Spots "spotting","knifers", "knife hits", "knife tokes","dots", "hot knives", "blades", or "Bladers") are terms referring to a method of smoking cannabis [1]. In this method, small pieces of cannabis are rolled (or simply torn from a larger bud) to form the "spot". Generally, the tips of two knife blades are heated, the spot is compressed between the two blades, and the subsequent smoke is inhaled and sometimes inhaled through the nose. Another means that is gaining popularity is specially made glass presses heated with a propane or butane torch. [2] In order to facilitate this process, a "spottle" (also referred to as a "bowser" or "hooter") is often, but not always, used to funnel the smoke and maximize the amount inhaled. A spottle is generally made from a funnel or cone-shaped container, such as the top (or neck) of a plastic or glass bottle or a gallon of milk/water. [3][4]
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Although practiced the world over, the spots method of cannabis smoking is most common in New Zealand & Northern Canada (Nunavut).[5] Possession of knives that have been previously used for spotting (easily distinguished by their blackened and discoloured appearance[3][6]) is considered "possession of paraphernalia" and is thus illegal under New Zealand law. If convicted, the accused faces a possible maximum 1-year prison sentence and/or a $500 fine. [7]. In 2008 six New Zealand soldiers were "sent home in disgrace" from their posting in Afghanistan after it was discovered they were spotting hashish [8]. In the United Kingdom, this method of smoking is relatively rare, and appears to be getting rarer. One 1998 survey of regular UK cannabis users put usage of the "hot knives" technique at only 1.3%, down from 5.2% in 1984[9].
Spotting is the most effective way of smoking cannabis. When Marijuana is consumed through other means such as joints or bongs, there is always an amount of smoke which will not be inhaled between each puff. By rolling the cannabis into small "spots" you are assuring that only a small amount of marijuana is used at a time, allowing the user to inhale all the smoke from each spot at once without losing any smoke while they prepare for the next hit.
For example, 1 gram of cannabis usually amounts to 2 or 3 joints, which usually isn't enough for several people. When cannabis is consumed through spotting, 1 gram can be enough for 10 or more people to get a high dosage and still have an amount to spare.
Users spotting cannabis are susceptible to all the associated health risks of other methods of smoking cannabis. Spotting cannabis oil or resin is thought to be particularly harmful to the lungs, as the smoke comes off the oil at such a high temperature. One possible way of minimizing the risks of spotting marijuana is using cooler knives, leading to the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) being vapourised rather than the entire plant matter being burned [10]. Some users also fill the lower half of the spottle with ice (that stays in place by being frozen to the edges of the spottle), but much more common is to just freeze the bottle, this leads to a cooler smoke that is less harsh on the lungs [11].
Care must be taken not to touch the side of a plastic spottle with a hot knife when inhaling spots, as burning plastic gives off many toxic chemicals[12], including (in the case of Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics) dioxin[13], a carcinogen. For this reason, many smokers prefer to use a glass bottle.
A 1998 joint submission by the Royal Society and the Academy of Medical Science on the recreational and medical use of marijuana expressed concern about the use and dissemination of the "hot knives" technique. The submission speculated that increasing use of methods of smoking that enable massive inhalation (and therefore higher intake of cannabinoids) may lead to an increase in incidents of short-term cannabis-related mental disturbance.[14]
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