How do you prepare your ganja (marijuana flower) for smoking or vaping? Rolling a blunt with ground-up product has the potential to improve the potency of the plant, which is why you won’t see many people smoking a whole flower.
If you have been smoking herb for any amount of time, you have likely encountered a full bud of flower and have had to break it down to a smokable consistency. Some people break down their sticky icky by hand, while others use scissors or a grinder.
I have written of my love for a kief-catching 3-chamber grinder in a previous post, but there are a wide variety of other ways to grind your weed to the ideal consistency for chiefing.
Grinder Card
The most simple grinding method you can use is a grinder card. Think of this as a thick metal business card crossed with a cheese grater. By placing your flower over the card and moving it back and forth (similar to a cheese-grating motion), you will be able to break down your flower quickly and easily.
Pros: portable, easy-to-use, manual
Cons: cumbersome for larger quantities, gets sticky easily, needs to be cleaned often, kief is not saved
Piece Grinders
Typically made from plastic or metal, single grinders are an easy way to break up your buds before smoking. The two pieces consist of a top and bottom with grinding teeth. The marijuana flower gets broken up into smaller pieces and then added to either side. Then, you place the other side on top and twist the two pieces together. Once you get your material to the desired size, just tap the grinder out and pack your marijuana bowl, bong, or cone.
Pros: portable, manual
Cons: gets sticky fast, kief is not saved, can be difficult to use depending on the size and grinder material (metal options will work better than plastic)
Chamber Grinders
Grinding your buds with a 3-or-4-chamber grinder is the best way to keep your delicious kief while ensuring your bud is the best consistency for smoking. Chamber grinders come in a variety of sizes and materials and always have a chamber that is specifically for catching the kief crystals. Chamber grinders are almost always metal and sometimes have a handle on them to make the grinding process easier for larger quantities. The process is similar to the 2-piece grinder, except that the material falls through to a chamber that you then open up and pack your piece from.
Pros: portable, manual, catches kief
Cons: gets sticky, can become difficult to operate with lots of use
Electric Grinders
If you smoke more than a couple of times a week, an electric grinder will be your new BFF. Available in a plethora of styles, from the Wakit ball chain option, to a generic coffee and herb grinder, to a portable smoothie blender – electric grinders make easy work of grinding your flower. While I have personally used all of these options, I use the Wakit grinder that I got for Christmas most of the time. It is super easy to just get a tray, put the buds down, place the Wakit over the herb, and push down. How fine of a grind you get depends on how long you push down on the electric mill. Easy peasy!
Other electric options like the coffee grinder or smoothie blender also work really well – especially for larger quantities of cannabis flower. I usually remove the big stems from the buds before tossing them into the grinding chamber. Once you grind your goods, you just empty out the vessel and have your ready-to-use marijuana at your fingertips.
Pros: requires no elbow grease, charge lasts a LONG time, portable (though larger than the other types), fast
Cons: does not save kief, the material gets stuck to the sides and can build up on the blades, requires charging
Bonus: you can scrape the insides of an electric grinder if you get low on your flower. Depending on how often you use it, you can typically get enough to at least catch a buzz.
No Grinder Available
Even if you don’t have a cannabis grinder of your own, you can still enjoy the benefits of grinding your ganja with items around the house. There are technically infinitely many ways to break down your flower, but here are a few methods that we love:
- Scissors and a Shot Glass: Place the weed in a shot glass and use small scissors to chop it up. The glass holds the weed, making it easier to control and collect the ground pieces.
- Mortar and Pestle: Place the weed in the mortar (the bowl) and press down with the pestle, grinding the weed in circular motions until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Cheese Grater: Carefully rub the weed against the small holes of a clean cheese grater or Microplane, similar to grating cheese or zesting citrus.
- Using Your Hands: Simply break apart the buds with your fingers. Start by removing any stems and seeds, then pull apart the flower into smaller pieces.
No matter which way you prefer to smoke your herb or how much weed you have, you should definitely grind it before you spark up. Ensuring your flower is broken down into a light, fluffy consistency is key to a nice, even burn.
How do you prep your marijuana flower for consumption? Do you use any other products to transform your smoking experience, like hemp wick lighters or custom rolling trays? Hit me up on social media, and let’s spark up a conversation about it!
