Six Steps to Rolling the Perfect Joint

Learn how to roll the perfect joint every time in six easy steps from SereneFarms.Ca 

Serene Farms your online dispensary teaches you how to roll the perfect joint every time in six easy steps.  No more embarrassing fumbling with your weed and papers as Serene Farms shows you the six simple steps to ensure you roll a great joint every single time.

1. Prepare weed, papers, grinder and filter; 2. Grind cannabis into fine shake;  3. Roll up a good-quality filter; 4. Sprinkle ground cannabis and pack into paper; 5. Roll paper around weed creating cylindrical joint; 6. Ensure cannabis is packed evenly and twist joint closed.

First of all, you get a fat bag of ism

From Uptown, any local store sells the shit, friend

Purchase a Phillie—not the city of Philly, silly punk

I’m talking about the cigar, the Phillie Blunt

Lick the blunt and then the Phillie Blunt middle you split

Don’t have a razor blade, use your fuckin’ fingertips

Crack the bag and then you pour the whole bag in

Spread the ism around until the ism reach each end

Take your finger and your thumb from tip to tip

Roll it in a motion, then the top piece you lick

(Redman & Pete Rock – How to Roll a Joint, 1992)

No subject ignites more furious debate amongst cannabis users than the question of how to roll a joint.  Everyone has an opinion. Redman & Pete Rock are no exception; their views are clear, but are they correct?  This article investigates and explains exactly how to roll the perfect joint.

The Myriad Forms of Cannabis Cigarettes

Reefers, doobies, jays and jazz cigarettes – joints go by many names and the way they are rolled varies across different times and places.  From one side of the globe to the other people roll joints with whatever they have to hand, producing all manner of strange smokable creations.   So it’s no surprise that things can get a little confusing.  

Overall, when we are talking about ‘rolls’ we are referring to anything using paper to contain cannabis, which is then ignited and inhaled.  Normally rolls are made by the user themselves, although ‘pre-rolls’ are now also readily available. All these different instruments we can label cannabis cigarettes.

But not all cannabis cigarettes are joints.   Joints are just one of three distinct varieties of rolls, the others being blunts and spliffs.  These three types are distinguished by what they contain, the material used to roll them and how they are rolled.  

Joints, Blunts and Spliffs – The Three Types of Rolls

Perhaps the most important point is that joints and blunts are distinguished from spliffs in that they contain only cannabis. 

Joints are rolled with light, almost translucent cigarette papers and often contain a filter, referred to as a roach, tip or crutch.  This helps structure the joint as well as allowing the user to smoke the contents down to the very end.

Rather than using cigarette papers, blunts are made by filling rolling tobacco paper, typically with a larger amount of cannabis. Cigar papers are usually compressed tobacco leaves and are dark brown, thicker and heavier.  Blunts can also be made by cleaning-out cigar wraps and are usually larger than a typical joint. It’s worth noting that the tobacco paper of blunts can affect both the flavor and experience for the user.  

Spliffs contain cannabis with usually a smaller amount of tobacco, and are rolled in the same way as a joint, usually with a crutch.  Essentially, adding tobacco to a joint makes a spliff.  

These three rolls differ not only in their appearance, but importantly in the experience for the smoker. Before the effects of cannabis are felt, the tobacco in spliffs gives users an initial physical buzz and head-rush.  This effect is pronounced in spliffs, but may also be noticeable when smoking blunts due to the interaction of tobacco paper and cannabis.

At the time of  Redman & Pete Rock’s instructional track, Philly Blunts, a brand of cheap cigar commonly enjoyed by old men on park benches, suddenly became the go-to for weed-heads. Philly Blunts, the theory went, helped make weed last longer, all the better for passing around a group.  Maybe so, but in making their claim Redman & Pete Rock made a classic categorization error. That’s not a joint and their track should have been titled How to Roll a Blunt.  

Moreover, there are a number of good reasons why we might want to ignore their advice altogether and not bother with blunts at all and, instead, roll a joint.

The Advantages of Joints

Joints are simple, small and convenient.  Unlike spliffs there is no other material to add and, especially, no harmful tobacco. But perhaps their biggest advantage is that they are the easiest to roll.  There are a wide-range of papers produced specifically to be used to easy to handle to help you roll a roll joints with as little hassle as possible. In contrast to blunts, there is no need for the tricky deconstruction of a cigar or the use of cumbersome tobacco leaves.  Joint papers are, quite literally ready to roll.  

