Moon rocks are nugs of cannabis flower dipped in extracts and rolled in kief. Moon rocks are typically high in THC, averaging more than 50%, and valued foremost for their potency. Moon rocks are also frequently referred to as “cannabis caviar,” although this title is technically reserved for buds dipped in extracts but without the added layer of kief.
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Not only do moon rocks look like something from the lunar landscape, they are also named for the out-of-this-world high you're likely to get from smoking the concoction of weed dipped in concentrated weed and rolled in even more concentrated weed.
Some cannabis consumers use the terms moon rocks and cannabis caviar interchangeably but the descriptors did originally designate two distinct products. Cannabis caviar may refer to moon rocks, or it may just refer to nugs dipped in cannabis oil. So if you're shopping for moon rocks at a dispensary and you hear your budtender talking about caviar, double-check and make sure you're getting kief-covered moon rocks.
Though moon rocks are a relatively new cannabis product, a wealth of variations are already out in the market, including THC-free hemp varieties high in CBD. Cannabis brands continue to engineer their own variations of moon rock products with various cultivars and concentrates. Some pre-rolls on the market mimic the moon rock experience by drizzling concentrate over the finished pre-roll and rolling it in kief. These products essentially allow you to smoke moon rocks without dealing with a sticky mess.
A brief history of moon rocks
Moon rocks materialized out of the longstanding, intimate relationship between cannabis culture and hip-hop. To be more precise, they're the product of a mixtape project between former Death Row Records executive vice president-turned-marijuana mogul Kurupt (Ricardo E. Brown) and music artist Dr. Zodiak (Daniel Laughlin).
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Kurupt and Dr. Zodiak met in 2013 and quickly went from collaborating on a mixtape to launching the first line of branded marijuana moon rocks. Since the advent of Kurupt and Dr. Zodiak's Moonrocks, other brands and dispensaries have breached the stratosphere and launched their own lunar concoctions. Many moon rocks were originally made with the GSC (formerly Girl Scout Cookies) cultivar but now many strains are used, including hemp varieties.
Just how potent are moon rocks?
You might expect moon rocks to hold a large percentage of marijuana's most desirable compound, THC, and you'd be right. Because these cannabis products combine flower and two concentrates, most moon rocks contain more than 50% THC. There's high variability in terms of potency from product to product because the flower, concentrate, and kief all have their own potencies. Add to this the fact that moon rocks are usually coated with more than one layer of concentrate, and you've got a very potent product. Due to its high potency, don't offer a bowl packed with a moon rock to a first-time smoker. CBD moon rock varieties will be equally high in CBD.
Bottom line: Check the label for a potency breakdown and make sure to buy legal moon rocks so you can rest assured those numbers are accurate.
How much can I expect to pay for moon rocks?
As you may have guessed, moon rocks are usually a little higher priced per gram or per eighth (3.5 grams) than your average, top-tier flower. It depends on the quality of the flower, concentrate, and kief but, all things being equal, expect moon rocks to cost more than an equal amount of bud. But remember, it includes three ingredients and is significantly more potent than the flower alone.
How to smoke moon rocks
Smoking moon rocks isn't necessarily complicated, but it does require a little more effort than smoking flower.
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Do:
- Use scissors to break the moon rocks into small pieces
- Use glass smoking gear as opposed to rolling papers
- Lightly pack a bowl of moon rocks into a pipe or a water piece to ensure you lose as little kief as possible
- Use hemp wick to light your moon rocks
Don't:
- Try to roll it up into a moon rock joint or a moon rock blunt
- Put moon rocks in your grinder
- Pack a bowl of moon rock weed too tightly
Bottom line: Smoke moon rocks out of glass because they are too sticky to roll into a joint. Similarly, grinding moon rocks will completely gunk up your grinder and likely remove most of the moon rock's kief coating. The dense texture also makes it necessary to hold a flame to your bowl for longer than you would with dry flower. Using hemp wick will save you from inhaling all of that butane from a lighter.
How to make moon rocks at home
Should you decide to try your hand at making moon rocks at home, you'll need the following items:
- A nug of flower
- Extract or concentrate
- Kief, either store-bought or from your grinder
- Tongs or tweezers to separate sticky ingredients
- A liquid dropper (optional)
Once you have all the necessary tools and ingredients, follow these steps:
- Apply extract to the whole nug. You may be able to roll your nug in the cannabis oil depending on its consistency. Some extracts may need to be heated to reach a consistency that will better adhere to the flower. If the extract is liquid enough, you may be able to use a dropper to place it on and within the nug.
- Let the first layer permeate through the nug the repeat step one. Some canna-crafters inject warm oil into the center of the buds as well.
- Once the extract is layered and set, roll the extract-covered flower in kief. Use tweezers if necessary. The kief should stick to the oil-covered nug easily.
- Set aside the kief- and concentrate-covered nug to dry in a cool place, away from direct light or sunlight.
- Enjoy your homemade moon rocks using the dos and don'ts listed above.