One of the biggest problems of a beginning pot smoker is how to roll a joint. To make things easier, I created a new tutorial with actual photo's of all stages of the rolling process. Enjoy!

You need (picture 1):

• Big sized rolling paper (about 5cm by 11cm). I usually use "King Size Smoking" manufactured by Miquely Costas&Miquel S.A., Spain. For small one person joints you can also use regular size rolling paper (Rizla, Mascotte, Drum). You can find rolling papers in a good tobacco store.
• A piece of thick (writing) paper or thin cardboard, size about 2cm by 6cm (here in Holland we call it a "tip"). This is used as a mouthpiece. It gives you something to hold on. No more burned fingers or lips while trying to inhale the last of the joint! Don't use the filter of a normal cigarette, as they tend to filter out too much THC.
• Tobacco (handrolling tobacco works best, tobacco from a normal cigarette usually is too dry and is in general very bad tasting imho)
• Cannabis, as much as you like; 0.5 gram of good Dutch cannabis is more than enough to get 2-4 people very stoned. It depends on the quality of the stuff. Experiment to find the right amount.

Picture 1

You need the small piece of paper to use as a mouthpiece. Roll it up tight into the form of a cylinder (picture 2).

Picture 2

Carefully heat the tip with a lighter, so that it won't unroll. (picture 3)

Picture 3

Take the rolling paper with the "glue" side on top, away from you. Put the first layer of tobacco on the rolling paper. (picture 4)

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I use tobacco because the superb dutch cannabis is simply too strong to be smoked pure. And I like the taste more. If you don't like it, don't use it, and take more cannabis instead. Don't send me emails telling me I should drop the tobacco, cause I won't :)

Here in the Netherlands, almost everyone smokes with tobacco. I always use good handrolling tobacco. Tobacco from filtercigarettes is too dry and tastes like crap.

Picture 4

Break up the cannabis, remove any seeds, stems and leaves. Crumble it well. Then spread the cannabis over the tobacco (picture 5). Spread it evenly.

Picture 5

Then add a second layer of tobacco. This is to improve the mix of the joint. A good mix makes the joint burn nice and evenly.

Then the most important and also most difficult part: Don't panic if you screw up horribly. It will come with practice :)

Take up the joint and hold it with your thumb, index and middle finger (picture 6).

Picture 6

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Use your index fingers to spread the cannabis and tobacco evenly over the paper. Support the paper with your thumbs and middle fingers.

Then start rolling. Start in the middle, rolling outwards. (picture 7, 8 and 9) Let your thumbs do most of the work and give support and pressure with your forefingers. Keep rolling, until you start to feel the mix firming inside the paper. Don't worry if some stuff falls out; you can put it back in later. Keep rolling until the shape is right.

Picture 7

Picture 8

Picture 9

When you have an even consistency and the shape is right, tuck down the facing paper edge with the tips of your thumbs, and tuck it in (picture 10). Wrap the excess paper around the joint. The trick is to wrap it as tightly as possible, so you get a firm joint. Don't worry if you don't do it right the first time, just keep trying until you get it right. Then wrap the paper around the joint (picture 11, and 12), wet the glue (picture 13) and seal that baby (picture 14).

Picture 10

Picture 11

Picture 12

Picture 13

Picture 14

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If your joint is a little bit loosely rolled, you can use a pencil of other thin object to compress the cannabis and tobacco. (picture 15).

Picture 15

Picture 16

Then twist the end of the joint so that nothing falls out (picture 16) and trim the joint nicely.

Picture 17 shows the joint as it should be: slightly cone shaped with the tip rolled tightly in the rolling paper. The best joints are firm but not so tight you have to burst a lung drawing smoke. Loose joints taste rough, burn too fast and have a nasty habit of setting light to clothing and furniture.

Now light it up, and have fun!

Happy smoking!!!

Picture 17

Picture 18

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