Whether you buy cannabis commercially or grow your own at home, you’ll probably want to make the most of every scrap at your disposal. You’ve paid good money for your weed, so it simply makes sense to put it to the best possible use.

This is why it’s not uncommon for seasoned stoners to spend time (and quite rightly) scraping every scrap of the sticky residue out of their pipes and bongs for recycling purposes. It’s also why you’ll frequently encounter those who say there’s really nothing wrong with drinking dirty bong water.

On the surface, there’s logic to support the suggestion that bong water isn’t entirely devoid of value. As the smoke passes through the water, small amounts of THC and CBD are left behind. Likewise, if bong water contains decomposing plant matter - which it surely does - then wouldn’t it make the ideal solution for watering your plants with?

For first-time cultivators and experienced cannabis connoisseurs alike, the question mark hanging over the subject of bong water is as old and constant as the hills. So once again, we thought we’d tackle the issue head-on by answering a couple of important questions on if and how you can put dirty bong water to good use.

Can You Drink Dirty Bong Water?


First up, we recently dedicated an entire article to this one question alone. Irrespective of what you may have seen online or been told by your fellow stoners, drinking dirty bong water is an extremely bad idea and something you shouldn’t be doing. Even in times of pure desperation, under no circumstances should you ever resort to drinking bong water - even as a dare.

For one thing, drinking all the bong water in the world isn’t going to get you high. From a purely scientific perspective, it is impossible for the water in your bong to soak up enough THC to have any discernible effect whatsoever. You might feel a buzz if you were to drink several gallons of the stuff at the same time, but it would also make you sicker than you have ever been in your life.

In addition, dirty and stagnant bong water is a breeding ground for all kinds of bacteria, viruses, and other nasties. It’s literally one of the filthiest things you could possibly reach for and guzzle down, so DON'T DO IT.

Can You Use Bong Water For Plants?


Unfortunately, it’s pretty much the same story for your plants’ health as it is for your own. Despite the fact that bong water may contain decomposing plant matter, it’s also loaded with the kinds of germs and bacteria that could kill your plants dead. In addition, dirty bong water is usually pretty high on the acidic side of the pH scale, which is also dangerous or deadly for plants.

Anecdotes abound of growers and farmers dumping bong water onto their plants and seeing nothing but positive results. Again, however, science paints an entirely different picture - one that shows watering plants with bong water to be a terrible idea.

What to do with Old Bong Water…


Drinking bong water and using it to water your plants aren’t things you should be doing. But are there any useful things whatsoever you can do with bong water?

Realistically, the beneficial practical applications for bong water are minimal. You could try adding it to your compost pile, given how the bacteria and plant matter in the mixture could contribute to the natural decomposition process. Nevertheless, there’s also no evidence that bong water has any positive or negative effects on composting whatsoever.


For the time being, therefore, you may as well continue as sensible stoners have been doing for generations. Flush that nasty stuff straight down the toilet and don’t give it a second thought!

Posted in: All Cannabis NewsCannabis Consumption