Smoking a joint that doesn’t get you high might seem a tad counterintuitive (especially to cannabis enthusiasts). But what if there’s a sort of in-between state, between high and not-high; an otherworldly buzz; a warm, comfortable state that’s more a place of healing than getting blitzed?
This was Remedy Journey’s experience with smoking a CBD pre roll; it was peculiar, to say the least.
CBD pre-rolls (and CBD flower in general) are the next frontier of the CBD industry. Hemp growers are adopting a marijuana-like approach, carefully cultivating strains to maximize CBD (instead of THC) and breeding with aesthetics in mind to create the most beautiful flower. So expect to see more CBD pre-rolls as CBD continues it’s come-up in the health and wellness world.
How does the experience compare to other forms of consumption? How efficiently is CBD absorbed through smoking? Is it just as therapeutic?
We set out to unpack the unique and strange nature of CBD pre-rolls in this article. We:
- Compare and contrast smoking CBD with other forms of consumption
- Relate our own personal experience with CBD pre-rolls
- Provide an in-depth guide on the best CBD pre-roll brands + where to buy them.
3 Reasons to Try CBD Pre-Rolls
The large amount of CBD, presence of other cannabinoids and terpenes, and efficient rate of absorption make the CBD pre-roll experience unique from other forms of CBD consumption (check out our full guide to CBD flower here).
1. Contain relatively large amounts of CBD
The CBD pre-rolls in our Top 5 brands list at the bottom of this page typically feature 100-180mg of CBD per pre-roll. Compare that to the typical CBD-infused beverage or edible, which range from 5mg-20mg of CBD. Most tinctures recommend a dose of 15-25mg of CBD.
So, yeah, CBD pre-rolls are packin’ that heat.
2. Minimally processed
Unlike CBD tinctures, oils, edibles, drinks, and vape juices, there is no extraction process or additives with CBD pre-rolls: you just smoke the raw flower.
3. High rate of absorption
Smoking CBD is the fastest and most efficiently absorbed method of consuming CBD. That’s because the CBD is absorbed through the alveoli of the lungs, rather than having to pass through the liver as when ingested (where much of it is broken down and never enters the bloodstream).
So What Is It Like to Smoke a CBD Pre-Roll?
A Remedy Journey team-member (and former pothead turned sober-as-a-gopher businessman) volunteered to be our CBD pre-roll guinea pig. Here’s a snapshot of his experience:
I can’t put into words how strange it was. I felt connected to a version of myself from a past life. I’d smoked weed many times with this same friend. To have him light a joint, pass it to me, smell the herbal essence, and still technically be not getting high . . . it was strange.
I inhaled and remembered the cathartic feeling of relaxing over a joint after a long day. I breathed it in deeply, held the smoke in my lungs, then slooooowly released it from mouth and nostrils.
I remembered that I love the act of smoking. Maybe it’s the amount of rap music I’ve listened to where kush blunts are glorified. Or the bad boy reputation that any type of smoking gets when you’re an adolescent (and plays a crucial role in driving more usage).
We chatted about something (honestly have no recollection) as we passed it back and forth a few times. I was feeling a lil somethin’ somethin’.
Soon, a wave came over my mind and my body. It was kind of a high . . . kind of.
The CBD joint was not to be mistaken with legit weed, but it was also more than nothing. I felt relaxed to the point where my mind wasn’t sharp. I couldn’t articulate my thoughts perfectly, but I wasn’t “stoned”.
As we continued to pass the joint back and forth, I became convinced I was high.
This very site compared CBD to “a bit like hearing someone try to describe the characteristics of empty space”. If that is indeed true, then empty space is a lot more interesting than I remember.
It was more than a mild background buzz. It was also far from a head-consuming inebriation that made my thoughts wander at a mile a minute, with paranoia looming around every cerebral corner.
Check out his full story here.
Where Can I Buy CBD Pre-Rolls Near Me?
CBD pre-rolls are typically sold in CBD-specific stores, marijuana dispensaries, smoke shops, and online stores.
The 2018 Farm Bill federally legalized hemp-derived CBD products with THC levels less than 0.3%. BUT some states (Texas) have gone out of their way to specifically ban smokable CBD flower, and others (South Carolina) have forced retailers to pull CBD flower products from their shelves because they cannot distinguish between CBD flower and marijuana.
That being said, CBD pre-rolls are available in most states (and likely even on shelves somewhere in states that have banned smokable hemp). You just have to know where to look;.