There’s no need to be an origami master.  With a little practice you can produce a perfect joint in a couple of minutes.  Follow the six simple steps below to master an essential cannabis user skill.

Step 1: Take Time to Prepare 

This first step is key, preparation ensures you have your essential joint rolling tools.  There is nothing more frustrating than starting to roll your joint only to find you are missing something.  There are really only five things you need and these can be carried with you most anywhere: 

1. Your bag of cannabis
2. A stack of rolling papers
3. Filters 
4. A cannabis grinder
5. A pen.

Firstly, of course, you need your weed of choice.  This is no small matter and many thousands of words could be written on the topic.  Here, we’ll just highlight three issues: choose your strain carefully, make sure you don’t run out, and keep that weed dry. 

Different rolling papers vary in terms of flavor, taste, color  and the ease with which they are rolled. Papers made from a huge range of materials are now available, including those made from rice and, naturally, hemp.  Although papers come in different sizes and thickness, the classic size of a joint derives from the standard three-inch rolling paper, while the thickness of the paper will depend on how much cannabis you expect it to hold.  Hemp papers are popular because as well as being thin they are also strong, and burn evenly without having any detrimental effect on flavor. Three-inch hemp papers would make an excellent choice. Along the edge of one length of your paper will be a strip of glue, this is for securing your joint when rolled.

Filters, crutches, roaches or tips, whatever you call them, don’t treat them as an afterthought.  If you want to roll the perfect joint you must have something you can use to make a good filter. Substantial anecdotal evidence of those scrambling around for suitable filter material clearly demonstrates photocopier paper is not strong enough and the back of cereal packets is too thick.  An index or business card might work, as might a magazine.  

If you prefer something a little more custom-made (and if you want to really hone your joint-rolling technique, this might be a good idea) there are two options.  The first is to go all out and invest in a reusable glass or metal joint tip. This may seem an unnecessary expense for something that does the job of an old library card, however, for all those moments when you need a tip and can’t find one, when the only thing between you and cannabis enjoyment you’ve been so looking forward to, it might just be worth it.  Indeed, as these products will see you through many hundreds of joints, each of which you will be able to smoke all the way down to the filter, it is likely to be a good long-term investment.  

The second option is to buy one of the many pre-cut crutches now on the market.  These are made from long-fiber paper so they can roll smoothly, while being rigid enough to hold their shape whilst smoked.  For perfect filters every time use natural hemp and cotton rolling tips with perforations to ensure they always fold at the right place.

A cannabis grinders is not an optional extra.  Although there are various alternative methods to break up cannabis if you don’t have a grinder, anyone who is really serious about producing high-quality joints needs a grinder.  A purpose-built grinder (choose a four-piece grinder with a kief catcher) will quickly and effectively break your cannabis up into the fine grain that’s ideal for wrapping in rolling papers.  

Lastly, you will need a pen (or a similarly-shaped implement to pack down your cannabis once it is rolled.

Step 2: Grind your Ganja

Good quality weed, well-ground is the basis of any good joint.  As mentioned above, the grinding process is made a lot easier with dry weed as it will crumble more readily.    

A four-piece grinder is composed of a lid, a grinding chamber with metal ‘teeth’, a screen below this where your ground weed collects and below this a basket.  Start by removing the lid and use your fingers to break up the larger buds of your weed and feed them into the grinder’s teeth. With the lid of the grinder back on twist the grinder until all the weed has dropped through the holes.  Give a little tap to dislodge any buds stuck between the teeth.  

Once you open the grinder the freshly ground cannabis will be collected on the screen, ready to be loaded into your joint.  Ensure your weed has become a fine, dusty grain. This is commonly referred to as ‘shake’ and experienced joint rollers know it is key to rolling the perfect joint.  It’s a good idea to empty the shake onto a flat surface like a chopping board.  

Meanwhile, the container below the screen acts as a kief catcher.  Kief comes from one part of the silvery trichomes on cannabis plants.  These are valued by cannabis users as they contain the strongest concentration of cannabinoids, such as THC. Grinding removes the very fine crystals from the buds.  These will fall through the screen and in the base of your grinder will look like a fine, sticky powder. In pursuit of the perfect joint, this most potent form of cannabis, can be very useful.    

