If you need to light up and don’t have the skills, no worries! You can score your fix with a pre-roll joint in any of the dispensaries near me – an underestimated convenience that comes courtesy of legal weed. From vapes to edibles, waxes or oils; dispensaries are bartering it all – but nothing beats the iconic joint for a trip down cannabis lane. So hop on any local dispensary site and pick from their huge selection…your perfect match awaits in every puff!
Why Purchase a Pre-Roll from a Dispensary?
Joints are the OG of cannabis and they truly reign supreme! Cheap, convenient and just so easy to pass around post-pandemic when we can finally hang with our pals again. Forget about glass pieces which take forever to clean or edibles that require a time commitment – joints remain at the top for hassle free pleasure anytime you need it.
Actually rolling your own joint old school style, however, is easier said than done. It often takes lots of practice before you can create a nice, uniform joint. Consider the steps:
- First, you must grind the cannabis (which requires a grinder).
- Second, it’s time to create the joint “crutch” or filter.
- Next, the paper must be filled with the right amount of flower.
- Once the flower is in place and packed, it’s time to roll the joint.
- Finally, you complete the joint by packing the end and finishing with a firm poke and twist.
- Smooth out edges, and fire it up – careful not to let it run!
Making a proper joint that doesn’t burn well or fall apart requires nimble fingers and literal hours of practice. This is what makes the dispensary pre-roll so convenient. It’s even more convenient that you can easily add them to your preorder at your local dispensary for a very reasonable price.
A standard pre-roll contains everything necessary for a quality joint: cone wrapper, cannabis, and filter. Some pre-rolls are sold per piece, but others also come in packages which can carry a variety of flower assortments.
For beginners making their first purchase at a pot shop, it is worth considering a pre-roll. It is simple and inexpensive. Most importantly, pre-rolls are ready to use. While dispensaries also offer edibles, oils, dabs, and other forms of cannabis, pre-rolls remain a popular “add on” to customer orders.
What Are the Different Types of Pre-Rolls?
Just as there are different forms of cannabis, there are actually different categories of pre-rolls.
Classic Joint.
The standard pre-roll (sometimes known as the “doobie”) contains anywhere from 0.5 to 1.5 grams of cannabis, depending on the manufacturer. The paper is generally made from rice or hemp. Users describe the appearance as “twisted like a rocket or stuffed in like a cannon.”
The King-Sized Joint.
To get an even bigger joint, larger king-sized paper is used for this pre-roll. Instead of 0.5 to 1.5 grams of flower, the king-size allows for 1.0 to 1.75 grams.
In addition to more flower content, this larger doobie also has more variation when it comes to the filters. Filters with larger diameters, for instance, allow for a larger hit. A filter that is longer and looks more like a funnel will “cool” the hit and lighten the burning sensation that comes with smoking.
The Dipped Doobie.
This variation of the king-sized joint includes covering the pre-roll with cannabis oil and then covering it up with flower. In other words, as stated somewhere on Reddit – “we heard you like weed so we dipped your weed in some weed oil and covered it in weed!”
Think of a candied apple sprinkled with nuts. The joint itself is like the apple, the cannabis oil like the caramel, and the flower on top is like the nutty coating!
Blunts.
You can visually tell the difference between a joint and a blunt. While a joint is made of unbleached paper, the blunt is rolled into compressed hemp leaf or tobacco paper.
To put this into perspective, tobacco cigars are generally wrapped in condensed tobacco leaf. In fact, some blunts are even wrapped with cigar paper, Cuban style. Hemp leaf and tobacco leaf both provide sturdy, hefty wrappers that can hold anywhere from 3 to 10 mg of flower.
The main draw of a blunt is it’s enormous size. It’s a classic to share with a large group of friends, as it carries much more flower than the other prerolls in this list.
The Classic “Spliff”.
A spliff is most similar to a joint, but rather than flower-filled roll, it contains a mixture of both tobacco and weed. In most cases, the ratio favors the tobacco content. Users describe the experience as “a more energetic, buzzing effect”. Most smokers in other countries outside the U.S. consider the spliff their standard joint.
If you’re looking for a spliff in a dispensary, it is important to note that they can sometimes look like real cigarettes and come in packs of 5 to 12 pieces, so they’re easy to miss.
Cannabis Cigarettes.
These are exactly what they sound like Unlike spliffs, cannabis cigarettes only contain cannabis, so there is no tobacco or nicotine content inside.
Cannagars (Cannabis Cigars).
These monsters originate from Thailand and contain anywhere from 4 to 8 grams of flower, and are similar to the blunt. As you can probably already tell, these cigars are generally not meant for 1 person. They can last for quite awhile and can survive being passed around a large group.
Cannagars are as sturdy as traditional cigars, so you don’t have to worry about them disintegrating in your fingers. Fan-formed leaves from the cannabis plant are used to roll the flower, which is typically infused with distillate or rosin.
At the Dispensary
Your local pot shop may have a few variations of these classics, but these are generally considered the staples of pre-rolls.
Of course, if you have any questions along the way, budtenders are there to help you navigate through the inventory to find the right product for you. If you’re ordering online, prerolls make a great “add on” item to your order, especially given how affordable, convenient, and varied they are!
