered smoke, but believe the filtered method is an appreciably better way to smoke cannabis, and more enjoyable!

PerfectPope Cleaning Kit

So, for those of you who love to smoke your cannabis, like me, but are interested in reducing the heat and particulates that smoking cannabis flower entails, there is now a simple solution for you…the PerfectPipe! Oh, and importantly for us, they are an Oregon based company! Look for PerfectPipe at your local dispensary or go online to www.theperfectpipe.com to order yours today and for more information.