Whether you’re smoking with friends or simply want to get high at home, learning how to roll a perfect joint is a skill that every marijuana user should know. It might take a few tries to perfect it, but learning to roll a joint is easy enough for anyone to do and soon enough rolling thick, tightly-packed joints will be second nature to you.
Of course, you’re going to need to make sure you have a few things before you start rolling joints. Rolling papers are essential, as is a grinder and a lighter. You might also want to get a rolling tray to make everything a little easier, although you can just as easily roll over a piece of paper. Naturally, you’ll also need some high-quality weed.
After you get the hang of rolling joints, you can even take your joints further. Some users stick rolling papers together to make their joints longer or even make cross joints or shotgun joints. You can also make your joints stronger by learning to mix cannabis concentrates with your weed. But before any of that, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to roll a perfect joint.
Step 1: Choose Your Strain
Crafting the perfect joint starts with picking the perfect strain of weed. You can use any strain you like and there are tons to choose from- just make sure you grab some high-quality weed. Fortunately, it’s easier than ever to get your hands on weed and you can find a massive variety of strains when you buy weed online at CanadaCannabisDispensary.
Each strain offers something different in terms of its taste and effects, so choose based on what suits your mood. You can find product descriptions and reviews to guide your choice or simply pick one that you know you like. Generally, strains of weed are divided into three types.
Indica strains are renowned for being incredibly physically relaxing. If you love the feeling of being completely laid back and stress-free while you feel like you’re sinking into the couch, pick one of these. Indica strains are also perfect for relieving pain and inflammation, as well as helping you sleep. Popular examples include Black Diamond, Death Bubba, and Blueberry.
Sativa strains are known for being more uplifting and stimulating. If you need a good wake-and-bake strain or something that’s going to make you talkative, creative, and focused, then sativa strains are the ideal choice. They’re also great for reducing stress, depression, and fatigue. Popular examples include Pineapple Express, Green Crack, and Sour Diesel.
Hybrid strains are the most versatile strains. If you want a more balanced mix of uplifting sativa effects and relaxing indica effects, then go for a hybrid strain. They can boost your mind, soothe your body, and relieve all kinds of mental and physical symptoms. Popular examples include Death Rockstar, God’s Green Crack, and Gorilla Glue #4.
Step 2: Pick Your Rolling Papers
The next step is to pick the best rolling papers. Much like picking a cannabis strain, the type of rolling papers you should use largely depends on your personal preference. Rolling papers come in various materials and sizes so there’s a lot to choose from.
You might want to consider how big you want your joints to be. Single Wide is the smallest size of rolling paper at around 2.75” long and 1.4” wide. However, 1 ¼ Rolling Papers are the most commonly used size of rolling paper as they give you a little extra room at around 3.1” long and 1.8” wide. If you’re not sure which size to go for, 1 ¼ Rolling Papers are usually a safe bet.
There are also longer and wider sizes available. 1 ½ Rolling Papers are just as long as 1 ¼ Rolling Papers, but they give you some extra width so you can pack in some extra weed and make your joints thicker. King Size papers are popular for users who want long-lasting joints as they’re much longer than regular rolling papers, whereas King Slim papers give you extra length without as much width.
As for materials, it’s best to look for unbleached papers using organic materials. Papers made of flax, rice or hemp are usually the best choice, especially ones with fine textures that burn slowly and smoothly. If you want an extra kick of flavor in your joints, you can also use flavored rolling papers. You can buy rolling papers in most corner shops, head shops, and cannabis stores.
Step 3: Grind Your Weed
Before you start rolling, you’ll need to grind your weed. Trying to roll dense buds of weed into a joint will have disastrous consequences- your joint will be misshapen and trying to smoke it won’t work well. On the other hand, finely-ground weed burns slowly and smoothly so you can take potent hits without wasting too much THC.
The best way to grind your weed is with a weed grinder. These can usually be found in head shops and cannabis stores for just a few dollars and they work excellently. A two-piece grinder is small enough to fit in your pocket, and all you have to do is put some weed inside, twist the two halves against each other, and take it out.
You can also get more advanced grinders. For example, three-piece grinders have a collection chamber for your weed whereas four-piece grinders have a mesh screen to filter kief into another chamber. Any of these can work fine- kief collection can be excellent if you want to make cannabis concentrates or enhance your joints.
If you don’t have a weed grinder, there are other ways to cut your weed. Popular options include using scissors, using a Mortar & Pestle, using a Coffee Grinder or putting your weed in a sealed Pill Bottle with a coin and shaking hard. While all of these methods can work alright, the quality of your ground weed won’t be as great as if you simply buy a weed grinder and use it.
