In the past, pre-rolls have been a pretty controversial aspect of the cannabis world. Some purists wouldn’t be caught dead smoking a pre-roll, while others believed that they don’t deserve the hate and are well worth the convenience they bring. As the quality of brand-made pre-rolls has gone up, so has their popularity. Meanwhile, customers are finding new and powerful ways to make them even better— for example, some customers are adding tinctures to their pre-rolls for an enhanced experience and incredible high.

With the potential and popularity of pre-rolls only growing, here’s a rundown on everything you need to know about pre-rolls— including why you might want to give them a second look.

In the simplest terms, a pre-roll is a joint that’s been made ahead of time by a cannabis brand and is then sold in its ready-to-smoke form to consumers. While in some cases they’re made using leftover ingredients that have been left behind during the process of packaging and selling cannabis, in other cases they’re made using high-quality ingredients packed specifically for a great experience and end product.

Brands are also finding new ways to make pre-rolls even better, including by adding live resin, glass tips for safe handling and enhanced quality, and infusing them with unique flavors and aromas.

So, are pre-rolls worth the hype?

Pre-rolls sometimes get a bad rap, probably because many dispensaries in the past have stocked pre-rolls that were low quality and poorly made— usually stuffed with the dried out, leftover shake that’s left behind in jars of cannabis flower.

Fortunately, more and more cannabis brands are focusing on pre-rolls not as an afterthought, but as a central product. They’re putting in the time, effort, and quality ingredients to make their pre-rolls great— and customers are taking notice.

If you can identify quality pre-rolls, their benefits are obvious: all the quality, enjoyment, and high of a classic joint, without the time commitment and experience required to gather ingredients and roll them yourself. While rolling joints is a time-honored tradition in cannabis, there’s no denying that it can be time-consuming. And now that cannabis is more widely legal and you can use it in different locations, pre-rolls offer a convenient and travel-friendly way to enjoy your weed wherever you are (while following the law, of course).

You’ve surely heard horror stories about low-quality pre-rolls, and you probably have experienced them yourself. So here’s how to shop for the right pre-rolls that won’t leave you disappointed.

First and foremost, you should be able to ask your dispensary or cannabis shop directly about the pre-roll products on their shelves. It’s your right to know about what’s inside before you buy. Feel free to ask whether a pre-roll is made from actual nugs broken down from the full cannabis, or whether it’s just leftover trim and other undesirable parts of the cannabis flower.

You should ask whether pre-rolls contain twigs and stems, because the higher quality cannabis brands will be sure to screen for these things. Pre-rolls can also dry out faster, so ask whether the packaging is heat-sealed to help keep the cannabis in pre-rolls fresh. At The Farmacy, we only stock pre-rolls that pass our high standards for quality.

Overall, dumping a pre-roll on the table should look the same as if you were to take a quality bud, put it through a grinder, and dump it out. There shouldn’t be a dramatic difference in consistency. When you smoke it, a quality pre-roll shouldn’t taste leafy or veggie-ish, or like a campfire.

Instead, look for pre-rolls with a fresh taste and scent that’s rich in terpenes and aromatic properties. It should be as similar to the experience of a hand-rolled joint as possible.

To make your pre-roll shopping experience even easier, here are some of the best pre-roll brands and types we currently stock at The Farmacy.

To make your pre-roll shopping experience even easier, here are some of the best pre-roll brands and types we currently stock at The Farmacy.

Glass House Farms is the perfect example of a cannabis brand that’s elevated the level of quality available in pre-rolled joints and other cannabis products. We recommend you check out their collaboration with Lobo, the Hell’s Fire pre-roll with glass tip. Available at Farmacy Today!