Pre-Rolls

Pre-rolls are essentially premade joints. Cannabis producers, cultivators, and retailers now offer branded pre-rolls, much to users’ delight. They generally consist of a wrap or paper, ground cannabis, and a filter or crutch lodged firmly at the pre-roll’s base. Some are sold in individual tubes, while others are packaged together as multi-packs. As varied as the packaging may be, pre-roll sizing can run from the length of a pinky finger to the length of a smartphone. Pre-rolls offer consumers a relatively inexpensive, disposable, all-in-one experience that caters to individuals and groups alike.

Pre-rolls provide consumers with many advantages, from convenience to storability and everything in between. Consider a group of friends looking to hang out together on a Friday night. To enjoy cannabis together, they would need to grind their nugs before loading up a bong or carefully rolling the herb into joints, whatever their delivery method of choice may be. If they were to plan on twaxing their weed (rolling their joint in a ribbon of shatter), they would need to set up a small station with the necessary supplies to prep their bud. This ceremonious ritual is loved by some, but many appreciate the convenience of a pre-roll.

Pre-rolls are convenient, come packaged in reusable containers, and range in potency to satisfy even the most discerning of cannabis connoisseurs. They’re surefire heralds of smiles, laughter, and great vibes.

Preroll potency ranges from standalone flower to twaxed cones lacquered in kief; and just as potency varies, so too does flavor. The usage of prerolls allows consumers to experience the power of concentrates without having to vaporize or dab — but how efficient is smoking a joint? How much of the active cannabinoids are actually ingested by your body?

Bluntly put, less than halfway efficient. But that shouldn’t strike them from consideration. Bongs, pipes, and other methods of combustion suffer from similar inefficiencies. A Natural Products Chemistry & Research study published in 2015 found that users typically consume less than half of the available cannabinoids in a joint or preroll. In fact, joint and preroll users only ingest 28% to 46% of the available cannabinoids, with an average 37% across all experiments. The scientists behind the study concluded that the missing mass of cannabinoids end up as ash or uninhaled smoke. Though users, on average, may enjoy but a third of the available cannabinoids in prerolls, their convenience, inherent discretion, and potency variance make prerolls a no-brainer for consumers. Despite their inefficiency, prerolls and joints stand together as internationally recognized and celebrated symbols of inclusion. They’re here to stay.

Pre-roll contents run the gamut from basic, flower-only joints to king-size cones decked to the nines in kief, wax, and top-shelf bud. Depending upon where the pre-roll is purchased, such as from a pre-rolled joint dispensary, users’ mileage may vary.

For years, most pre-rolls contained varied combinations of shake and dry plant parts, including stems and excess leaves, because producers found that they could drastically save on costs by stuffing their pre-rolls with product that would otherwise go to waste. As medical cannabis legislation bloomed across the country, more competition entered the scene, which drove quality up and prices down.

Increased competition across marijuana markets has also driven producers to branch out into offering blunts, which are hollowed-out cigars filled with marijuana, and spliffs, which are joints rolled with cannabis and tobacco. Further, the communal preference for joints, blunts, and spliffs varies geographically. 

Cannabis does indeed have a shelf life. In keeping with natural processes, cannabis degrades over time. Old, aged cannabis tends to grow mold, and lose its potency and flavor over time, but it takes months. That said, smart packaging and storage can combat this phenomenon to great effect.

As with any form of cannabis, proper storage can greatly extend preroll’s shelf life. A handful of chief tenets dictate effective cannabis storage: hermetic sealing and humidity, light, and temperature control.

Mason jars are the go-to airtight storage system for most consumers. They’re inexpensive, translucent, and easy to stack and store. They are, however, fragile in nature. For those with deeper pockets, humidity storage containers are an effective alternative. They were engineered to cure and store cannabis, and they come in various sizes, some of which can hold up to two pounds (0.91 kg) of bud.

Controlling humidity is a little more difficult, but humidity storage or other vacuum-sealed containers allow consumers to protect their cannabis from damaging humidity without the hassle of maintaining dehumidifiers.

When it comes to storing, it’s all about location, location, location. Keeping cannabis in a dark and cool location is optimal. Find a spot in a pantry or under the stairs to keep marijuana safe from light and heat, both of which greatly hasten cannabis’ natural degradation.

Now that you’ve brushed up on your understanding of pre-rolls, treat yourself to the magnificent joint before you. You don’t need to do anything else but enjoy the pre-roll as you would a regular joint.