No grinder, no problem. Learning how to grind weed by hand is essential for any cannabis enthusiast, especially when in a pinch.
Photo: Pexels
Why grind weed
First things first. What’s the essence of grinding your weed? Breaking down the flower into small pieces allows all active ingredients to burn completely and evenly.
Also, grinding increases the surface area of the plant matter exposed to heat or extraction process. This increases the release of active ingredients such as THC, CBD, and terpenes, making them easier to consume or extract. The more compounds are released, the better the flavor and potency, elevating the whole experience.
Are you a fan of smoking blunts or joints? Using ground weed makes it easier to roll perfect joints and blunts.
How to grind weed with hands
Now that you know the importance of grinding your weed, let’s move on to the best ways to grind weed by hand. You can use two methods, namely the finger and thumb technique or the scissor method.
The finger and thumb method
In this method, you’ll need high-quality cannabis nugs and a tray to catch any loose bits.
Once you have all the necessary materials, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. Then, dry them with an equally clean towel. Cleaning your hands is critical, as dirty hands may introduce contaminants into your stash, affecting the whole experience.
Start by breaking apart the flower and separating stems and seeds. You can do this by lightly pulling and twisting the buds together.
Next, hold your non-dominant hand in the shape of a bowl and use it to hold your buds.
Then, use the tips of your thumb, index, and middle finger to grab a few nugs from the cupped hand. Gently roll the fingers in a circular motion over the tray. Continue doing this until all the nugs are broken down into tiny pieces.
In this next step, rub your hands together to generate more friction. This will disintegrate your nugs into more finer fragments. Once you’re done, you should have a sizable amount of finely ground weed.
You can either roll blunts or smoke it from a bong.
Scissor method
As the name suggests, you’ll use scissors to grind your weed. But first, use your hands to remove stems and seeds and break down your bud. Grinding stems and seeds may lower the quality of your ground weed. Burning them can also produce irritating smoke, leading to undesirable effects.
Next, place the smaller pieces of weed onto a tray and use the scissors to cut them into even smaller fragments. However, you should be extra cautious when using scissors or sharp tools to avoid accidents and other issues.
Continue slicing them up until you get finer particles. If you’re unsatisfied with the consistency, you can use your fingers to ground them further.
You can now roll your joints or pack the ground cannabis for future use.
Tips when grinding weed by hand
Here are factors to consider when grinding weed by hand ensuring quality results.
Use dry bud
A well-dried bud is crucial when grinding your weed by hand or any other method. This is because dry buds are easier to break down and grind. A moist nug can clump together, leading to an uneven consistency.
Also, damp weed can encourage the growth of mold. Inhaling such compounds may have adverse health effects.
Choose the right level of grinding
Deciding how fine the cannabis grind will be is essential. To choose the right level, consider the consumption method and devices you’ll use to intake. For instance, if you plan to roll blunts, settle for a rough grind.
Medium-fine grind is the most popular grinding level and is ideal for hand-rolled joints, bubblers, and hand pipes.
The grind size may impact the whole experience. You can experiment with several grinds to identify the right one for you.
What are the benefits of grinding up weed by hand?
Simplicity
The method doesn’t require you to have complex tools to grind the weed. All you need are your hands and scissors, and you’ll have finely ground cannabis. This makes it ideal even for novice consumers.
Cost-effective
You probably have a pair of scissors lying around in your house. Thus, you don’t have to purchase new equipment to grind your weed, saving you some bucks.
Despite the above benefits, you’ll have to deal with sticky fingers. However, you can easily clean sticky resin off your fingers by making finger hash, washing your hands with rubbing alcohol and rinsing with clean running water.
Also, grinding by hand is time-consuming and produces inconsistent grinds, especially for novice consumers.
Other methods to grind weed without a grinder
Mortar and pestle
This is another way to grind your weed if you don’t have a grinder. Put your dry weed in your mortar and use the pestle to crush it. Avoid using moist or fresh buds, as this will compact them instead of breaking them down.
Use a pill bottle and a coin
Place your dry flower in an empty pill bottle along with a coin, then shake vigorously. The coin ricochets off the walls of the pill bottle, separating the bud. However, it’s a relatively slow process, and you’ll have to shake the bottle for a few minutes.
How to hand grind weed to perfection
Learning how to grind weed by hand will come handy, especially when you don’t have an herb grinder. Other methods include mortar, pestle, and pill bottle with coin.
