Newly launched business cleans bongs

POWHATAN, Va. (WWBT) - With cannabis becoming legal in Virginia, some may get more use out of their smoking instruments, and one company is offering to clean pipes.

The legalization of cannabis earlier this year lit the entrepreneurial spark, which spawned Bong Butler.

“Most people clean their bong with alcohol and salt. Using harsh chemicals was always iffy to me,” said Bong Butler co-founder Joe Hinton.

Hinton said the business came from a place of convenience for cannabis enthusiasts.

“As soon as legalization started taking hold, I knew I wanted to be in that market in some form or fashion,” Hinton said.

The company works on all types of smoking pipes and other products used, according to their website.

“We started working on a cleaning solution that goes directly after the stuff that builds up in your bong,” Hinton said.

The whole process isn’t them scrubbing the pipes; the “Butlers” have also invested in an ultrasonic cleaner, delicate enough to clean jewelry, followed by hand-detailing.

The process takes almost no effort on their client’s parts, as Bong Butler does same-day pick-up and delivery of the bongs.

“We serve the greater Richmond area; we try to stay 30 to 45 minutes out.”

But of course, with a more Conservative Commonwealth on the horizon, there are worries that Virginia’s cannabis laws may be overturned.

Last month, House Delegate Todd Gilbert told NBC12 that the GOP would not be doing away with the legislation, but Hinton isn’t too stressed as his business is more or less a cannabis-adjacent cleaning service.

“Prior to legalization, just calling ourselves Bong Butler would have been a problem. It’s the old trope: you can’t go into a head shop and call it a ‘bong,’ its a ‘water pipe,’” he added.

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