High School Lesson 2

High School Lesson 2: How To Roll a Joint
By Jodi Redelinghuys

It’s something we’ve all done: asked a friend or partner to roll a joint for us. Why? It’s fiddly work, we’re perfectionists, we were embarrassed to whip out a Bic pen to help us roll… I know, I’ve been there. But the fact is: learning to roll your own is empowering and it’s really not that hard. Just follow my step-by-step guide and we’ll have you rolling with us faster than you can say ‘ pass me that joint’.

INGREDIENTS FOR SUCCESS

• Your weed - whatever strain works for you
• OPTIONAL: Smoking mix (tobacco, or herbal - we like Holy Roly)
• Rolling papers (I love Laundry Day’s Rollies)
• A flyer/piece of card to make your own gerrick
• A rolling tray like this beaut from Marley Natural
• Scissors or a grinder 

CLEAN THE WEED:

• Remove stalks or seeds, then grind or finely grind or chop your weed above your rolling tray to catch any spillage.

READY THE GERRICK: 

• Take your filter-strip or a piece of flyer (about 2x5cm). 
• Make a small fold (about 10mm) at one edge, then fold backwards and forwards one more time to create a zig-zag shape, keeping the same size. 
• Tightly roll the excess around, and trim if needed.

RE-SIZE YOUR ROLLIE:  

I prefer thin, more elegant joints and find that normal rolling papers are too big so I make mine smaller - here’s how:

• Rollies come pre-folded in half with a shiny strip on the top edge. 
• Reduce size by folding from the bottom edge up to the middle fold - lick the new fold and tear. 
• Refold the paper, edge to edge, to create your new middle fold. 

PLACE YOUR GERRICK: 

• Place the gerrick at the edge of the middle fold on whatever side is your dominant hand side.

LAY THE GREEN: 

• Next get a good grip by picking up the rollie and securing the gerrick with your thumb, then using your index finger and middle finger to support the top and bottom edges respectively.
• Using your other hand, slowly sprinkle the weed evenly along the fold, starting closest to the gerrick.

INDEX-THUMB ROLL: 
It’s time to shape your joint. 

• Rolling the paper together above the weed compacts the bud nicely so, using both hands, pinch together the edges, keeping the gerrick in place. 
• Starting at the ‘gerrick” thumb’, roll that set of fingers over one another while keeping the gerrick secure. 
• Then start rolling with the other hand and roll all the way towards the tip. 

THUMB TUCK: 

• Once the shape is consistent, roll the bottom side of paper down so that its edge is aligned with the filter edge. 
• Use your ‘gerrick thumb’ to tuck the edge of the paper in behind the filter. 
• Then use your other hand to move along the length of the joint - from gerrick to tip; tucking the edge of the paper in and tightly wrapping the paper around to the edge of the shiny strip.

LICK & STICK: 

• The shiny strip works like an envelope. Lick the inner side of the strip and wrap the excess paper around until it is securely stuck down. 

TAP & TWIST: 

• Twist the excess at the top and your joint is officially rolled.
• Now lightly tap it (gerrick to surface) on a hard, flat surface (table or phone screen) to gently compact it which will help it smoke easier.
• Light, inhale, exhale, ahhhhh!