If you’re a cannabis enthusiast looking to take your smoking sessions to new heights, infusing your own pre-rolls is the way to go. They’re the fastest growing pre-roll segment in dispensaries, however the increased potency always comes at an increased price.
But by incorporating potent concentrates like distillate, live resin, hash, and kief into your flower, you can create customized infused pre-rolls at home that deliver an unparalleled punch of flavor and potency.
What are Concentrates?
Concentrates are potent cannabis products created by extracting the best parts of the plant into a concentrated form. Unlike regular cannabis, which typically ranges from 15-30% THC, concentrates can boast mind-blowing THC levels, often reaching up to 90% and beyond.
Popular concentrates for infusing pre-rolls include:
Kief: A simple yet incredibly potent concentrate (that isn’t technically a concentrate) made from loose trichomes knocked off during the sifting of buds.
Hash: One of the oldest concentrates, made by pressing kief into cakes or crumbles.
Rosin: A solventless concentrate made by applying heat and pressure to fresh buds.
Live Resin: Made from fresh-frozen flower for a flavorful, terpene-rich concentrate.
Distillate: A highly potent cannabis oil created using solvents and mechanical equipment to distill cannabinoids to pure THC.
Why Infuse Your Own?
While pre-packaged infused pre-rolls are readily available, making your own offers several advantages:
Cost Savings: Minor concentrate costs versus dispensary upcharges.
Customization: Choose your preferred flower and concentrate combo, as well as your favorite pre-rolled cone.
Extra Potency: Added concentrates deliver a serious punch.
Quality Control: Ensure top-notch flower and perfect packing.
Infusion Methods
There are two main methods for infusing pre-rolls with concentrates like kief, distillate, and other extracts:
External Application
This involves applying the concentrate to the outside of the pre-roll. Usually this means using a food safe brush to paint distillate onto the outside of a completed pre-roll, which will add potency without altering the flavor. Then, the pre-roll is rolled in kief.
While giving the pre-roll a striking and stylish look and certainly delivering an elevated potency, external infusion can result in an excess of side smoke that can sneak cannabinoids away from the user.
Internal Infusion
This means incorporating the concentrate directly inside the pre-roll. The methods include:
Mixing: Blending the concentrate with the ground flower before rolling
Lining: Applying a line of concentrate along the rolling paper before adding flower
Injecting: Using a syringe or tool to inject concentrate into the center after rolling.
Some brands, such as California’s popular Jeeter, use both internal and external infusion methods, so feel free to try that as well. Jeeter uses liquid diamonds, made from concentrated THCa crystallized into semi-transparent structures, melted into oil and then infused with terpenes, to infuse the inside of their pre-rolls before dusting the exterior with kief to add an extra layer of intensity.
However, at home, you can use whatever concentrate you like best to build a bespoke infused pre-roll all your own.
Pre-Roll Expert Pro Tips:
Use a dab mat or parchment paper for easy cleanup of concentrates and oils.
Adjust concentrate viscosity with terpenes or warm with a candle warmer for seamless application.
Use a packing tool, like a wooden tamping stick or even a chopstick, to help ensure an even distribution of concentrate and flower in your pre-roll.
Try the “hash hole” technique by rolling a concentrate snake into the center that will vaporize as the cherry passes, leaving a hole in the center of your pre-roll.
Get Creative
From kief-dusted joints to distillate-lined pre-rolls and everything in between, the options for infusing are virtually endless. Popular brands like Jeeter even use potent liquid diamonds and kief coatings for their signature infused offerings.
Channel your inner cannabis scientist and experiment with different combinations of flower and concentrate to craft the ultimate custom-infused pre-roll experience. With a bit of creativity and the right tools, you’ll soon be enjoying smoky perfection tailored to your exact preferences.
So, what are you waiting for? Gather your pre-roll supplies, master the infusion methods, and unlock a new level of elevated smoking by making your very own infused pre-rolls at home.
Your taste buds (and your high) will thank you.