By Rebecca Victoria Olmos | TheCannifornian.com Correspondent

Among the plethora of ways to consume cannabis, smoking a good ol’ fashion joint continues to be one of the top preferred modes of consumption for cannabis consumers. In 2020 sales of prerolls in the US increased by 59%, according to a study done by Custom Cones USA. The number of new preroll brands that entered the market also increased, with almost 40% of them considering themselves brand new.

With so many new options on the market, how do you narrow it down to the right preroll for you?

First, what are prerolls?

Prerolls are pre-rolled, pre-packaged joints. Super convenient and straightforward. You can skip the grinding, packing, rolling, and licking process and go straight to lighting up your doobie.

Why would you choose a prerolled joint versus rolling your own?

Prerolls have a terrible reputation for being filled with shake, or lesser quality flower that falls from the cannabis plant. This negative standing has changed over the years as the adult-use cannabis market has expanded. Now, dispensary menus have both budget-friendly shake-filled prerolls (which can still be delightful) and those filled with top-shelf quality flower. Add that to their convenience, and it’s easy to see why prerolls have become the favorable dispensary option.

Pre-roll options

Choosing your preroll comes down to personal preference. Here are a few of the different options you can find your prerolls in:

• Size: minis, half-gram, full-gram, and even up to a single 2 gram.
• Quantities: You can buy them as a single joint or in packs of 2 to 14 pieces.
• Regular or infused: Some have only have flower. Others are infused with different types of concentrates like distillate, kief, or shatter.
• Brands: Women-owned, minority-owned, equity brands, house brands, environmentally friendly brands are all different things to consider when spending your money.
• Materials used: Hemp papers, hemp wraps, rice paper, Raw papers, glass crutches, paper crutches, glass tips, recyclable packaging.

And of course

• Strain or effect: Indica, sativa, or hybrid? Or maybe you’re looking for a classic Jack Herer or OG Kush.

If you get overwhelmed, it never hurts to default to your budget or budtender’s choice. It’s always best practice to scope out the dispensary menu before you arrive.

By Rebecca Victoria Olmos

So you want to try dabbing. You’ve got your rig/torch combo ready, or maybe your new Puffco Peak all charged and ready to go. But what should you smoke? There’s wax, rosin, shatter, oh my!

All these terms fall under ‘concentrates’ or ‘extracts,’ meaning precisely that: they are concentrated forms of cannabis extracted from the plant through various methods, which give them their unique texture and consistency. Without the plant material attached to them, they can provide users with a more flavorful and potent experience.

Which is better? That’s all subjective. The beautiful part of having access to legal cannabis is that you have a plethora of choices. Below is some knowledge that might help you make the best choice for yourself and your rig. 

Wax– A broad term for all concentrates is ‘wax.’ Technically, it’s a soft waxy concentrate extracted using solvents like butane or hydrocarbon. 

Shatter– Shatter is a hard glass-like consistency. It undergoes the same extraction process as wax. The only difference is that shatter is left alone to harden, and wax is agitated to achieve its softness, according to Leafly. 

Rosin- Rosin is extracted using just heat and pressure, no solvents. You can get rosin by pressing flower or hash. It’s more of a sticky, sappy consistency. 

All of these are dabbable on their own. However, you can enhance the potency of your joints and bowls by infusing them with these concentrates. Wax is malleable and easy to scoop, shatter can be a little more difficult to manipulate but it is known for its high potency and rosin is a pure solventless form of cannabis that some users prefer. All of them will provide high levels of cannabinoids and terpenes for a potent experience.