Blog > How to Roll a Joint: The Ultimate Guide for Beginners

How to Roll a Joint: The Ultimate Guide for Beginners

It never ceases to surprise just how many different methods you can use to get your high on. You have options that range from the classic bong to the new hype of vaporizers. While these are all fantastic options, nothing beats a good old-fashioned, hand-rolled joint when it comes to the simplest, easiest, and most cost-effective way to smoke weed. Rolling joints is an art form and is a lot harder than it looks. If you've ever tried and ended up with torn rolling papers and sticky fingers, you know exactly what we mean.

Learning how to puff-puff-pass is an integral part of social cannabis consumption. For many people, learning how to roll joints the old-fashioned way is a cultural initiation.

Rolling a joint is a highly personal and intricate craft, and anyone new to the practice can learn how to roll a joint with just a few simple steps.

What is a Joint? If you're new to cannabis and smoking weed in general, you should know that there are three types of hand-rolling: joints, blunts, and spliffs.

Joints Joints are arguably the most well-known method of cannabis consumption. They're small and portable, so you can take them anywhere and light up whenever you want. Ground cannabis is rolled into a thin rolling paper. Papers can be large or small, made of hemp, rice, paper, or other materials. A crutch, also known as a filter, adds structure to the roll so you can smoke your joint all the way to the end without scorching your fingers.

Blunts A blunt is a cannabis-infused roll wrapped in a cigar or blunt wrapper. Tobacco is used to make these wraps, which adds a kick to your high. They're usually larger than joints and will burn slower, allowing them to last a lot longer.

Spliff A spliff is almost identical to a joint, and how to roll it is the same process. However, the difference is that a spliff contains a mix of tobacco and cannabis (crutches are also common among spliffs). They usually contain more tobacco than a blunt, so they will produce even more energetic and buzzy effects. Spliff smokers can adjust the cannabis-to-tobacco ratio to their liking — more cannabis with less tobacco, more tobacco with less cannabis, or somewhere in between.

Rolling a Joint: Materials and Preparation Before you learn how to roll weed into a finely crafted joint, you'll need a few supplies. Get some flower, a marijuana grinder, rolling papers, filters, and a lighter. Visit Amuse for a one-stop-shop for all of the essential components, delivered straight to your door.

Note: You don't have to spend a lot of money on a sophisticated grinder. A simple one will suffice if you're new to this. If you want to improve your joint rolling game later, you can always invest in a better grinder. Similarly, filter tips aren't required, but they are much easier to wrap than ripped-up bits of cardstock.

How to Roll a Joint: Step-by-Step Guide Now onto the fun part — rolling! Here's how to roll a joint free-hand:

  1. Pull out your grinder: The days when you had to split up your marijuana buds by pulling them apart by hand are long gone. A grinder separates a nug by (you guessed it) grinding it into tiny pieces to be dropped straight onto your rolling paper. Just don't overdo it with the grinding. Over-grinding will make it more difficult to pull smoke from the final product, and the flavor will suffer as a result.
  2. Fold your rolling paper in half: The thing to note here is that you need to fold it down the long side (or if you remember elementary school: “hotdog style”). The goal is to make a long gutter into which your bud will sit. Some people like to tear the edge of the paper to make it simpler to roll.
  3. Insert the filter: Place your filter (also known as a crutch) inside the rolling paper at one end. We recommend the side of the folded rolling paper opposite of your dominant hand. NOTE: Marijuana filters, unlike cigarette filters, do not remove any chemicals or tars from the smoke. They are typically used to ensure grounds don't get in your mouth and prevent your fingertips from burning. You can buy pre-made filters or create your own by folding a tiny piece of paper.
  4. Place your pot in the fold: Once the filter is in place, sprinkle your weed onto the fold of the rolling paper. You'll likely start with one pinch from your grinder. It's fine to use a bit more weed than you think you'll require since some of it will drop out during the rolling process.
  5. Shape the joint: Gently rub the ground cannabis down with your thumbs and press it into the paper to produce an even, tube-like shape. Tuck the bottom edge of the paper between the marijuana and the opposite edge of the rolling paper. You're essentially transforming your joint into a little tortilla. Begin rolling the tube back and forth with your thumbs after the rounded edge of the ripped rolling paper is in place.
  6. The finishing touches: When you've made a tight cylinder out of the rolling paper, lick the exposed edge to seal it shut. Close the joint by pinching the open end with your thumb and fingers and twisting it into a point. To make lighting easier, snip the curled paper with a pair of scissors. Your joint is now ready to light, with the exception of one optional step: "the baptism." Marijuana enthusiasts prefer to "baptize" their joints to make the combustible paper burn more slowly. The key to accomplishing this is wetness, and the usual method for baptizing a joint is to place it in your mouth, pucker your lips, and gently slide it out.

And there you have it! Those are the steps for how to roll the perfect joint. The more you practice, the more adept you'll become. You'll also learn your own preferences for joint thickness and density, as well as your own methods for getting the most out of every last piece of ground flower.

Alternative Methods to Rolling a Joint

Having trouble getting the shape right? Here's a quick way to shape a joint using only a dollar bill:

Using a Dollar Bill to Roll a Joint
Beginners can utilize this easy approach. If you're new to freestyle rolling or having difficulties with it, a dollar bill is an excellent place to start.

Step 1: Fill a dollar bill with your mixture and gently roll it back and forth to form it.

Step 2: Place a piece of sticky rolling paper between your mix and your Benjamin (or whichever dollar bill denomination you have).

Step 3: With your thumbs, fold the bill in half and roll it upward. Make sure the rolling paper is forming a cylinder by looping it around itself.

Step 4: Remove the joint while maintaining tight pressure on the paper to prevent it from unraveling.

Step 5: Seal the joint by licking the adhesive strip of the rolling paper. To protect your mix from slipping out, lightly twist both ends.

Is Rolling a Joint Too Difficult?
If you've found that learning how to roll a joint is too difficult or you prefer not to inhale the fumes, there are other options available to you:

Eat It
Edibles will provide you with all of the benefits of CBD, THC, and other cannabinoids without the drawbacks of smoking.

Imbibe it
Combine the relaxing feature of tea with the symptom-relieving properties of cannabis by creating marijuana tea. Drinking marijuana tea is a great alternative to smoking weed.

Oils
Cannabis tinctures are oils produced from the herb's extracts. They generally come with a dropper and instructions for how many drops should be placed beneath your tongue.

Creams
Applying cannabis topicals straight to the skin has made getting THC in your system more accessible.

Skip Rolling Joints By Hand and Order From Amuse

If rolling joints just isn't your thing, check out the wide selection of pre-rolls from Amuse. Our expertly hand-rolled joints are high quality and are built to last. Amuse has the most extensive assortment of cannabis products from your favorite brands in California. Contact us today to place an order and have premium cannabis delivered straight to your door.

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