Getting the mix right is half the art of joint-rolling. There plenty of scope for choice but quantity is never a substitute for quality – Don’t waste your lungs on inferior ingredients.
The females flower tops are by far the most potent part of the cannabis plant. Thanks to growers all around the world there are thousands of strains and varieties – the quality, strength and nature of which can differ enormously. This has lead to the rise of the weed ‘connoisseur’ who will say things like: “Oh my, what a subtle sativa!” or “Talk about ‘bouquet’ and ‘body’. Avoid these people if you possible can.
Imported bud is often forced-dried and compressed for storage/transit purposes, this can simply be broken-up and crumbled into the mix. Better quality bud which has been properly cured and stored is more delicate. The flower heads should be handled with care to protect the delicate THC glands. Use sharp scissors to break-up the bud and store the remainder in a cool, dark place. Discard any seeds or stems as they contain little THC and are harsh to smoke. Fresh bud may develop mould if stored incorrectly and (painful as it maybe) this should be thrown away as it can damage the lungs and cause infection.
Bud really needs to be combined with tobacco, leaf or an other herbal smoking mixture to allow it to ‘breath’ in the joint. The Hybrid varieties which are genetically bread for extreme potency should used careful until the user is familiar with, and can predict, their effects.
Cannabis leaf is a common ingredient in commercial weed. If you can stand the slightly acrid taste, some leaf, – especially that from the top of a flowering female plant – can by surprisingly potent. Only use well-cured leaves and remove any stems before crumbling them into the mix. The larger ‘sun’ leaves from around the lower part of the plant are too harsh for use in joint-rolling and are best left for the water pipe.
Hashish comes in many different forms from hard and rocky Lebanese to soft and oily Nepalese. As with all Cannabis there is a huge variation in quality. There very best Hashish is made by rubbing the sticky resin from flowering-tops. Most however, contains processed plant material and binding agents and the worst is adulterated with chemicals. Hash is normally heated with a flame, crumbled into a powder and then mixed with tobacco or herbal smoking mixtures. Good Hashish should catch light and crumble with ease. Alternatively, very soft Hash can be rolled into thin ‘sausages’ and placed along the length of the joint.
Never over-fill joints with Hash, or uses large chunks – it will burn badly and much will be wasted. A brief spell in the microwave will give you a perfect Hash and tobacco blend.
Genuine resin oil is very hard to come by but, if you can get it, the real McCoy is incredibly potent. It comes in the form of a black, brown or transparent oily fluid which is smeared across the rolling papers or blended into the mix.
Tobacco is the main ingredient in all joints rolled in Europe. When used with Hashish or strong bud it allows the cannabis to burn properly and improves the taste of the smoke. The down side of addiction and respiratory disease have lead increasing numbers to reject tobacco entirely.
Legal highs have come a long way in the last few years. Although claims of effects comparable to the ‘real thing’ are usually false there are many genuinely psycho-active and therapeutic herbs which can b e used as ingredients in a smoking mix. Legal smoking mixtures can make a good alternative to tobacco and are the only option for smokers seeking a buzz under cannabis prohibition. There is some evidence that certain herbs can amplify the effects of more psycho-active substances.
