- The basic requirements for a joint are paper, ground cannabis, and a packer
- A joint roller can make it easier to roll a joint
- Joint rolling accessories make the process easier and more organized
- Joints are made with paper and blunts are rolled in leaves
From edibles to vaping, there are many fun ways to enjoy your favorite cannabis strain. But still, the classic weed joint, using ground cannabis is an all-time favorite. With our step by step guide and tips on how to roll a joint, you can get it right, ensuring the best experience.
In This Article
What Do I Need to Roll a Cannabis Joint?
The basic components of any cannabis joint are:
- Rolling papers
- Cannabis flower
- A packer—any item you own that’s thin and long enough
How Much Marijuana Do I Need?
It depends on your personal preference and the size of the joint you’re looking to make. Don’t use too much of your preferred cannabis flower, because it could result in uneven burning of the herb. The bigger the joint paper you use, the more cannabis you can pack. In general, between 0.5 and 1.5 grams work well.
Newbies can start with 0.3 grams but experiment to find out what works best for you.
What Type of Cannabis Do I Need?
It’s up to you what type of cannabis strain you want to use. Simply ensure it’s completely dry, so you can easily make ground cannabis, and ensure the joint won’t burn unevenly because of moisture.
What Other Items Do I Need?
Avid marijuana users have discovered what additional items help create the perfect joint:
- A grinder, to create the right texture of the ground cannabis. You load the grinder with buds, close it up and twist it. The twisting motion breaks up the flower into smaller particles. Some marijuana users use scissors for this purpose.
- Homemade or purchased crutches or filters help manage the structure of the joint.
- A rolling tray helps keep the ground marijuana from going everywhere. Some rolling trays have compartments to help organize all items like papers and smoking accessories while keeping them from rolling around when you move to work on another surface. It can have space for an ashtray too.
How To Choose the Right Rolling Paper?
Thanks to the popularity of smoking weed, there are different types of joint rolling paper. Try out different ones to see what suits you best, based on these characteristics:
- Size: There’s the standard size paper measuring 1 ¼ inch by 1 inch and most retailed crutches and filters are made to fit them. Other options to consider:
- Single wides
- 1 ½ papers
- King size
- Single sheet or roll: Rolls of paper are available. They’re of appropriate width and you can tear off a long piece if you want to roll longer joints than usual.
- Paper type: The type of paper you use—pick from rice, bamboo, flax, and even hemp paper—can affect the experience. For example, some contain charcoal which makes them burn up faster.
- Design: Although made from paper, cones are not flat sheets but formed into the proper shape, with a crutch included.
- Flavor: Your paper can even add to the flavor experience if you use flavored sheets.
How To Roll a Joint — The Ultimate Step by Step Guide
Remember, rolling joints do require control and if you stop midway because you realize you’ve forgotten an important element like the filter, you’ll have to start all over again. Make sure you have all you need before starting.
Step 1: Grind the Cannabis
Your goal with grinding cannabis is to get the right texture, with all particles being similar in size. Use a grinder or pick the plant apart using your hands. Scissors can also work but always work with caution without damaging the flower too much. Remove unwanted particles like seeds and stems.
Step 2: Create A Crutch or Filter
Use a store-bought filter or make your own crutch. Take a strip of paper or thin cardboard that’s about ½ inch wide and fold it to resemble an accordion. Wrap the last bit of the paper around what you’ve folded. It must be slim enough to fit inside your joint.
Step 3: Fill the Rolling Paper with Cannabis
Place a rolling paper in front of you with the adhesive part furthest away from you. Position your filter on one side and load the joint with ground flower, spreading it evenly across its length.
Step 4: Roll the Joint
Pick up the paper by using your thumbs and index fingers to push the top and bottom towards each other. Use a rolling motion to pack the flower tighter together. When it’s distributed evenly and packed tightly, tuck in the non-adhesive side of the paper over the ground marijuana and roll a bit more.
Step 5: Seal the Joint
With your tongue, wet the adhesive section. Press down to seal it.
Step 6: Pack the Joint
Make sure there’s enough ground weed inside by inserting your packer tool on the side that doesn’t contain the filter. Push the ground particles closer together. If it feels empty, add more flower. Then twist the open end of the paper, so the flower stays in place, tightly packed.
Step 7: Enjoy!
Now you can light up and enjoy!
Tips For Rolling the Perfect Joint
Various aspects can help improve your rolling results and experience:
- Start off with quality flower.
- Practice and repeat the rolling process patiently, because it determines how evenly the flower is spread around.
- An easy solution for a good homemade filter is to use a business card.
Different Ways to Roll a Joint
Some people create the joint by first adding the marijuana and only adding the crutch or filter afterward. Pushing it into the rolled-up joint helps pack the ground marijuana tightly.
Also, don’t be surprised to see all types and forms of joints created by other marijuana smokers. For example, there’s the ‘tulip design’ with a large bud at one end, wrapped in paper resulting in a joint that looks like a flower. Others use fusilli pasta as a filter. The corkscrew design helps to cool the vapors and prevent you from swallowing ash. For a strong kick, try the shotgun joint, which is two joints wrapped together.
Rolling a joint inside out creates the opportunity to remove excess paper. Less paper means less bothersome smoke and more flavor.
The Easiest Way to Roll a Joint for Beginners
If you’re a total newbie at rolling joints, follow the guideline above, but focus on the following:
- You may find it easier to start with a certain size of paper so try out a standard-sized one and King size and see what feels most comfortable for you
- Press the glued part of the paper down on the filter’s side first, to help keep the shape much easier
- You can invest in papers with built-in filters
FAQ
What is a joint filter?
A joint filter is placed inside a joint to help retain its shape and keep the end open. Filters are often made of paper or cardboard but you can also purchase reusable ones made of glass.
What is a joint roller?
A joint roller makes it easier to roll a joint compared to the manual process. The roller is a mechanical device that helps automate the grinding of cannabis along with filling the paper and rolling the joint.
How to use a joint roller?
The small device has two rollers between which you place the filter and herb. Close it up and roll the device’s rollers using your fingers to grind the marijuana. You’ll then insert the rolling paper between the rollers while they’re still close together.
Once again turn the rollers and the device will slide the cannabis inside the paper. Stop while there’s a small part sticking out so you can lick it and then give it another turn to seal the joint. Open up your joint roller and enjoy.
What’s the difference between a joint and a blunt?
While both joints and blunts contain crushed cannabis plant flower, you use paper for a joint while you’ll use a tobacco leaf to wrap a blunt.
Use our step by step guide and your friends will be asking you for tips for rolling a joint just right. It’s worth practicing since the structure of any joint or blunt determines your overall experience and enjoyment of cannabis consumption.
Brian Miller is a passionate advocate for the legalization of cannabis. He studied law and has a deep understanding of the legal and political landscape surrounding the plant. Despite being a recreational cannabis user himself, Brian's support for legalization goes beyond his personal enjoyment of marijuana. He firmly believes that legalizing medical marijuana will provide much-needed relief for millions of people suffering from various medical conditions.
In addition, Brian is a strong proponent of legalizing recreational marijuana as a means of regulating safe use. He recognizes that legalization would allow for a better understanding of the drug and its effects, leading to increased safety for users and reduced negative consequences.
Brian is also a huge fan of the current variety of weed products and the supportive community that has developed in recent years. He is grateful for the progress that has been made in terms of legalization and is eager to see what the future holds for the cannabis industry. Brian joined with Heather to found Concept420 in 2022.