Are Pre-Rolls Just Cheap Quality Cannabis?
One of the common misconceptions about pre-rolls is that the quality of the flower isn’t as high as other cannabis products.
Remember, you do get what you pay for. Prices for single prerolls can range from $5 to about $15, and it’s important to check out all of the specifics of the product before you buy. Some joint packs containing several joints of one flower strain can cost upwards of about $30.
When in doubt of quality, always ask your budtender! Lots of dispensaries sell shake joints derived from the flower sold, and roll them on-site. Your budtender can tell you all the specifics of the strain as well as their process for creating the product.
Furthermore, we recommend taking a look at who made the pre-roll. Several manufacturers specialize specifically in pre-rolled joints. Specialty companies and high-quality growers will sell joints with comparable quality to their flower. Remember, if a brand’s success relies on pre-rolls or the reputation of its flower, it’s safe to bet that the pre-roll will be of good quality.
So, why do so many people think that pre-rolls are generally bad quality?
This misconception comes from the use of “shake”. Widely considered the secret ingredient in prerolls, shake is the “leftovers” of the cannabis flower and buds.
Think of it this way: when you have a bouquet of flowers, petals and leaves will naturally fall off. The same thing happens with cannabis flower. Smaller pieces will break off of the larger buds. This is what’s known as “shake”.
To prevent waste of all the parts of good quality marijuana, manufacturers will use shake in their pre-rolls. It is important to note that it is not just the “cheap” manufacturers that use shake, however. Rather, this is a widespread practice that ensures that all of a dispensary’s flower is put to good use.
Can Shake Be Of Good Quality?
Some users incorrectly believe that shake is low quality cannabis, but it really is just smaller pieces of the same quality flower. In fact, because shake is the crumbly stuff that falls to the bottom of jars, it’s almost always cheaper than flower that is still in bud form — and it is from the exact same plant.
One of the primary reasons that shake gets a bad rep is because just like leftover spaghetti, shake can go bad.
Similarly, if the cannabis jars have been sitting out too long, the shake can dry out, resulting in a less than ideal, and “stale” experience.
Another valid concern is that cheap pre-rolls may even include trim (bits of stems, leaves, and other components of the plant). If you are concerned about the quality of a pre-roll, you can always sacrifice a single joint by cutting it open. If the contents don’t look the same as a ground up nug, then chances are that it is low quality shake.
Again, don’t be afraid to ask your budtender about any quality concerns. In fact, you always should! A high quality pot shop knows their products and should be willing to stand behind them.
How Long Are Pre-Rolls Good For?
Of course, anything made of organic matter will eventually go bad! With marijuana, the flower just seems to become more stale, and may not retain its unique aroma over time.
To avoid wasting your joints, be sure to:
- Store them in a cool, dry place. Cannabis is extremely sensitive to the environment. Even if you buy pre-rolls from a top notch dispensary, you’ll want to store the product in a cool, dry, and dark place. Too much light from the sun can cause the weed to degrade. Similarly, too much humidity can negatively impact the flavor or, in worst case scenarios, result in mold growth.
- Keep them in an airtight container. If you purchase a pack of pre-rolls, be sure to store the rest of the pack in an airtight container once it is opened. Exposure to air can dry out the weed, especially shake. On the other hand, the lack of an airtight container can also result in exposure to moisture and humidity.
- Check the expiration dates. The standard packs last anywhere from 2 months to a year. Most quality manufacturers will make the expiration date easy to see. If the pre-roll becomes too dry or even crispy, then it’ll likely need to be thrown away (unless of course, you’re fine with sparking up some old bud).
How Can I Find a Quality Pre-Roll?
The first step is to find a dispensary that you trust, and one that has great reviews and a solid reputation. A quality pot shop will sell quality products. After all, their reputation is built on providing the best cannabis for their customers.
Next, you‘ll want to consider the various types of pre-rolls available on the menu (classic joint, king-sized joint, dipped doobie, blunts, spliffs, cannabis cigarettes, cannagars, etc.) and determine the right one for you.
For beginners, we recommend starting off with the classic preroll joint, ranging from 1 gram to 1.5 grams. More experienced or social users might want to experiment with the dipped doobie, cannagars, or blunts.
Price Points
Take a look at the price point. Again, price isn’t everything, but when it comes to cannabis, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. In other words, low cost cannabis almost always results in low cost prerolls.
If you’re unwilling to purchase a pack, then consider purchasing a single so you can test out the preroll. Still, prerolls are generally more affordable than edibles, flower, vapes, and the like, so you can always purchase prerolls as an “add on” to your purchase and stay within your budget.
It’s also important to note that prerolls are available for both recreational and medical marijuana sales.
Rolling It Out
The pre-roll is the ultimate convenience of cannabis. You won’t have to roll the joint yourself — and you won’t have to set aside hours of your day like you would with an edible. Even if you’re a veteran cannabis user, there’s nothing wrong with saving a little bit of timing and “outsourcing” your rolling! In some cases it might even be time to upgrade your usual joint!
