Rolling a joint or blunt is one of the most essential skills for regular cannabis users.
If you’ve never rolled your own joint or blunt before, it can seem difficult at first. With some practice, it's a pretty simple process and a useful skill to know. Rolling your own joints gives you complete control of the size and shape, plus it’s a relaxing experience. Overall, it tends to be cheaper to roll your own joints than purchasing pre-rolls, and you also have more options for strains.
If you’ve never rolled a joint, we’re here to guide you on how to do it.
Why you should learn how to roll on your own instead of choosing pre-rolls
If you aren’t the type of person who likes to use a bong, pipe or other smoking accessory, joints and blunts are likely your go-to option.
Learning how to roll your own joints expands the range of options you have available for strains to choose from. You can also choose the amount of cannabis you want in your joint, the shape of it and you can add things like hash or kief to make them even stronger.
Rolling your own joints is also a relaxing and enjoyable process for many people. Some people develop routines and rituals with the way they roll and putting together what you’re going to smoke can almost be as enjoyable as consuming it.
What do I need to be able to roll a joint?
The only items that are absolutely necessary for rolling joints is a pack of papers and cannabis flower. That said, there are other things you should have to make the best joint possible.
You’ll need to break up your cannabis buds before rolling so you can either get a grinder, use a pair of scissors or break it up with your hands. This will also let you decide how fine you want your cannabis ground up. A finely ground consistency will burn quicker but more evenly, while a coarse grind burns slower but could burn unevenly in the paper.
You can also get a rolling tray to keep all of your tools together in one place and have a clean area set up for rolling joints. Another item you may want to have while rolling is filter tips. This comes down to preference and many people enjoy joints without a filter, but they’ll make holding onto your joints while smoking them easier.
Lastly, having a long and thin tool like a paintbrush, pen or similar item to pack your cannabis tighter if you can’t perfectly roll on the first try is a good idea. If your joint feels a bit too loose before you close it off, you can use this tool to pack the ground cannabis tighter. If you do this, you can continue adding more weed and get a tighter, fuller joint when you can’t roll it perfectly on the first try.
How to roll a joint
The first step to rolling a joint is to grind up your cannabis. Once you have a pile of ground cannabis, lay down your paper and evenly fill it in across the paper. If you prefer putting a filter tip in your joint before rolling, you can do so, but some people prefer to slide it in after rolling.
Carefully pick up the paper with the cannabis on it and use your thumbs to roll the bottom towards the top. Tuck the paper around the cannabis as your rolling to create the circular shape. Roll it as tightly as possible around the cannabis, so it’s a tight roll and burns evenly. Once it’s rolled towards the top where the glue strip sits, lightly lick the glue and finish rolling to seal it.
If it isn’t rolled tightly enough for your liking, use a paintbrush or pen to pack the weed down tighter towards the filter. Then, add more in until it’s filled and tight. Twist the end to keep the cannabis from falling out and you’re all set to smoke your joint.
Alternatively, you can also buy easily fillable pre-rolled cones if rolling them on your own is too difficult. There are also rolling machines you can buy to take the process of physically rolling the joint out of your hands.
Is rolling a blunt different from rolling a joint?
Rolling a blunt is a slightly different process than rolling a joint but is generally similar.
Blunts are made of tobacco, but you can get “blunt” wraps made of hemp leaf if you don’t want to consume tobacco. If you opt for a tobacco leaf blunt wrap, use a pair of sharp scissors and carefully cut along the wrap to crack it open. Remove the tobacco and fill it with your ground cannabis to roll it.
Since there isn’t a glue strip like a rolling paper has, you’ll have to moisten the wrap with your saliva and seal it by carefully rotating it above a flame afterwards. Be careful not to hold it in the same place for too long, or you’ll end up lighting the wrap on fire before it’s ready to smoke.
Some hemp leaf wraps have glue strips though, so you can avoid the heat sealing method if it's too complicated.
Looking for rolling papers, trays and other accessories? Shop one of our Canvas Cannabis locations locally!