Are Medical Marijuana Prerolls Right for You?

While there are many methods of smoking medical marijuana that have their own particular benefits, traditionally the most popular approach is the preroll. Perhaps you’ve heard of this term before; maybe you have been confused by the nomenclature:

A preroll is simply ground cannabis rolled cylindrically with rice or hemp paper that often includes a cardboard tip for ease of use and comfort. Once referred to as a marijuana cigarette or joint, the term “preroll” gets its name from the fact that the cannabis has been previously rolled and is ready to be smoked immediately.

The preroll is a wonderful tool in most patients’ toolbox. It travels easily and only requires a flame to light it. Unlike pipes or bongs, there are no accessories or paraphernalia to carry around after use. Prerolls have the advantage of often being cheaper than getting a gram of flower. Say you are interested in a new strain but don’t want to risk getting too much of something that you are unsure about; a preroll is a great option to explore the new cannabis strain without breaking the bank.

Medical Marijuana Prerolls

Marijuana prerolls have become a staple in provisioning centers. They often vary in size or quality depending on where you obtain them. Traditionally, prerolls are made from shake: the collected buds that are too small or have poor visual appeal. The shake is then ground to a sand like composition and sifted to remove stems. Typically, a device is used to hold prerolled paper cones while the ground cannabis is poured into them. A vibration table then shakes the device to distribute the material evenly throughout the cone. After the cones are loaded, the tops are twisted closed by hand, and the preroll is packaged and put on the shelf.

Not all prerolls are made equally, and the quality of the preroll is dependent on the material used, how well it was ground up and sifted, and how particular the person making them is. The term shake is a somewhat general term, and one person may define it more strictly in regards to quality than another person. The easiest way to find out the quality of a preroll is to inquire about the material used to make it:

• • What exactly does this provisioning center consider shake?

• • Are any leaves included?

• How much time did the shake spend collecting before it was ground?

Consider How Prerolls are Handled

Another factor to consider when looking into a location’s preroll production is how they obtain the shake. Many provisioning centers operate by ‘weigh on the spot’, meaning they will weigh the marijuana in front of you. Routinely, these shops will store marijuana in large jars or containers that are opened multiple times a day, causing the cannabis to break down and lose moisture each time it is handled. Other provisioning centers, like Arbors Wellness, weigh and package all their cannabis in a controlled environment. Here, marijuana is trimmed and packaged ahead of time so the shake can be collected more quickly with less exposure to air. This means the shake will be inspected at several junctures by multiple people and stored in a way to ensure freshness.

If you’re in the Ann Arbor area and interested in learning more about medical marijuana prerolls? Contact Arbors Wellness today to learn more.

Article Written by Derick De La Rosa