Ash to D’ash [Bowls]

I woke up to the sound of the alarm blaring loudly at 2 AM, taking a moment to realize where I was. My dog, Amie, was sleeping in my arms after several weeks apart. I had just returned from Cameroon, West Africa. I had served there for 2 years as a Peace Corps Volunteer and I returned to work with Cameroonian seamstresses to produce our first batch of fair trade lingerie. I had just arrived home to Dallas that night. Without putting on any clothes, I quickly jumped up to explore what sounded like crackling. 

I reached the living room to find an end table fully engulfed in flames, coming from within the heater, under a vent within the floor. I grabbed the first thing I could see, which was a corn bag, and began to hit the floor with it. It just made more sparks fly and the flames began to feel hotter. I grabbed Amie and tossed her outside, then began to try to put the fire out again, without any success. I frantically called 911. I remember screaming and I’m not sure the operator could even understand me at first. She reassured me that firefighters were on their way, and in the growing flames within the house, I ran outside to warn my next door neighbors. Before leaving the house, I grabbed several handfuls of lingerie and threw them out into the front yard, and then wrapped a corn bag around myself, getting some minor burns on my arms in the process. Though, I didn’t feel it at the time as I was in such shock. I remember holding Amie in my arms, devastated, sitting on the ground wearing nothing but a corn bag. I prayed, cried and begged that my house- and my dream to help thousands of women in Africa- weren’t going up in flames.

That day was unforgettably traumatic and left a profound impact on me. To this day, I don’t do candles nor do I allow my friends to go without changing their smoke detector batteries when they are beeping. That annoyance, and 3 separate people who reminded and urged my then-fiancé Ryan to change the batteries are responsible for saving my life. While the cause of my house fire is still unknown, The National Park Service tells us that every year, almost 1,000 people are killed in home fires caused by cigarettes and other smoking materials, making this the #1 cause of home fire deaths in the United States. The US Fire Administration advises smokers to put their cigarettes out in an ashtray or bucket with sand and to use ashtrays with a wide base so they won’t tip over.

The National Park Service tells us that every year, almost 1,000 people are killed in home fires caused by cigarettes and other smoking materials, making this the #1 cause of home fire deaths in the United States.

Last September, after much research, my husband and I realized that there weren’t any safe, functional ashtrays with a clearing spike on the market; and those that existed featured either sharp spikes or plastic, flammable material. When I read the reviews and stories regarding how those ashtrays were starting house fires, we knew that we needed to design an alternative spike ashtray that would be heat resistant and functional. Thinking of what we wanted to use in our everyday lives, we wanted to make sure that our product would be solid and functional, without the danger of a sharp spike or cheap, flammable material. We solved these problems by making our product out of solid, heat resistant, flexible, FDA approved silicone. Angel took it to the next level by addressing another issue we noticed: We needed a place to set our pipes before and after each smoking session, to avoid pipes breaking and spilling the precious herb. He added four pipe-sized grooves, which serve as places to rest joints, cigarettes and cigars as well.

As we brought our idea to life, I realized a new dream was rising from the ashes of an old one. It has become our mission to help other smoking enthusiasts enhance the quality (and safety) of their experience. We are excited to bring The D’ash Bowl to market in various colors, which has proudly been featured as one of Leafly’s Best Cannabis Products in April 2017 and again in Leafly’s 2018 Holiday Guide (Best Gifts Under $25). The Stoner Mom, a known advocate for responsible cannabis use, includes the D’ash Bowl on her list of stoner essentials, saying about the bowls, “A genius product for the safety-obsessed. My D’ash Bowls are the only ashtrays or dab pads I use.”

“The humble ashtray is one of those accessories you don’t notice until you need one, and the D’ash Bowl goes above and beyond. The D’ash features four holders for pipes, spliffs, or whatever else you’re smoking, a center spike that lets you clear a clogged bowl in record time, and silicone construction that means it can take a beating without chipping your other accessories. And for bonus points, it’s even dishwasher-safe!” – Leafly Staff

So here it is, the product you never knew you needed (or knew you needed but didn’t realize existed)! In the words of Leafly staff, “The humble ashtray is one of those accessories you don’t notice until you need one, and the D’ash Bowl goes above and beyond. The D’ash features four holders for pipes, spliffs, or whatever else you’re smoking, a center spike that lets you clear a clogged bowl in record time, and silicone construction that means it can take a beating without chipping your other accessories. And for bonus points, it’s even dishwasher-safe!” Our mission is to improve your smoking experience, but if we can prevent even just one more person from experiencing the tragedy that I survived, then our small business launch– our hard work, sweat, tears, and investment- would be totally and completely worth it alone!

Celebrate our Unicorn launch by enjoying $4.20 OFF when you purchase your D’ash Bowl at our Amazon shop for a limited time!