Depending on where you’re from, cheap glass pipes might be sold in abundance, from the corner store in your small town to the specialized head shops in your nearest city. Most of the time, these pipes’ selection variety and designs can be monotonous. Not every store can afford or even access excellent artisans who blow glass lovingly by hand. Either way, for most people living in cannabis-friendly places, it can be pretty easy to get your hands on basic spoon glass pipes or ceramic and metal pipes, too.
I’ve learned that the best and cheapest places to find this sort of thing are abroad, in tropical areas that thrive off tourism and booming markets for gift shopping and creating tasteful trinkets. That means they have to get their inventories from established suppliers and retailers, which can tell that you see more or less the same options for cheap glass pipes across ten different stores, even in some cities. I’ll share a few places where I found some seriously awesome and ridiculously low-priced glass pieces.
- Thailand. Thailand is a country where cannabis can grow naturally in many areas, but the general local populations look down upon its use in almost any way. There are stringent laws for pot, and tourists can find themselves in jail very easily if they’re not wary of scams. Acquiring weed and smoking is a huge risk in Thailand, but you can still easily find great pipes and bongs for sale almost anywhere. I’ve discovered some funky designs in gift shops all over the country. Just remember not to smoke it before coming back home! After all, they know we Westernerove our herb, and they don’t have a problem profiting off that.
- Central Americas. Each community brings flavor to its creations, and you can find some unique and often comedic takes on little pipes of all sorts, from glass to wood to ceramic or clay. When I went on a cruise around many Caribbean islands, I was amazed at how different all the pipes in gift stores were between each separate island.
