JOINTS 101 - What is a joint and how to deal with it?
For our first blog post, we thought we would tackle the basics and introduce you to our friend, and soon to be yours, The one and only, Joint. Now although we introduce you to our friend as Joint, Joint has been known to go by several alias’. So without further adieu, welcome to Joints 101.
First thing’s first, let’s start with an easy question, What is considered to be a joint?
A joint is essentially what one would call a cannabis cigarette, with or without a filter. Most joints are typically ground cannabis hand-rolled in a thin paper made for smoking. However, with the legalization of cannabis, many new innovations have been created including machine-rolled joints, referred to as pre-rolls or even empty cones you can easily pack, such as the raw classic cones 1 1/4".
Remember the whole “alias” thing? Well, there are different types of joints that exist and with each variation comes a different experience. The O.G. cannabis smoker would argue the ideal way to consume cannabis is by smoking a regular joint. A joint is a smaller amount of cannabis rolled in either a thin rolling paper made of hemp, rice paper, bleached (white) or unbleached (brown) wood pulp paper, all available at any Flamingo Plus Cannabis location or online at www.flamingoplus.ca. There are many varieties that are a combination of those natural materials, catering to different desired effects, from the amount of time it will take to burn, to the structural integrity of the paper and how well it holds up when being handled. Most joints will contain roughly half gram to one gram of cannabis. To roll a joint, you will need a rolling paper, a grinder to grind your cannabis, a toothpick or pokey tool, and of course a nug of your favourite bud.
How do I roll a joint you ask? Here is a quick guide, just remember it's all about trial & error.
As mentioned above, you will need anywhere from half to a full gram. Grind your weed and sprinkle evenly across your paper- adhesive side up. Holding the paper between your fingertips, Slowly pinch and roll the paper back and forth until the cannabis begins to form into a log shape.
At this point it would be optional to add a filter, if you choose to do this, you’re in luck as most packs now come with perforated filters to tear and add to your paper. Fold the filter three or four times until it resembles an “M” or accordion and roll the rest of the filter around it. Place the filter at one end and begin to slowly roll and tuck the bottom (non-glue side) paper around the filter and cannabis.
Continue the tuck and roll motion until you're able to lick the glue and finish the roll. Pinch one end and lightly tap or shake until the cannabis packs to one end (if you are using a filter, tap it as close to the filter as you can. Take your toothpick and gently stick it through the center of the joint and push from the top to bottom. This is a crucial step many people miss, but by doing this, you create a small tunnel that allows an even distribution of air while pulling, making for a smoother drag.
Once you master the original, you are certainly more than welcome to get wild and roll up a fat one or even one in a fun shape like a cross or heart if you’ve got the skills, keep in mind you’ll probably need a little more cannabis for a joint like that.
Our second member of the joint family is the blunt.
Traditionally, a blunt is a cigar filled with cannabis instead of tobacco. Meaning you would in fact destroy a cigar to make a blunt by cutting it down the side and removing the tobacco to replace it with cannabis. If that sounds like too much work, you can use blunt papers or blunt wraps such as the King Palm Pre-Roll Slim’s . The King Palm’s are made out of Cordia leaves which are tobacco free and do not contain any preservatives, artificial flavours, or glue. The main differences between the two is that you can definitely use a larger amount of cannabis in a cigar or blunt wrap, and that because the wrap is made of a thicker material or hemp paper it will burn slow and add a unique flavour to your cannabis. For quality Canadian grown hemp blunt papers, we highly recommend checking out Low Cloud wraps, locally owned and operated right here at home in Manitoba.
And lastly, comes the “spliff.”
More common among cigarette consumers, the spliff is a hand-rolled cigarette containing both tobacco and cannabis. Every true cannabis connoisseur would emphasize the importance of not mixing anything with your cannabis. Keep in mind that there are health effects associated with tobacco smoking & and we at Flamingo + Cannabis Canada highly recommend you to consider it before going for it.
Okay, now that we’ve covered the basics, How can you use them? You can enjoy a joint on your own, with a friend, or as part of a session also known as a,“sesh.” Depending on your tolerance and/or desired effect, consuming anywhere from 1-2 puffs - the entire joint is totally acceptable. The usual rule of thumb when sharing with a friend or taking part in a sesh is “puff-puff-pass.” (It’s exactly what it sounds like, two drags from that baby and pass it over, don’t hog it all to yourself my dude- never cool.)
Which one would work the best for you? Once again, depending on your desired effect, any of these could do the trick. However, because there are many different types of cannabis, there are many types of joints. If you’re looking for more of an uplifting cannabis experience, a sativa strain would be ideal as most sativas will typically give you a buzzy, energetic head high. For a more chilled experience, a joint rolled with an indica strain might be a better choice for you as indica strains have always been known as the “in-da-couch” strains. One might argue it is the undeniable choice for a great night's sleep. And if you're looking for the best of both worlds, a nice hybrid strain will do the trick. With a variation of indica to sativa ratios, once you’ve found the right one you're bound straight for Mellow Town.
If all that plant talk sounded like jibber jabber nonsense to you, never fear! We’ll be breaking down and covering the different types of cannabis plants, the strains they produce, and how they interact with our bodies in future blogs.
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Flamingo + Cannabis | “peace by the gram”.
* It’s important to remember cannabis varies in experience for everybody, so just because something works for one person, it’s not a guarantee it will work for you. Always start low and go slow when trying something new. *
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