Whether you’re looking to enter the world of smokeable sculptures, or simply impress some friends for a treat, there are a few classics that are not too painful to learn. As with any skill, practice makes perfect, but adding these fairly easy art-joints to your repertoire as a cannabis smoker are quite fun for special occasions. Not to mention the intense smoke sesh that any of these heavy duty joints will provide for you and your squad.
First, you need to know the basics: Rolling a regular, single joint. Grind or tear up your cannabis into small enough bits, and remove any stems or break down hard little nugs. Your material should be dry, but sticky enough to maintain its shape. If it’s not, you’re better off with a roller. Honestly, I have no shame when it comes to a roller… they create a consistent, professional shape. My only issue is I misplace it frequently, so becoming a master free-hand roller would be the most beneficial. Cone papers burn smoother than straight, as a hot tip. You want to distribute your leaf evenly, and leave a little room on either end, one to seal, and on the other, you can coil a small piece of cardboard to use as your “filter.” Using your thumbs and forefingers, gently roll the side of the paper closest to your thumbs under the top flap. Hold in this position to lick the top flap, then continue to roll tightly and seal. Close the open end with a tight twist, and voila! For the more visually inclined, here’s my favorite YouTube tutorial.
Now that you know the essentials, making a few special ones should be an easy task. To roll a cross joint, start with two straight joints with one significantly longer than the other. Only the larger joint needs a mouthpiece. Poke a paper clip crosswise through the center of the larger joint, and gently widen that hole by wiggling the paperclip around it. Poke your paperclip crosswise through the middle of the smaller joint without making the hole bigger than the clip. This hole is for airflow. Insert the smaller joint through the larger, and line up the small hole inside the larger one. Using the gum strip off one more paper to wrap around the X where the joints meet will make it airtight! Light all three sides right after the other and enjoy your crucifix of weed! Here’s an excellent video tutorial.
The braid requires three super skinny, long joints. Make sure when rolling these to roll them tight but not to pack your cannabis too hard. Once you have three solid ones, take the gum strip off another paper, and wrap it around the mouthpieces, one on top of the other two. It may take a few gum strips to get them to hold, because they’ll want to split when you start braiding. Gently braid one joint on top of the other, and twist the ends so it doesn’t lose its braid shape once you light up. Here is a visual tutorial for you.
The tulip is a pretty little creation that starts with a regular joint for the stem. The fun part is the budding flower. Wet the gum strip on one extra large paper and lay another on top of it to create a damn big square. Leave the other paper’s gum strip facing up, as this will seal the tulip. Take that gummed edge and fold it down into a triangle (don’t worry, there should be excess paper that doesn’t fit), then lick and seal that triangle. You should have a paper cone-cup with which you can fill with well-ground bud. Place the stem joint into the opening of this cup, then carefully wrap the excess paper around the stem. You’ll probably want to secure this with yet another gum strip, or hemp rope if you’re fancy. The video might be extra useful for the slight origami involved here.