Step 3: Yes Filter

There are those who claim a crutch isn’t necessary.  The perfect joint, however, wouldn’t allow stray cannabis to fall into your mouth, it wouldn’t burn your fingertips, it wouldn’t get soggy.  But the perfect joint would allow you to smoke the joint all the way to the end and enjoy every bit. And for these reasons you need a filter.

Let’s assume you haven’t invested in your own monogrammed glass filter and have instead bought a batch of pre-cut crutches.  These need to be suitably folded before being placed into your joint. The best way of doing this is using what is sometimes referred to as a ‘concertina fold’.  This will take a little time to master but it’s time well worth spending as a well-made filter will ensure a smooth, trouble-free smoke.

Begin by making four folds across the crutch so that when pressed together they create an M.  Leave plenty of the crutch paper remaining as this should be used to roll in a circle around the folds.  From the end you should now be able to see an M within a circle.  You should now be able to roll this cylinder between your fingers and thumb.  As the folds want to spring open you will be able to feel a little outward pressure.  This is fine as it will work to hold your filter within the joint and prevent it from sliding around.   

The filter can now be placed at the end of the rolling paper.  Leave about a quarter of the filter extending out the end of the joint.

Step 4:  Sprinkle and Pack

Place your rolling paper on the fingers of your left hand (if you are right-handed) and hold the filter in place with your thumb.  Use your right hand to sprinkle shake it into the paper. For three-inch papers somewhere between half a gram and a gram should suffice.  Once the paper starts to feel full use your left hand to start to shape the paper around it.    

With all the shake added this is when you may want to reach into the bottom of your grinder for a sprinkling of kief.  Adding kief will give your joint extra potency and take your smoking experience to another level. Continue shaping the paper around the shake so that the contents fill out your joint and begin to form a cylinder.

Now hold the joint in the fingertips of both hands, one hand at each end and gently rotate it back and forth so that slowly the shake packs down evenly along the paper. Rotate is the keyword here; you don’t want to fold your paper in half and create a crease.  Keep your fingertips soft to create a nice round cylinder. Once all the shake and kief is packed into the paper, it’s time to roll your joint. 

Step 5:  Roll Up, Roll Up

And now we come to the crux – the actual rolling.  First observe the strip of glue on one length of the paper.  Hopefully, your joint will be nicely packed leaving only enough overlap for a small seam.  Carefully, tuck down the unglued length beneath the glued side. Don’t be tempted to press it down, just let it roll under.  

It’s important here to take your time, rushing this step will spoil your joint and make it uneven.  Experienced rollers realise the key is to strike a balance between keeping your fingertips light while ensuring the joint is rolled tightly.  What you need to avoid is pressure being applied only in certain spots which will make your joint lumpy. Instead, run your fingertips along the length of the joint while you roll, applying an even pressure.

When one edge of the paper is rolled evenly beneath the other, use a little moisture to stick down the top edge at the end over your filter.  Then proceed to work up the joint, ensuring a constant amount of paper is tucked under and then sealing the top paper down. Again, it’s important to roll one edge under and roll the opposing edge over, always maintaining that cylindrical shape.  Pressing down will result in your joint being misshapen. You should find a good filter will help you maintain this form. Finally, you should have a nice even, secure seam. 

Step 6: Finish Up

You’re almost there.  Now you just need to ensure that your shake is packed evenly throughout the length of your joint.  This will ensure an even burn. To do this gently tap down your joint on a table so that the filter pushes up flush with the paper.  Remember the pen? Use it to gently pack down the opposite end of your joint. If this pushes the filter back out, repeat the process.

This should leave you with a little extra paper at the end, pinch and twist to close the joint and keep everything together.  

And there you have it – your perfect joint!

But let’s be honest, if this is your first time trying the chances are it may be a little less than perfect.  Don’t panic. It takes a little while to hone joint rolling skills. Practice, practice, and a little more practice is the remedy.   But once you master it you’ll have an incredibly useful skill that will impress others and provide you with many blissful moments.  

For more on how to roll the perfect joint and much more on cannabis products and culture, visit SereneFarms.Ca.