How are Pre-Rolled Joints Made?

Pre-rolled joints may never compare to the love and craftsmanship that goes into rolling up that perfect J with your own two hands, but you can’t argue with the convenience. Walk into any dispensary, lay down your money, and walk out with a joint ready to fire up whenever the mood strikes you. 

So how are pre-rolled joints made? Do the budtenders roll them as part of their shift? Do they come from some Wonka-like factory where they’re made by workers that will sing about the mishaps that befall any tour guests? Or are they made by some type of machine that would probably be one of the cooler ones to hang out with if it ever gained sentience? 

Let’s dive into how pre-rolled joints are made, what’s in them, and how to make sure you’re getting a quality roll. 

What is Inside a Pre-rolled Joint, Really? 

What’s inside a pre-rolled joint typically depends on who is rolling it. The joint will contain ground-up cannabis flower, of course, but the quality of that flower varies.

In the early days of the cannabis industry, pre-rolled joints started out as a way for cannabis producers to squeeze a little extra profit out of each harvest and cut down on waste. 

Low-end pre-rolled joints were mainly filled with the loose trim left over from trimming buds, either by a machine or by hand. Mixed into that trim would be ground-up smaller popcorn buds, loose shake (the bits of flower that fall off from routine movement of buds), and bud that’s past its prime, but still viable to smoke. 

Some producers still use this mix of lower-end ingredients to fill their joints. They might not be the best smoke in the world, but will certainly still get the job done at a low cost.  A step above the lowest end is a mixture of small ground buds and shake, and the middle shelf consists of joints filled with only ground popcorn buds. In contrast, higher-quality pre-rolled joints will be made from the same ground up cannabis flower that you’d find on dispensary shelves.

In general, this difference in quality of flower matches which method is used to produce a joint:  machine-filled, small-batch, or hand-rolled. Much of the joint’s smoke, flavor, potency, and effects comes down to this distinction, though not always (more on that below).

Machine-Filled Pre-Rolled Joints   

The least expensive and (usually) lowest quality joints that you’ll find in dispensaries are machine-filled pre-rolled joints. A pre-rolled joint machine is basically a vibrating hopper that producers fill with loose, ground cannabis flower. 

First, pre-rolled paper cones are placed filter side down into individual sleeves on a tray so that the open ends are facing up. The tray is then slid into the bottom of the machine. Next, ground up cannabis is loaded into a tray above the cones with a hole centered above each cone’s open end. Finally, the machine starts vibrating the upper tray, which pours the loose, ground bud through the holes directly into the cones. More ground up bud is poured into the top tray until the cones are filled. 

After that, the machine or a person will gently tamp down the bud with a small metal rod, then either twist the open end closed, or fold the remaining paper down into the center of the joint to create a “Dutch Crown.”  

Small Batch Pre-Rolled Joints

Small batch pre-rolled joints generally use fresher cannabis flower and better quality cones, and thus come at a higher price point. Much like machine-filled pre-roll joints, pre-rolled paper cones are placed filter-side down into slotted trays. However, with small batch pre-rolled joints, the producers aren’t using ground up trim, popcorn nugs, or shake to fill their joints. 

Instead, they’re using ground up cannabis flower, which means a more potent product that tastes better and gives a fresher, more full-spectrum effect. Once the bud is ground up, it’s poured out onto the tray and spread by hand over the joints. The joint-maker will then turn on a vibrating plate beneath the tray, which shakes the bud into the cones. 

Hand-Made Pre-Roll Joints

These types of joints are rarer nowadays, as they’re hard to produce at scale, but there are still some out there doing things the old-fashioned way. The main benefit of hand-made pre-rolled joints lies in their attention to detail. These joints will usually be rolled one at a time either in a joint roller, single-cone filling machine or by hand. The main distinction here is that an individual person is attending to an individual joint.

This also helps improve the quality over machine-filled pre-rolled joints, because the delicate trichomes aren’t knocked off the plant due to the machine’s vibrations. However, these types of pre-rolled joints are more “specialty” items that won’t be available at every dispensary, and will fetch the highest price.

How to Get the Best Value from Your Pre-roll

If you see a low-priced pre-rolled joint at your dispensary, don’t automatically assume it’s poor quality. Cultivators that grow the best cannabis flower can also produce some pretty fire joints as a byproduct. A producer can, of course, use a large-scale joint machine to put higher quality flower into their joints, and in the modern market, some very notable ones do.

If you want to get the best bang for your buck, start by asking your budtender which pre-rolled joints they prefer. Good old-fashioned reviews can provide helpful input as well. Or, if you have a favorite grower, ask if they also produce pre-rolled joints. You can be pretty certain joints made from the same cannabis flower will be nearly as good.

If you’ve already purchased your pre-roll and are unsure of it’s quality, one dependable way to determine quality is by smell. As many connoisseurs are fond of saying, “the nose knows.” If the aroma is rich in terpenes and smells like fresh cannabis, it’ll generally be a great joint. If it feels crunchy instead of springy, and smells like hay, you may want to pay a little extra for a better experience next time you’re shopping, or consider another brand. Trying different options for a personal comparison can sometimes be the best way to find out which brands deserve your hard-earned cash, and you’ll know just what to look for in your next order.

Finally, if you’re looking for the best value, the Spark Perks program offers excellent discounts on top products. It’s the way to go if you’re looking for higher-quality pre-rolls at the best price.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are All Pre-rolls Made Using a Machine?

The vast majority of pre-rolled joints are made using a machine, because that’s the cheapest and easiest way, but there are specialty producers that either make small batch joints by hand or fill a tray of pre-rolled cones by hand. This way produces a higher-quality joint that’s more flavorful and potent, but will be more expensive. 

Where Can You Buy Pre-rolls?

You can buy pre-rolls at most cannabis dispensaries you visit. They’re as ubiquitous at this point as a vape cartridge or gummies. You’ll usually have the option of buying a single joint, or in a pack. Friendly Stranger has a plethora of options.

What is the Best Pre-roll?

The best pre-rolled joints really depend on where you live. Your best bet is to ask your friendly budtender which is the best quality pre-roll in the shop. Generally, the best pre-rolled joints are made either by a grower that produces the best quality flower, or by a company that specializes in crafting high-quality joints. The best pre-rolled joints are usually more expensive, but you get what you pay for.