Smoking Prep: The Top Benefits of Using a Marijuana Grinder

The marijuana industry continues to swell in size. 

It's good news for consumers. In multiple states, people can waltz into legal dispensaries and make a purchase that would have landed them in jail just a few years ago. 

Now that people can smoke legally, they want to know the best way to do it. A bud of marijuana flower shouldn't just be tossed as-is into your pipe or bong. It needs to be broken up into smaller pieces. 

That's where a marijuana grinder comes in handy. It's a worthwhile investment for everyone who plans a visit a dispensary. 

What is Marijuana

Marijuana flowers are loaded with special compounds that interact with your body. They need to be heated to have their full effect. Grinding your marijuana into a powder allows the flame to hit every part. 

If you try to smoke a chunk of weed, there's a good chance that the compounds nestled at the center of the nug won't be heated. You'll only smoke the outside of the flower. 

This strategy wouldn't be a big deal if your bank account looks like Jeff Bezos's. For everyone else, legal weed is too expensive to waste. 

Why Use a Marijuana Grinder 

You might think that a grinder is a luxury. After all, can't you just use your fingers to crumble the flower? Or perhaps you can cut it up with a pair of scissors? 

Both of these options will get the job done but in a sloppy way. A good grinder will pulverize your weed. It's incredibly hard to achieve the same effect with your fingers. 

A grinder makes everything easier. Some marijuana flowers are very dense and hard to break apart. A regular pair of scissors might become sticky after just a few cuts. 

In addition to cannabinoids, the official name for those special compounds we mentioned, marijuana flowers also produce pungent oils called terpenes.

Kief 

Marijuana flowers are studded with "kief" crystals. These are the glands that produce cannabinoids and terpenes. 

Many grinders are designed with multiple chambers. In chamber one, you place your bud. Chamber two collects the ground up flower. 

The final chamber is used to collect the kief that falls off of the bud while you're grinding it up. 

Smokers love kief because it's incredibly potent. Most would agree that it's worth it to invest a grinder that saves your kief. 

How to Grind Weed 

Grinding weed with a grinder is simple. The device has teeth that you place the flower bud on top of. The lid usually has teeth as well. 

After the weed is in place, you clamp the lid down and start grinding it left and right. You might need to occasionally adjust the flower. 

For some people, grinding weed is a pleasure. The act of breaking apart the nug releases the characteristic smell. An experienced weed smoker might buy a new strain based solely off of its smell. 

Some weed will be easier to grind than others. 

Buying a Grinder

Once you realize how beneficial a good grinder is, you're going to want to buy one. You can search online, buy one from your dispensary, or visit a smoke shop.

Online

The advantage of  is that you have an unlimited choice. You can find plastic grinders, metal grinders, grinders with fancy designs stamped onto the lid. 

The downside is that you'll have to wait to receive your purchase. This might be annoying if you just purchased some weed. Who wants to wait to start smoking? 

You could buy a cheap grinder in person when you buy your weed and order a better version online. 

Dispensary 

Most dispensaries sell marijuana merchandise and smoking aids. However, they're often very expensive. 

Your budtender will be able to recommend a good grinder. Ask if the dispensary has any deals. The right discount will make a dispensary grinder a good choice. 

A benefit of buying your grinder at the dispensary is the convenience. You can get everything you need in one stop. A store that sells weed and grinders also sells lighters. 

It's up to you decide how much convenience matters to you. 

Smoke Shops 

Most cities in the U.S. have smoke shops. These stores are designed to help smokers of all types. 

Smoke shops often have multiple grinders for sale. That's because customer preference varies widely. Some smokers prefer plastic grinders while others prefer metal. 

A good smoke shop will have both.

You won't be able to test your grinder before buying it. If you're not sure what kind you ultimately want, you can buy two cheap versions. See which one works better for you. 

Once you figure it out, you can buy a nicer model. 

Enjoying Marijuana

Now that marijuana is legal in many markets, people who would never have tried the plant are interested. Medical patients and recreational consumers are driving the current marijuana boom. 

If you're going to smoke marijuana, you may as well do it in the best way possible. Prepare your weed. A grinder will make the experience a lot better. 

You should grind your weed if you're going to smoke it in a bong, put in a pipe, or roll it in a joint. Learning how to roll a joint is easier than you think if you're used to smoking out of glass pipes. If you're going to use a dry plant vaporizer, you also need to grind up your weed beforehand.

If you don't have a grinder but still want perfectly ground up weed, you can purchase a pre-roll from the dispensary. You can then smoke it as a joint or cut it open and fill your bong or pipe with weed. 

Start Smoking

First-time smokers sometimes feel intimidated. It's hard to know what to do to get the perfect hit.

Luckily, you don't need to be an expert to start smoking weed. You just need to understand a few basic facts. 

That's why we created our blog. We wanted to help our customers become familiar with marijuana culture. Check us out, whether you're buying your first marijuana grinder or are already a seasoned smoker.