Did anyone ever teach you how to light a joint? No worries, we’ve got you.

Many of us cannabis enthusiasts learned from a mentor-like figure in our formative days or by just watching more senior joint-rollers before that fateful day when we finally took the reins (or papers).

Regardless of your joint-rolling and smoking history, you must admit that there are different approaches and schools of thought out there on how to maintain a nice, smooth smoking experience throughout.

To help add some scholarship to this conversation, we put together this brief guide on everything you need to know about rolling the perfect joint.

1. Begin With Quality Cannabis Flowers

The state of your flower can make a huge difference in how well your joint burns.

If the buds are too old and dry, they’ll burn faster and canoe more easily. Older cannabis can also make for rough smoking that can result in a lot of coughing and a less-than-ideal high.

On the flip side, if you end up with cannabis flowers that haven’t been fully dried, then it can be tough to get your joint burning at all.

Make sure you’re getting your cannabis from a trusted supplier who will deliver it to you at the ideal point in its life cycle consumption.

For expertly cultivated flowers from America-grown hemp — get high-quality THCa cannabis flowers delivered to your door with Mood.

2. Use Slow-Burning Rolling Papers

The paper holding your cannabis together is as relevant to an even burn as the flower itself.

Slowing down the burning process can make it easier to incorporate any of the following steps and maintain a perfect joint from beginning to end.

Rolling papers that keep things moving at a controllable pace are often made from flax, rice, or hemp. Some of the best papers for a slower burn include Raw Organic Hemp Papers, OCB Premium King Size Slim Papers, and Zig Zag’s Organic Hemp Papers.

Pre-rolled joints are also great options for smoking cannabis. Avoid an uneven burn with a factory roll — get a 1G Wonder Bread Pre-Roll for just $16 today.

3. Grind Your Flowers Thoroughly

A well-rolled joint requires well-ground flowers.

From using a capable and clean cannabis grinder to taking the time to properly grind your buds until they are as smooth as can be — every step of the grinding process will prove crucial when the joint is burning.

Nothing can send a joint, spliff, or rolled cigarette canoeing faster than a chunky bud that avoided the grinder’s teeth or a prickly stem that remained intact because of lazy grinding.

Take your time when grinding cannabis for a high-quality joint. Stop occasionally and clap it out over your rolling tray to discard stems, seeds, and anything else that could disrupt the flow of the burn.

Side note: you can always save stems as alternatives to smoking weed. You can cull the various forms of THC with a stem-soaked tea. You can also find ready-to-enjoy hemp edibles and drinkables at the Mood Shop.

4. Roll a Smooth Joint Or Use a Pre-Roll

An essential step for those who want to avoid canoeing — make sure to roll a smooth joint that isn’t too fat with its cannabis evenly distributed throughout.

A smooth joint supports better airflow.

How To: You can roll one by simply gliding your index finger over the ground-up cannabis after dropping it into the seam of the unrolled paper.

A joint that drifts to the side is destined to be from the rolling stage.

To guarantee you’re smoking a joint rolled for an even burn, you can always turn to a pre-roll. Rolled in-house — Mood’s extensive selection of high-end pre-rolls are convenient and primed for more even and smooth smoking.

Enjoy a social high and pick up a pre-rolled Cereal Milk joint for only $16. You can also save a few bucks per pre-roll by grabbing five for $64.

5. Park the Flame Squarely on the End of the Doob

The first hit is so important to ensure an even burn throughout. Of course, there is still hope if you get off to a rocky start, but we’ll get to that in a couple of steps.

So many things — from the weather to the dryness of the paper — can influence the first puff of a joint. You often need to light it a few times.

Always remember to light the end as evenly as possible.

How To: Imagine the end of the joint is a circle on a piece of paper, and the lighter is a marker. Draw in the entire circle.

Lighting joints like cigarettes is one of the most common mistakes new smokers make. Because of the rounded edge and cannabis’ slower burn, it takes more sparks and deliberate placement to light the end of a joint for an even burn.

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6. Spin the Joint from Puff to Puff

Gravity and the pull of your hit affect the burnt end of your joint from different angles and with varying effects.

A subtle and soft spin from hit to hit — similar to how the earth rotates on its axis as it slowly circles the sun (i.e., the rotation) — can help maintain an even burn down to the crutch.

You might also see seasoned smokers rotating the doobie as they light it at the beginning of the session. This is a strategy used for Step Five that bleeds into the logic fueling Step Six.

The headline to remember is to keep all edges and the center of the end of the joint lit throughout your session.

For a smooth smoking flower that’s great for rolling, pick up an eighth of Sub Zero for only $54 today.

7. Don’t Be Afraid to Adjust Course

Canoeing happens. You could follow this guide to a tee, but a gust of wind or a spaced-out smoking buddy can always send things off course.

That’s cool, though. Just put the joint out in your ashtray and start again from Step Four. You can also fix a canoeing joint by lighting corners of the lit end that aren’t burning along with the rest of it.

You’ll often see seasoned doobie smokers consistently catering to the burning end, consistently relighting the end and even the side of the joint.

Mainly this practice is designed to keep the tip of the joint burning evenly.

A sativa hybrid designed for even burns and an energized high — these Tropicana Cherry Cookies are available for $40 an eighth.

8. Line Your Joint with Hash or Wax

Here’s another tip for rolling the perfect joint that’s in the vein of slowing things down.

Lining your joint with hash or wax can slow the burning process, creating more opportunities to relight the end and sides of the joint to ensure an even burn.

Hash and wax can also increase the potency of the doobie, which could make for a more fun and enjoyable smoking session.

A great addition to any joint — an eighth of these THCa Moonrocks is available for just $49.

9. Use a Hemp Wick

It’s been suggested that butane lighters burn cannabis fasterthan other sources of fire.

For most of us who carry around lighters because of their convenience, this doesn’t make taking a caring approach to joint smoking easy. That’s where the hemp wick comes in.

Simply wrap this amazing solution (often made of hemp and beeswax) around your lighter, and then it will be there to spark and hold a candle-like flame for slow, gentle joint sparking.

A great match for a hemp wick — you can get this sleepy 1G Top Gun pre-roll for only $16 today.

10. Protect Against the Elements

One last hazard to the well-smoked joint that we’d like to point out is the weather.

Wind can tip a canoe, and you’re not going to get an easier smoking experience when it’s raining or snowing, either.

To make sure you can keep a steadily smoking and evenly burning joint throughout your session, try and take cover somewhere safe and protect your cannabis products from the elements.

Here’s a joint well worth keeping dry. Get this 1G Kush Mintz pre-roll for just $16 today.

Joint Alternatives for Cannabis Enthusiasts

While there’s nothing quite like a smoothly burning joint, it’s not the only way to consume your favorite cannabis products.

You can always smoke flowers with a pipe or bong.

Sometimes it’s nice to take a more discrete and clean approach with a disposable vape.

And other times, you might prefer to skip the inhalants altogether and opt for some good, old-fashioned edibles.

Discover cannabis products for each and every vibe at the Mood’s Online Dispensary today.

Prices subject to change.