REEF LEAF AND THE ART OF HOW TO ROLL A JOINT
For most of us, the cannabis experience hinges on consumption rather than craft. A vape pen, a gummy, a dab of shatter, a bong hit, a draw from a one-hitter or a cup of THC-infused kombucha — all of it is about getting the precious weed into your body, one way or another.
But the joint-rollers — they combine craft with cannabis. We all benefit.
Nearly anybody can cobble together a sad little pin joint, some gnarled, lumpy twig rolled so tight that pulling smoke through it causes eyes to bug out of heads. But then there are the masters, those spleef-conjuring wunderkinds who turn out the weed equivalent of Shaker chairs — sturdy, spare, highly functional, gorgeous. And when they do their thing in a group, the rest of us watch in wonder. Somehow, the bud tastes better and the whole smoke-savoring experience elevates when the primo joints are handcrafted before your eyes.
WHAT IS A JOINT?
So what exactly is this artful way to enjoy your favorite bud? A joint is ground-up cannabis that is carefully hand-rolled into a thin paper and smoked. The composition is similar to that of a traditional cigarette. Rolling paper is often made of hemp, rice straw, wood pulp or flax. Some joint-rollers will also include a crutch, tip or filter to make it easier to smoke as well.
REEF LEAF: RIP, ROLL, AND TWIST ONE!
Product Manager Marc LeJay (left) appreciates the time-honored tradition of rolling a joint and created Reef Leaf, a flower product aimed specifically at doobie rollers.
“There is something awfully cool about having a finished product, something you worked for. It’s rewarding,” said Marc LeJay, flower product manager at Caliva. “With good joints, you can fully taste the cannabis, which is a huge advantage over other ways of smoking. And it brings people together. When you know what you are doing people notice, too.”
Marc is so keen on rolling that he is part of the Caliva team launching Reef Leaf, a first-of-its-kind product aimed towards rollers. Reef Leaf places quarter-ounces of high-quality ground budlets — sativa, indica or hybrid — in resealable, decorative pouches made for both hanging out and on the go. The approach gets at the heart of the joint experience: keep it simple, have fun, embrace DIY and do it with style.
“Reef Leaf honors the joint rollers among us, and the new product will persuade others to get into rolling, too,” said Marc. “It’s for everybody, which is one of my favorite things about rolling joints. You can share the talent.”
Marc is a sharing kinda’ guy, and a joint-rolling craftsman — a win for those of us who want to get started with mastering the art of using just paper and cannabis to create something special. Following is Marc’s step-by-step guide for how to roll joints.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO ROLL A JOINT
To perfect the art of rolling a joint, you’ll want to assemble these key things:
- Your favorite Reef Leaf from Caliva
- Rolling papers
- Lighter
- Pen, chopstick or another thin item to pack the joint (optional)
- Crutch/tip/filter (optional)
- Rolling tray (optional)
HOW TO ROLL A JOINT BY MARC LEJAY
Step 1: Turn the crutch into a filter (optional)
Before fashioning the crutch into a tube, make a few accordion folds on one end, and then turn the crutch into a tube. The accordion folds, which look like an M or W when you look through the tube, help filter the smoke.
Step 2: Prepare the joint
Lay out the paper. Nestle the crutch into the paper’s crease, with one end of the crutch flush with an of the paper; the rest of the crutch extends into the paper.
Step 3: Fill the joint
Sprinkle the ground cannabis into the joint; a typical joint contains somewhere between half a gram and a gram of flower.
Step 4: Pack it
Once your desired amount of cannabis fills the paper’s crease, it’s time to begin distributing the pot across the paper in a uniform way. This stage preps for the all-important rolling a joint phase. Using your thumbs and middle fingers, hold the cannabis-filled paper where it bulges with pot and begin rolling back and forth. Keep doing this until what was a smattering of flower, now is more like a loose log extending across the length of the crease.
Step 5: Tuck it
Now comes a series of steps that are the trickiest, and most vital, in the how to roll a joint process. It’s time to turn that flower and paper into a beautiful joint. First comes the tuck. With the cannabis packed cylindrically within the crease of the paper, tuck the side of the paper that doesn’t have glue around the log of flower. Start the tuck on the crutch side — the crutch is already shaped into a cylinder, and it is sturdy. With the crutch fold as a guide, fold the rest of the bottom, no-glue end of the paper around the log of flower.
Step 6: Roll it
Once the tuck is uniform, straight and stout, keep turning the joint between the thumb and middle finger until the only portion of paper not rolled into a cylinder is the glued strip at the top.
Step 7: Glue it
Moisten the glue strip and seal the joint.
Step 8: Perfect it
Your joint is nearly finished. You could just smoke it now, but here’s a pro tip.
Tip: Use something like a chopstick, end of a pen, wooden match — anything slender and stiff — to gently press the flower into the joint, through the open end opposite the crutch side. Don’t ram it in there; we are just looking to make sure the cannabis is uniform and dense within the joint. If it’s packed too tight, drawing smoke from it will be difficult.
Step 9: Finish it
Since you gently packed the weed into the joint, the end opposite the crutch should be all paper and no flower. Twist that paper to prevent the flower from falling out of the joint.
That’s it! You are on your way to crafting your first decent joint. Becoming a master like Marc takes years of practice, but we trust joint-rolling will not be a burden! In fact, you will look forward to it. Here are a few more tips on how to roll a joint.
Other Roll A Joint Perfection Tips
- Go Slow: Slow your roll. Literally. Take time to look at your joint in between steps to make sure the bud looks even, the roll looks good, etc. to get that perfect joint look and usage.
- Practice: No one becomes an expert in a day. Read our guide, watch videos and practice rolling a joint for your friends to take your joints to the next level.
- Start with thicker paper: Thicker rolling paper like hemp is easier to roll than other thinner varieties. Start thicker and go thinner once you start getting more comfortable.
- Don’t overlick: No one likes a soggy joint. A little lick can go a long way when you roll a joint. Just enough to keep it closed without overdoing it so it might come a part.
Ready to get started practicing rolling a joint? Shop Reef Leaf from Caliva in-stores or for delivery.
