Whether you prefer a straight, cigarette-style joint or the classic cone, we all strive to roll the perfectly shaped joint. Not only do pearled joints look good, but they also smoke more evenly than their elbowed counterparts. This step-by-step visual guide will show you how to roll a cone joint (or pinner), making it easy to roll a photo-worthy joint.
Before Anything: Use a Joint Rolling Kit
A joint rolling kit is ideal for managing your smoking essentials because you need a few different items!
Before you get started, make sure you have all your supplies: the best rolling papers, a great herb grinder, rolling tips, cannabis, a poker of some kind, etc. If you need a smart system for managing these items, check out our article on smell proof stash cases.
How to Roll a Perfect Joint
1. Place the Crutch
Crutches, or rolling tips, provide a perfect cylinder to which the rolled cannabis can be easily integrated. The crutch establishes the joint’s general shape and size, providing a stable area to hold the joint while arranging the bud. We prefer to let part of the crutch stick out the end of the rolling paper as shown.
2. Arrange the Bud
IMPORTANT: The ground bud must be evenly arranged in the trough of the rolling paper. While this may sound obvious, this step is often overlooked or rushed. If the bud isn’t evenly dispersed in the paper prior to rolling, the act of rolling of the joint into the desired shape will be significantly harder.
If you are attempting to roll a pinner, the ground bud should be set in the paper as shown in the top of the photo. Alternatively, if you prefer cone joints, arrange in a manner consistent with the lower image.
3. Roll the Paper
Time to actually roll the bud. This step can be the most challenging, as it requires a gentle touch that only comes with practice. The goal is to move the paper back and forth between your fingers, shaping the bud into either a straight cylinder (pinner joint) or a cone joint.
Take your time with this step – if the bud does not hold its cylindrical shape on its own (without your hands pinching the paper), you need to keep rolling, compressing, and shaping. This is arguably the most crucial step in the entirety of the joint rolling process, so go slow here.
Once you have finished shaping the joint, continue to roll the paper between your fingers until the closest flap is oriented as indicated above. Notice that the angle at which the joint is rolled will depend on the desired shape.
4. Tuck, Lick & Stick
These final moves will seal the paper into its cylindrical shape and determine how tightly the joint is rolled. The tighter the roll, the slower and smoother the joint will burn. The tuck should be initiated at the crutch, focusing on eliminating all slack in the rolling paper for a tight roll. If you are having trouble, try using both thumbs and tuck the first inch of the paper while using the crutch for support. This is another tricky step for those new to joint rolling – don’t get discouraged, keep practicing.
If you have successfully tucked the first portion of the papers but are struggling to complete the tuck (because the paper is crinkling), try using one hand to pull the end of the paper as shown above. This will help eliminate crinkles in the paper, resulting in a tighter, more even roll. Once the entire flap is tucked, keep rolling. At this point, the joint should be mostly rolled and it’s time to lick glue strip and stick it down. Some find it easier to lick the glue on the first half of the paper (closest to the crutch) and stick it down prior to licking and sticking the second half.
Pro Tip: You can lick through the paper and still activate the glue strip to seal the second half of the joint.
5. Lock Down the Crutch
Recall how we left a little crutch hanging out the back of the rolling paper. Now that you’re fully rolled, you can push the crutch in towards the rolled bud, effectively tightening the connection between the crutch and the cannabis. After pushing the crutch in to seal the gap, you can give it a quick lick to adhere to the rolling paper to the crutch. This reduces the likelihood of the crutch slipping out of the joint.
6. Pack the Tip
There are a few final touches that will help put the finishing touches on your hard work. Now that you have a rolled joint, its time to pack it and twist it off. The concept behind packing your joint is similar to packing a cigarette – the goal being a slower, even-burning smoke. Packing joints also reduce the likelihood of the cherry falling out of the lit joint as the result of a loose roll. There are a variety of methods used to pack joints, we will outline the most common. Note: it is possible to pack a joint too tight! When this happens, it’s nearly impossible to get a proper draw due to lack of airflow.
MUZZLE LOAD
Muzzleloading is a good way to add a little extra size to the end of your joint. The technique involves shoving ground bud into the tip of the joint similar to loading an in-line rifle. It is best performed with some sort of tool – a pen, dabber, damper, scissors, house key, headphone cord, etc. Use a tool of your choice to help push the bud into the cylindrical tip of the joint and compress it down.
DROP
This packing technique entails dropping the joint (crutch down) onto a hard surface – essentially letting gravity do all the work for you. We have found that several repeated drops from a few inches above a table (or another hard surface) tends to result in the best pack.
SHAKE
This method of packing joints uses centrifugal force and your fingertips to compress and pack the joint. We should note that this technique only works if you have some rolling paper at the tip of the joint to pinch and hold. Once you have the paper at the tip of the joint secured between your fingers, gently use your wrist to shake the joint back and forth as indicated.
7. Twist & Seal
Give the paper at the tip of your joint a slight twist to seal it and you’re done! By utilizing any or all of these rolling techniques, you will produce a superior joint that results in a more pleasurable smoking experience.
Roll it Inside out for an even More Perfect Joint
Truly slow burning, perfect joints are rolled inside out! Learn how to roll a perfect joint with the paper inside out. Many people find that all the same techniques apply, and it soon feels easier than rolling the regular way. Did you know that the type of rolling papers you use will affect how your joint rolls, smokes, and tastes? As a rule of thumb; the thinner the paper, the slower the burn. If you have never tried an ultra-thin rice paper, now is the time.
Rolling Like a Pro on the Go
You can carry all your joint rolling supplies and concentrates in the smell proof safety case. By storing extra flower and concentrates in your smell proof containers, you can vape, roll another, and even pack a one-hitter on the go.
CBD Joints
Did you know you can even roll CBD into a joint for medical benefits? This can be accomplished one of two ways: you can either twax a joint with CBD oil (read our review OR just buy it), concentrate, or isolate, or you can roll your joint using organic hemp flower instead of traditional cannabis buds. We like Lifter and Special Sauce (shown in image below) from Canna Comforts, but each of their diverse array of strains looks, feels, smells, tastes, and vapes just like the top-shelf cannabis strains that inspired them, minus the intoxicating effects of THC.
When inhaled, CBD provides fast-acting symptom relief without the high. For consumers looking for quick, effective dosing without intoxication, organic raw hemp flower joints are definitely the way to go. If you choose to consume THC but desire an extra punch of beneficial cannabinoids for added therapeutic effects, consider twaxing a cannabis joint with full-spectrum CBD oil.
Try CBD in Your Joint