CBD-specific Stores
These stores are the holy grail of CBD, and if your city has one then it’s the likeliest spot to be selling CBD pre-rolls. CBD-specific stores often source their own high-quality flower and sell an array of CBD pre-roll brands.
Marijuana Dispensaries
After CBD-specific shops, the next spot to look is marijuana dispensaries. Of course, in many states this requires a permit (and in many others it’s simply not an option). But in California, for instance, there are marijuana delivery services that can deliver CBD pre-rolls right to your doorstep.
Smoke Shops
Smoke shops are another retail venue that commonly sells pre-rolls (likely because of CBD’s still-close association with the ganja).
Online
Unable to find CBD pre-rolls in any of the above locations? Good news! Many top CBD pre-roll brands sell their products online, and they ship to all 50 states.
Which brands are the best? We give you a rundown in the following section.
Top 5 CBD Pre-Roll Brands
In a CBD market rife with inconsistent quality and inaccurate labels, another positive thing about CBD pre-rolls is that they’re shaping up to be a premium space. Growers are cultivating CBD-dominant strains for maximum beauty and strength, and there are a number of pre-roll brands that pride themselves on maintaining strictly high standards.
To compile this list we researched as many CBD pre-roll brands as we could get our hands on and whittled our list down to 5 based on:
- Quality of sourcing
- Lab-testing
- CBD content
1. East Fork Cultivars (Oregon-only)
We at Remedy Journey believe that East Fork Cultivars are among the highest-quality hemp-growers in the nation. This is our favorite CBD pre-roll brand because they’re transparent and meticulous in their cultivation methods, and clearly passionate about growing sustainable, healthy hemp.
East Fork is a USDA-certified organic farm and also has a coveted Clean Green Certification, a rigorous certification program that verifies the quality of facilities, growing methods, and any substances used in the cannabis growing process to ensure the grow is organic, sustainable, and toxin-free.
They sungrow a fantastic selection of organic CBD flower, with 10 different CBD-dominant or CBD-rich strains and three different types of pre-rolls:
- Relax, which is a high-CBD, low-THC mix of CBD flower
- Balance, which is high-CBD mix of flower with a medium-low amount of THC (1-5%)
- Create, which is a high-CBD, moderate THC (5+%) flower mix
Where to buy East Fork Cultivars Pre-Rolls
These pre-rolls are only sold in retail in Oregon, East Fork provides a complete list of retailers on their site here.
East Fork sells their pre-rolls online at PDGreenBox.com, but since these pre-rolls contain more than 0.3% THC they do not ship outside of Oregon. Their pre-rolls are sold individually and are a bit on the pricey side ($5.98 each).
2. Henry’s Original CBD Pre-Rolls (California-only)
Henry’s Pre-Rolls come in two strengths:
- Coast CBD Pre-Rolls, which have a 2:1 CBD:THC ratio (8.02% THC and 13.33% CBD)
- Ritual CBD Pre-Rolls, which have a 20:1 CBD:THC ratio (0.64% THC and 12.89% CBD)
Note that the overall mg of CBD in each pre-roll is nearly equivalent (140-145mg of CBD per gram), the main difference is in the amount of THC: the Ritual pre-roll has much less. Still, at half-a-gram per joint, you’re looking at ~70mg of CBD in each joint.
Henry’s Pre-Rolls:
- Are lab-tested for CBD/THC content
- Use organically-grown hemp
- Are Clean Green Certified
Their website features handy taste/smell notes as well for the true connoisseurs (as we like to think of ourselves). Another positive of Henry’s is that they got the grind right: these pre-rolls pull very well and smoke evenly, unlike a lot of others that require you to inhale like you’re sucking through a clogged straw.
Where to Buy Henry’s Original CBD Pre-Rolls
Since these pre-rolls contain more than 0.3% THC they are only available in their state of origin: California (Henry’s is based out of legendary cannabis mecca Mendocino).
3. Rasti Filtered Pre-Rolls
Rasti has fast become one of our favorite pre-roll brands because of their commitment to quality and the fact that they provide a unique smoking experience: they not only use 100% organically-grown hemp for their pre-rolls, but also a blend of organic smoking herbs to their joints, giving them a rich taste and mouthfeel.
Where to Buy Secret Rasti Filtered Pre-Rolls
Another nice thing about Rasti is that they provide a range of options for the pre-roll curious: you can get a 3-pack for $12.95, a 10-pack for $24.95, a whole carton of 3-packs for $189 or a carton of 10-packs for $200 at their online store.
