# kissing, passing joints around, mate gourd... effects?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-passing-joints-around-mate-gourd-effects/800016>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 27, 2017, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-passing-joints-around-mate-gourd-effects/800016 "2017-10-27T20:22:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![bardos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bardos/32/1069_2.png) [@bardos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bardos)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-passing-joints-around-mate-gourd-effects/800016/1 "2017-10-27T20:22:18Z")

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I remember when I used to be a big pot smoker back in the day, passing joints and pipes from mouth to mouth. I imagine that in terms of transfer/exchange of substances and bacteria, it must be right up there with kissing. Has anyone ever done a study or calculated the results of this mass exchange of bodily fluids in terms of health, immune system… the common cold? The effects could be positive or negative, actually.

I recall when I hung out in Paraguay that more or less the same phenomena was occurring with the passing of the mate gourd and the straw from mouth to mouth.

It’s like a mass bacteria exchange among the population. So, good, bad, or ugly? Is there any straight dope about this? Or will this be relegated to the great debates forum?

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**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-passing-joints-around-mate-gourd-effects/800016/2 "2017-10-27T23:08:16Z")

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I don’t have an answer, but it made me think of how kava is traditionally prepared–it’s chewed and then made into a drink (not just for the chewer). I know I just read about another drink whose main ingredient was chewed as part of the preparation. So I’m wondering the same thing about these as **bardos** is in his OP.

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**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-passing-joints-around-mate-gourd-effects/800016/3 "2017-10-27T23:33:38Z")

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It’s just the hippie pot-smokers’ version of the now-discredited [Chicken Pox Party](http://www.parents.com/health/vaccines/chicken-pox/chickenpox-parties/).