What is a pre-roll?
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ToggleA pre-roll is a cigarette for sale that has been fashioned in advance, usually with a crutch (also referred to as a filter).
Cigarettes are one of the most prevalent methods to utilize cannabis; they’re inexpensive (to purchase and create), discreet, disposable when done, and easily distributed among companions. They strike a perfect equilibrium for low-commitment smokers and require neither the monetary expenditure of a bong nor the duration commitment of an edible.
The caveat? Unless you’ve got dexterous hands or hours to dedicate practicing, it can be challenging to learn how to twist one up.
Enter the pre-roll.
Before lawful, regulated markets and medical cannabis programs, consumers were the ones rolling cigarettes for themselves. As marijuana shops surfaced, demand increased for ready-made smokables in a variety of sizes, strains, and potencies.
By now, adults can discover all sorts of pre-rolls everywhere, whether they want a quick smoke or seek go-to gifts and common recommendations for cannabis newcomers.
Unfortunately, pre-roll stigma persists: A lot of folks believe they’re inferior, made with low-quality cannabis and rolled poorly.
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The advantages of pre-rolls
Pre-rolls are excellent because they’re inexpensive, portable, and simple to consume. If you don’t want to purchase a lot of flower or deal with grinding it up and rolling it, you can pop into a shop, buy a pre-roll, and ignite it whenever. Pre-rolls function like other flower consumption techniques—the high is immediate upon inhalation and lasts between30 and60 minutes.
They aren’t particularly cost-effective in the long run, but work wonders in a bind. They also make excellent gifts to help introduce others to cannabis.
Pre-rolls now come in a variety of strains, multi-packs, and formulas with different cannabinoids, added herbs, and concentrates to suit a wide array of tastes and preferences. Since the quantity of cannabis in them is finite, you can easily regulate your intake.

How are pre-rolls created?
A common grievance for pre-rolls is that they burn irregularly and can clog before they smoke entirely.
The rolling paper can conceal what’s inside, making it easier for producers to get away with using substandard cannabis or trim.
Even if a pre-roll does include high-quality cannabis, consumers still can’t appraise what’s inside due to packaging, so stores may see little benefit in stocking high-quality pre-rolls.
Always inquire with your budtender about the material used in pre-rolls when shopping, and how they are rolled. Here are some common pre-roll materials.
Trim
Many cannabis enthusiasts avoid pre-rolled cigarettes because they often contain low-quality cannabis, which leads to a harsh smoke, a cloudy high, and a poor flavor. They’re most often made with trim—the leaves that are cut away from buds following harvesting.
Trim has much more plant material than trichomes compared to buds, and when smoked, this plant material makes trim harsh and grass-flavored.
Producers often create pre-rolls out of trim to save on expenses or sell trim to extractors for making concentrates, to maximize profits from their product.
Shake
Another source for pre-rolls is shake. As nugs get jostled around in jars at dispensaries, at the packaging facilities, or during the curing process, small fragments of flower break off, which brands and dispensaries can use to make pre-rolls.
Nugs
Whole nugs make the finest cigarettes. Nug-sourced pre-rolls are harder to find and will almost certainly cost more than shake or trim pre-rolls, as most pre-rolls are created to utilize all extra cannabis product from producers and dispensaries.
Will a pre-roll get you high?
Yes, smoking a pre-roll will get you high.
Often brands infuse their pre-rolls with kief, THCA crystals, and concentrates for added strength. Keep in mind pre-rolls may not be as fresh as rolling your own cigarette, and may burn unevenly and clog depending on how it was made.
How much do pre-rolls cost?
Pre-rolls are generally only a few dollars each, and they often come in packs. You can purchase singles, doubles, or sets of five or more—some brands sell10 packs too.
They typically come in half-gram and full-gram quantities, and can sometimes be infused with concentrates for an added boost. A standard1 gram pre-roll usually retails for $10, with higher-quality flower pre-rolls costing as much as $25 each. Packs of pre-rolls range in price in many states from $20 to $55.
Some artisanal brands create pre-rolls using rose petals, fake blunt wraps, and added concentrates, which can vary in price.
How long do pre-rolls last?
Pre-rolls from licensed dispensaries come with packaging dates and a suggested expiration date, but any pre-roll over six months old should be discarded.