Step 4: Make A Filter Tip
One more small step you need to carry out before you start rolling is to make a filter tip. Also known as a crutch, a filter tip is a rolled-up piece of paper or card that goes at the end of the joint you plan to smoke from. A filter tip stops you from sucking ash into your mouth, but it can also help you roll by keeping the cylindrical shape of the joint.
You can buy packs of filter tip papers just like rolling papers. Alternatively, you can take a piece of thick paper or thin card and use it to make a filter tip. Make sure it’s around 58mm long and 17mm wide. You might want to start by rolling one end of the filter tip tightly all the way to the other end- this will ensure it keeps its rounded shape.
The best way to make a filter tip is to create an “M” shape by making around 4-5 small folds at one end. It’ll look a bit like an accordion. Next, roll the rest of your paper around this shape until you have a small cylinder with the “M” in the middle. This will go at one end of your joint when you roll it.
Step 5: Roll Your Joint
Now that you have everything prepared, it’s time to finally roll your joint. Rolling a joint doesn’t take long, although you should be careful if it’s your first time. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be surprised how quickly and easily you can roll perfect joints.
Start by taking your rolling paper and putting your filter tip at one end. This will help you roll your paper into a cone when you roll it. Next, add your weed. You can use as much or as little as you want- generally, 0.5 grams to 1 gram is a good amount for a joint, although you’ll need more if you’re using King Size papers.
Pick up the joint at both ends between your fingers and cradle it back and forth to spread out the weed. You want your weed to be spread out fairly evenly but with slightly more at the top and less toward the filter to create a cone shape.
Now, gently roll one edge over the filter. Lick the other edge and roll it over the top until it meets the other edge in a cylindrical shape. Stick it down and slowly do this all the way up the joint until you have a tightly-packed and sealed joint.
Use a pen, packing tool, hoodie string or another narrow object to push the weed down at the top- this will improve how well-packed your joint is. Now, simply twist the top to seal it. You should now have a tightly-packed cone of weed, although it might take a couple of tries to get it perfect.
Step 6: Enjoy!
Now that you’ve rolled your joint, it’s time to enjoy the results. Smoking a joint is the easy part. Burn the twisted end until it burns down to the weed. When it does this, you might also want to burn around the perimeter to ensure that your weed burns evenly.
Take slow inhales from the filter tip, hold for a second or two, and exhale. You don’t need to hold your hits in for long- the THC will reach your system within a second or two, so holding for longer won’t make much of an impact.
The effects will hit you quickly and usually last for a few hours. The quality and length of your high will depend on your tolerance and the strength of the weed you use. One study found that when you smoke a joint, the effects usually hit you instantly, peak after 15-30 minutes, and taper off within around 2-3 hours.
Your joint might not be perfect the first or second time you try it. However, the more you practice carefully rolling your weed into a cone, the easier it will get. Soon, it will become second nature to roll exceptional joints quickly and easily. At that point, you might even want to experiment with making different kinds of joints.
How To Enhance Your Joints
There are a few ways to make your joints even better. Whether you want to try making differently-shaped joints or simply make them stronger by adding some other products, getting creative with your joints can make it even more fun to roll them.
You might want to make the effects of your joint slightly different by mixing two strains of weed. It’s a great way to enjoy the effects of multiple strains at once- just add even quantities of two different strains of ground weed.
One of the best ways to enhance your joint is to add Kief. Kief is made from the dried-up trichomes of weed, and you can usually found it in the form of a powder at the bottom of your grinder. It contains high levels of THC, so scoop it up and add it to your joint for more powerful effects.
You can even add cannabis concentrates to your joint. Some work better than others, but any concentrate can add to the effects of your joint. For instance, you might want to crumble up some Hash and mix it in with your weed. You could also add some pieces of Shatter to the top of your joint. These generally won’t burn well on their own, so it’s important to mix them with weed.
Expert joint-rollers often mix things up by making joints in different styles. By sticking rolling papers together, you can make a diamond joint, a double-barreled shotgun joint, a cross-joint, and all kinds of other creative joints. These can be hard to get the hang of, but you can find many tutorials online.
Conclusion
Rolling a perfect joint is quick and easy once you get used to it. Even if your first couple of joints don’t look perfect, you’ll soon find yourself rolling satisfying, tightly-packed joints every time you roll. You might even want to start adding Kief and other cannabis concentrates to make your joints better.
While rolling joints is a very useful skill to have for any stoner, it’s not essential. You can now smoke weed in all kinds of ways and you might even prefer to use a Pipe, Bong, Vaporizer or even products like Edibles. No matter how you prefer to use marijuana, you can find plenty of quality products online at CanadaCannabisDispensary.ca.
