Infused pre-rolls are pre-rolls that have been infused with cannabis concentrates. In addition to cannabis flower, an infused pre-roll might feature concentrates like kief, hash, or rosin.
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What is a pre-roll?
A pre-roll is a consumer-ready joint that is prepared and pre-rolled by a cannabis retailer or brand. Pre-rolls are especially popular because they eliminate the need to tediously roll and prepare joints at home. Even more appealing is the fact that they can be purchased individually in easily transportable tubes or pre-packaged multi-packs. More often than not, they come in strain-specific rolls that vary in size and range in potency from bunk to skunk.
Pre-rolled joints are also likely to have better quality construction than the ones you may roll yourself. While some high-end pre-rolls may be shaped by master rollers, it's likely that a rolling machine is making your pre-rolls uniform and consistent.
Ultimately, pre-rolls are the perfect answer when you don't want to roll a joint, can't roll one, or just want to try a taste of a specific strain without investing in a larger quantity.
What is an infused pre-roll?
Similar to their counterparts, infused pre-rolls are pre-rolled joints with the addition or infusion of concentrates either inside the joint, on the outside paper, or a combination of both. Some of the more common concentrates found in infused pre-rolls include hash, wax, and live rosin, and the options are endless.
Why choose infused pre-rolls?
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With a large and potent variety, relative affordability, and time-saving convenience, infused pre-rolls are a prime choice for joint lovers, people with a higher tolerance, or those that just want the ease of a pre-rolled joint with a little extra oomph.
For some, an infused pre-roll may spice up a stagnant smoking routine, or it can act as a celebratory indulgence for a special occasion. However, the popularity really boils down to the fact that infused pre-rolls level up the experience and pack more of a punch than a regular joint with the same ready-to-smoke convenience factor.
There are so many benefits to pre-rolls that it's been a natural evolution to infuse them with other cannabis concentrates for an even more involved experience.
Common concentrates found in infused pre-rolls
With such a large variety of concentrates to choose from, it can be hard to know where to start, but with this guide, we'll give you an overview of a few of the more popular ingredients in infused pre-rolls.
Kief
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Kief is the term for accumulated loose trichomes or resin glands and can be identified as the greenish powder left in the grinder after grinding fresh cannabis flower. Easily mixed into joints and blunts or sprinkled on top of bowls, kief is likely the cheapest and most readily available option to make homemade infused pre-rolls. Its powdery nature makes it easy to blend in with ground herb and ensures a smooth and even flow of air through your joint.
Hash
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Hash is kief that has undergone a process involving pressure and heat to create a solid concentrate. When pressure and heat are applied to kief, it experiences physical changes to its appearance, texture, color, taste, and potency that transform it into hash or hashish.
Widely considered one of the original concentrates that date back centuries, hash is solid, and it's best to break it down into smaller pieces when infusing into a joint. Sharp edges and big chunks of it can rip rolling papers and create a loosely packed and poorly smoking joint.
Wax
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Not quite solid like shatter but not liquid like hash oil, wax has an opaque appearance and thick but malleable texture that gives it its name. Depending on the type of extraction process, wax can appear in a variety of forms that vary in texture from runny, called budder for its butter or batter-like consistency, and more solid forms like crumble and honeycomb, which are closer in nature to something like shatter.
Crumble wax, also known as honeycomb wax, is an extract identified by its crumbly texture when handled. Unlike other Butane Hash Oil (BHO) derived extracts, crumble wax is quite dry and therefore can be easily crumbled up and fit into a joint.
Shatter
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Shatter is extracted using a solvent. Like other forms of butane hash oils, shatter is known for its high potency and is often regarded as one of the purest forms of concentrate in part due to its translucent appearance. Although it may be more popular for dabbing, it can be sprinkled into a joint or warmed up and used to coat the outside of a joint.
Sauce
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Sauce is a cannabis extract named for its sticky, liquid consistency. Known for its high terpene levels, sauce is enjoyed mainly for its robust flavor profiles along with its potent punch. It's typically produced using a unique process that's designed to create a two-part final product made up of cannabinoid-rich crystals with high levels of THC suspended in terpene-rich oil. This oil is the sauce and is great if you're looking for a flavorful infused pre-roll experience.
Diamonds
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Diamonds are the crystals that form in sauce. While typically dabbed with the addition of sauce for flavor, as diamonds are essentially flavorless otherwise, it's recently found its way into pre-rolls.
Diamonds contain THCA, which is non-intoxicating by itself but converts to the intoxicating THC once heated to the appropriate temperature. Due to the high purity and labor involved when extracting it, diamonds tend to be on the more expensive side and are highly revered for potency.
