Every smoking circle has their de-facto joint roller: the guy everyone turns to when the team decides to burn one, or the girl who can twist perfect pinners while walking into the wind holding all her smoking supplies (we don’t know how she does it either).
Are you, well, not that person? Are you looking to improve your rolling technique? With a bit of practice and the right information, you don’t have to be a magician to craft a picturesque, smooth-burning joint. However, if you need help from the very beginning, you should try our step by step how to roll a joint article.
Necessary Items for Your Rolling Stash Box
Make sure you have all the key elements for rolling great joints: this should include a weed grinder, crutches, papers, and a lighter at the bare minimum, but deck yourself out if you want to.
Although many steps in the joint rolling process are largely a matter of preference, there are several tips that require the above items if you want to improve your smoking experience. There are also some very clever weed accessories that have become essentials in our 420 smoking kit.
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Use the Best Rolling Paper
Are you still grabbing Zig-Zags off the counter at the gas station? They are impacting the flavor of your joints. There are three types of rolling paper materials and they each have unique characteristics that affect the way your joint rolls and smokes. Steer clear of wood pulp rolling papers, you want a paper made of rice or hemp. Those just learning should try a hemp paper as they are easier to roll with and stay lit well. Expert rollers looking for a flavorless, slow burn and a precise roll will benefit from rice papers.
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Select the Right Size
The right size rolling paper is a situational decision based on a few key factors: How many people are you smoking with? How high are their tolerances? How many joints do you intend to roll?
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If you show up to Snoop Dogg’s house with a pack of single-wides, you won’t be able to roll ’em fast enough. The most popular and widely available sizes are 1 ¼” size and King Slims. 1 ¼” is generally considered to be the ‘standard’ cannabis rolling paper and suits 1-3 people with moderate to low tolerances. King Slims are better for moderate-tolerance groups of 2-5 people or high-tolerance groups of 1-3. Not sure which papers are for you? Check our rolling papers sizing guide to find the right papers for your smoking kit.
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Always Grind First
You don’t need to spend $60+ for the best grinder! Regardless of your rolling abilities, crafting a perfect joint will be a futile exercise if your herb isn’t evenly ground. We recommend metal grinders, as they are more durable and provide a smoother, more consistent grinding action – but they are also available in plastic or wood version. All that matters is using one!
There are also lightweight, travel herb grinders ideal for smokers on the go that fit conveniently into a wallet. There is no excuse for breaking down bud with your hands!
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Use a Crutch, They Are Clutch
Have you ever been handed a joint with a soggy end that you can barely smoke? Don’t be “that guy” responsible for subjecting your smoking circle to that experience. Also called a filter or tip, a crutch is essentially a mouthpiece made of glass or wood pulp – you can purchase perfectly-sized rolling tips or make them at home. They act as a handle that aids in holding and passing to others while optimizing airflow for an easy draw. As if that weren’t enough, they also aid in the joint rolling process by providing a perfect cylinder to which the rolled cannabis can be integrated. The best part: now you can smoke your joint to the very end.
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Arrange Slowly Before Rolling
Have you ever noticed that some joints come out looking like they have a little”pooch” in the middle? A bit of gentle organization with your fingertips is all that’s needed to position your bud properly and prevent the “pregnant” look, but it’s often overlooked. Pinners (straight, cigarette-shaped joints) are typically rolled for smaller groups and are very efficient, whereas cones (fluted joints that flare at the end) provide a powerful hit and maximize the size of the rolling paper.
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Final Prep, then Roll Patiently
It’s difficult to roll great joints if the ground cannabis is all over the place, so take some time and arrange it neatly within the paper. It’s important to take your time working the cannabis down into the paper to create a tube. We have additional step by step how to roll a joint help for this step if you’re struggling.
After you’ve arranged the bud and rolled the paper back and forth between your fingers, set the whole thing down on the table and see how your roll behaves. If it doesn’t hold its cylindrical shape, you won’t be able to get that tight tuck you’re looking for.
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Create Paper Tension Using the Tip
If you get a little crinkle in the paper after the initial tuck, you can fix it! Using one hand hold the tuck in place, shift your other hand to the tip of the paper and pull away from the crutch. Focus on creating just enough tension in the paper to smooth it out, but don’t pull so hard that you tear it. This is an easy place to struggle, so we have some more detailed tips for how to roll a cone joint to help you get through the tuck and roll process as a beginner.
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Light it Correctly, No Inhale on Ignition
Do not try to earn style points when lighting your joints. Cannabis and organic raw hemp flower joints do not burn like cigarettes, and therefore should be ignited in a different fashion. Gently rotate the joint while slowly increasing the amount of direct heat to create a long-lasting, slow-burning cherry right from the tip of your joint, preventing the dreaded “canoe” that forms when part of the joint burns more quickly than the rest. If one more person rubs their saliva all over the side of the joint to slow down the canoe, we might have to skip our turn.
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Step it up and Smoke Less Paper
Did you know you can roll joints with the paper flipped inside out like pro skier Tanner Hall? By minimizing the amount of paper used to seal the joint, you can further decrease the burn rate and avoid the unwanted paper taste. Rolling inside out may have a steeper learning curve, but those who master it rarely return to the traditional style. Give it a try once you have your basic technique down — you might surprise yourself.
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Twax for Potency
“Twaxing” is a new trend in cannabis. As defined by the originator, @WA5280, to twax is “to apply hash/concentrates to the inside, outside, or tip of your rolls/bowls in any way, shape, or form.” The main benefit here is a huge increase in the potency of your joint, which makes concentrates (including CBD concentrates) a potentially helpful addition (especially when sharing a joint and smoking in larger groups). If you don’t have access to BHO or any other cannabis concentrates where you live, you can still learn how to make dabs at home! By implementing the inexpensive and easy-to-execute rosin press tech, you can use any cannabis flower to produce concentrates for your joints or blunts.
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CBD Joints for Medicinal Benefits
