In the era of smartphones and at-home delivery, convenience is king. So, it should come as no surprise that this same trend now extends to the legal cannabis industry. As more manufacturers devise ways for you to better enjoy your flower, it’s getting more effortless to light up all your favorite strains, even on a stressful day or when you’re on the go.
Enter the pre-roll, a portable, pre-measured experience that’s easy to dose and even easier to smoke. Whether you’re new to the many methods of partaking in cannabis or you’re simply getting tired of rolling DIY joints, it’s worth investigating how to properly smoke a pre-roll.
Cannabis Pre-Roll Basics: What to Know Before Lighting Up
Even if you’re committed to the age-old experience of grinding buds, you’ll likely be tempted by the many useful features of high-quality pre-rolls.
A cannabis pre-roll is simply a premade joint full of ground cannabis flower wrapped snugly in smokable material like rolling paper. Rolling papers can be made from wood pulp or other natural materials like hemp fibers. Some brands also offer rice paper options, which are usually the thinnest out of all the types of rolling papers.
Today, there are many cannabis strains and hemp pre-roll varieties that offer higher traces of certain cannabinoids besides THC, such as non-intoxicating CBD, CBN, and others.
What Are The Different Kinds of Cannabis Pre-Rolls?
While the basic structure of a pre-roll involves three features—ground cannabis flower, rolling paper, and a filter (also known as a crutch)—this product type has a few unique variations. You’ll often find three distinct categories of cannabis pre-rolls when shopping through a medical marijuana dispensary:
- Standard Pre-Rolls: The classic pre-roll consists of ground cannabis flowers wrapped in flavorless rolling paper. These products offer all the flavors, aromas and effects of a joint, except you don’t have to put in the extra effort to grind, transfer, and roll it up.
- Infused Pre-Rolls: When a pre-roll is infused, there’s another ingredient inside the rolling paper beside the ground cannabis flower. Often, infused pre-rolls contain extracts or concentrates like hash, budder, or wax mixed in, all of which add a significant potency and flavor boost to your smoking session. Carefully read the third-party lab results on any infused cannabis pre-roll to verify the exact ingredients in your product and understand its potency.
- Blunts: Unlike standard pre-rolls, blunts most often use a thicker tobacco wrap most commonly found on cigars. While some blunts are made with hemp rather than tobacco wrappers, they typically contain significantly more ground cannabis than standard joints, giving them a longer life and higher potency. Blunts also have a distinctive “smokier” flavor due to the thicker wrapping paper. Blunts also come in infused varieties.
How To Properly Smoke a Pre-Rolled Joint: Step-By-Step
Before lighting your pre-roll, it’s crucial to consider your set and setting to immerse yourself in the weed-smoking experience. Always double-check the cannabis smoking laws where you reside so that you know the designated zones to spark up your favorite flower legally. If you’re smoking outside, it’s best to steer clear of windy areas to make lighting your joint as simple as possible.
Once you’re in a comfortable spot to light up legally, follow these steps for the perfect pre-roll session.
Step 1: Lighting A Joint (Without Getting Burned)
Typically, people use a portable lighter to ignite the tip of a pre-roll joint, but others might feel more comfortable using matches or even a hemp wick when lighting a joint. Whatever you choose, you want to focus on heating your cannabis flower as evenly as possible when you hold the flame to the tip of the pre-roll.
As you light your joint, rotate the pre-roll around the flame a few times to spread the warmth, then puff gently on the mouth end to start the smoke session.
Step 2: Gentle Inhalation
Instead of deeply inhaling immediately, start by taking a few short, gentle puffs to ensure everything is burning smoothly and to allow your lungs to adjust to the smoke. After establishing a cherry—the glowing ember at the tip of your joint that signals the pre-roll will stay lit on its own—you can inhale deeply into your lungs and hold for a few seconds to absorb the cannabinoids and terpenes.
Step 3: Slow Exhalation
To complete the cycle, exhale as slowly as you can to prevent coughing. You should also wait a few minutes between puffs to gauge how potent a pre-roll strain is and decide when you’ve achieved your desired effects.
Note: If you find your pre-roll too harsh, glass tips can be attached to your joints to help provide smoother smoke. They can be especially helpful if you’re prone to coughing.
Step 4: Extinguishing Your Pre-Roll
As you enjoy your pre-roll, keep a tray nearby and frequently tap your joint to remove any excess ash. When you are finished, you can press the tip of your burning pre-roll against the surface of your ashtray until all of the embers go out. Be careful not to crush the joint at this stage; otherwise, it will be difficult to reuse! It helps to hold the joint as close to the embers as possible, without burning your fingers.
To check whether your pre-roll is entirely extinguished, turn the tip up, blow on it, and look for any signs of a glowing ember. If you see slight sparks in your joint, press it again against the ashtray until they’re completely gone.
Optional: You can also remove the cherry completely by angling your pre-roll against the ashtray and pushing it off. This method will cut down on the strong smell associated with extinguished joints, and remove most of the charred material.
Step 5: Storing Your Pre-Roll
After you’re sure your joint is fully extinguished and you’ve given it a few extra minutes to cool, place it inside an airtight container to help preserve its freshness, either back in the tube it came with or placed in a container of your choosing.
Airtight containers can help prevent the weed’s distinctive scent from spreading, which is excellent news if discretion is a concern in your home. Keep the container in a reliably cool, dry, and dark place to prevent accidentally weakening the cannabinoids and terpenes.
Shop Premium Pre-Rolls and More at Takoma Wellness
We hope you’re now ready to light up your next pre-roll with confidence! But if you’d like to learn more, check out our full consumer’s guide to pre-rolls or check out the wide selection of pre-rolls we currently have on offer.
Whatever your preferences, Takoma Wellness stocks plenty of lab-tested, potent and high-quality cannabis products to suit all your needs.
If you’re in the DC area, we’d love for you to stop by, or browse our online menu for quality cannabis and pick up your goods in-store. You can also choose convenient delivery and get everything sent right to your door. Or if you have questions about the new self-certification process in DC, reach out! We’re happy to help.