4. Restart CBD Pre-Rolled Hemp Joints
Restart CBD grows their hemp with no chemical herbicides or pesticides: it’s selected from growers around the country, hand harvested and dried naturally, then trimmed. All of Restart’s pre-rolls are tested by an independent third-party lab, and we particularly like them because of they use farms with organic farming practices.
Another one of the great things about Restart’s hemp pre-rolls is that they offer an AWESOME selection, with 11 different strains of CBD flower, including some of the most popular like Sour Space Candy, Hawaiian Haze, and Lifter, along with some that might be a bit more difficult to find like Wine Widow and Frosted Lime.
Where to Buy Secret Restart CBD Pre-Rolled Hemp Joints
Restart sells their CBD pre-rolls in 6-packs: they range between $45 and $59, and can be purchased at their online store.
5. Secret Nature Artisan CBD Pre-Rolls (National)
Secret Nature is another CBD pre-roll brand that checks all our most important boxes: their hemp is organically-grown (no pesticides), their products are lab-tested, and they offer a wide selection of strains with various potencies, including: Doughboy, Papaya Nights, and Frosted Kush.
Each pack of pre-rolled joints comes in a beautiful rigid box with gold inlaid text, and the joints themselves are as pretty as the box.
Where to Buy Secret Nature Artisan CBD Pre-Rolls
Secret Nature’s full line of pre-rolls is available for purchase at their online store, with shipping to all 50 states.
Options include: 2-packs for $15 ($7 per joint) or 7-packs for $45 each (~$6.50 per joint).
They also offer a rare luxury treat: Ultra-Premium CBD Hemp Cigars hand-rolled in organic cannabis leaves (zero THC) that contain 3 grams CBD hemp flower, .4 grams of CBD hash, and .5 grams of CBD isolate. Complete with a wooden mouthpiece, this is the lamborghini of CBD pre-rolls (and this is reflected in the price: $90 apiece).
6. Plain Jane CBD Flower Pre-Roll (National)
Plain Jane is another Oregon-based pre-roll brand, but because their products have less than 0.3% THC they can ship to all 50 states. They don’t advertise their growing methods and are not organic, so Plain Jane isn’t our favorite, but they do lab-test their products for CBD/THC content and their pre-rolls pack a hefty punch of CBD at 160mg of CBD per joint.
Where to Buy Plain Jane CBD Flower Pre-Rolls
7. Aspen Valley CBD Pre-Rolls (National)
Straight outta Colorado, this Aspen hemp company produces their own line of CBD pre-rolls (they call them CBD flower joints) featuring five different strains: Lifter, Special Sauce, Electra, Space Candy, and Suver Haze. We have no idea what exactly the difference is between these strains, but we tried out the Special Sauce and enjoyed it.
We couldn’t find their lab tests posted online (and they’re lower in our rankings as a result) but they claim that their pre-rolls contain between 15-21% CBD and less than 0.3% THC.
A 12-pack of Aspen Valley Pre-Rolls costs $49.99 which rounds out to just over $4 per pre-roll, which is not too shabby.
Where to Buy Aspen Valley Pre-Rolls
Aspen Valley Pre-Rolls contain less than 0.3% THC, so they are available nationally. A number of online stores sell them with shipping to all 50 states, including:
FAQ on CBD Pre-Rolls
Do CBD pre-rolls contain THC?
Yes, all CBD pre-rolls contain some THC, even if it’s less than 0.3%. It’s common for CBD pre-rolls to have THC levels between 1-5%.
Do CBD pre-rolls get you high?
It depends on the THC content: a CBD pre-roll with more than 0.3% THC may get you high. A pre-roll with less than 0.3% THC won’t have the same psychoactive effect, but (as you can see from our story above) it can have some psychoactive effect.
Are CBD pre-rolls legal?
Pre-rolls with THC content less than 0.3% are federally legal (though some state laws have expressly prohibited smokable CBD, so it depends on where you live). Pre-rolls with more than 0.3% THC are considered equivalent to marijuana, and are federally illegal (though legal in many states, either recreationally or medicinally).
How old do you have to be to buy CBD pre-rolls?
As long as the pre-rolls contain less than 0.3% THC, then technically there’s no age limit on who can purchase CBD products. However, most smoke shops won’t even allow you into the store unless you’re at minimum 18, if not 21, and many CBD purveyors online ask you to confirm that you’re older than 18 before letting your purchase.
How much CBD is in a pre-roll?
It varies: some pre-rolls contain as much as 150mg of CBD, but on average CBD pre-rolls are in the 75-100mg range.