Moon rocks
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Moon rocks are a fairly recent development in the concentrate world, and they're praised for their potency, averaging around 50% THC. They're made by dipping nugs of cannabis flower into cannabis extracts and then rolling that all in kief. Another notable term used to refer to moon rocks is “cannabis caviar," even though that term is technically reserved for buds dipped in extract but not rolled in kief. The terms are generally interchangeable, but if you're shopping at a retailer and the budtender mentions caviar, be sure to double check with them so you know you're getting what you want.
While some retailers offer moon-rock-infused pre-rolls, they can require a bit more effort to smoke and may not be the easiest option to make at home.
Live resin and rosin
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Live resin and rosin are another set of popular concentrates frequently found infused into joints. Differing only slightly in how they're extracted, both provide a powerful experience and distinct flavor that is highly desirable and distinct. Available in various forms, both resin and rosin are perfect pairs with any pre-roll as they can be easily infused and go a long way with just a tiny amount.
How to make an infused pre-roll
Now that you're familiar with some of the more common concentrates found in infused joints, it's time to learn how to make one yourself. Making your own infused pre-roll should be a fun experiment and good practice at a handy skill. The materials needed and process to roll are the same as a joint or regular pre-roll and only differ with the addition of concentrate(s).
When it comes to choosing which concentrate to infuse, the choice is yours and can depend on mood, energy level, or desired experience. Since concentrates vary widely in texture and consistency, you may prefer to work with some concentrates over others. Each option will produce slightly different results, so it's encouraged to experiment and try different combinations to find what you like.
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Materials
- Rolling papers
- Filter
- Grinder
- Pen or pencil
- Chopstick (optional)
- Sheet of paper
- ½ to 1 gram of cannabis
- Concentrate(s) of choice
Step-by-step instructions
Time needed: 10 minutes.
Use these steps to roll your own infused pre rolls.
- Break up your cannabis in your grinder.
As you do this, depending on the type of concentrate you intend to use, you can warm up thicker distillates in natural sunlight which will make it easier to apply stickier varieties to the joint.
- Form your filter or crutch.
Filters are key to an enjoyable experience as they prevent bits of flower from entering your mouth and mitigate burning lips when the joint is down to the roach. To form the filter, fold the filter paper in a zigzag. Once you've reached the halfway point, roll the remaining paper around the zigzag half to secure it. Note: Folding too tightly will result in the joint not pulling and too loose would lead to the joint falling apart.
- Form your paper.
Once the filter is ready, grab a pen, pencil, or chopstick and wrap the rolling paper around the middle and seal it with your saliva. Depending on preference, a chopstick will leave you with a more tapered cone-like shape which is easier to load, whereas a pen or pencil will give more of a tube shape which isn't as smooth of a load-in.
- Place the filter in the paper.
Once rolled and sealed, slide the folded filter into the smoking end of the joint until it is flush and creates a seal.
- Choose your concentrate and flower.
Next you will fill the joint with your ground cannabis and concentrate of choice. In the case of a homemade pre-roll, kief is likely going to be the most readily available concentrate, but wax, dabs, and hash are just a few accessible options that are relatively easy to infuse into a pre-roll at home.
- Fill the joint.
Grab the sheet of paper and fold it in half. Place the ground cannabis on the fold and use the paper to funnel the ground herb into your joint. If you're placing your concentrate inside of the joint, sprinkle in a little bit at a time and periodically stop to use a pen or pencil to tamp the bud and concentrate down until the joint is nice and tightly packed.
If you're infusing your pre-roll on the outside, softer, more malleable concentrates like wax or sauce tend to be more effective as their gooey nature allows them to evenly cover or spiral the surface of the joint and can even act as glue for more concentrate such as kief, creating something akin to a moon rock joint. - Smoke the joint.
Once crafted and sealed, it's time to enjoy your work and smoke it like you would any other joint. Sharing with friends might be best as infused pre-rolls pack a potent punch, or you can really enjoy yourself and take a few hits as needed before putting the joint out to be smoked again later.
Bottom line
Infused pre-rolls are a fantastic way to elevate the typical convenience and pleasure of a standard pre-roll. Between the massive variability for customization, affordability, and above all, potency, it's hard to beat the advantages of an infused pre-roll.
You can explore options at your local shop or peruse our list of the best infused pre-rolls in California. It's also worth experimenting with your own recipes. Whether you have a high tolerance or the mood demands a more poignant puff in a pinch, a quick trip to your local retailer will have you concentrating on which infused pre-roll is best for you.
