How To Roll The Perfect Cone Joint

Despite the numerous ways to consume cannabis, few are as loved as the joint. Smoking a joint allows you to pick up on subtle flavours that otherwise would get lost in a bong or pipe. This is because a joint allows for a slow, steady pull where the smoke can waft over the tongue. It’s not uncommon for some strains to taste a certain way on the tip of the tongue and then different in the back of the mouth. Because you can easily fit a gram and a half of flower in a single joint, they’re ideal for social situations, too.

One downside to joints is their learning curve. It can be daunting to roll a joint when one is inexperienced in rolling, especially when one’s abilities could be memed on by others.

In this article we’ll run through how to create one of the more impressive joints (just be aware that you may become the next dedicated roller by your friends once you master it).

When I started smoking, I spent months struggling with rolling, trying to find what worked for me. Eventually, with a lot of assistance from my girlfriend, I refined my technique and went from rolling joints that looked like chewed-up homework to creating tight cone joints every time.

In this guide, I’m going to show the method I first learned to roll with. While I wouldn’t recommend changing your rolling style if you’re happy with it, being able to roll a tight cone joint is a skill that everyone in the sesh circle will appreciate.

Step 1. Start With Easy-to-Roll Papers

Rolling papers come in all shapes and thicknesses, and starting with a slightly thicker paper can be a good idea initially. Once you’ve honed your technique, you can always transition to thinner papers. Read our article on the best rolling papers for details about the thickness and rolling difficulty between various brands and variants. Also, consider the size; I’ll approach the coming steps with king-size papers in mind.

Step 2. Cradle the Paper in the Hand & Pour The Flower

Once you have your ground herb, cradle the paper in your left hand, as seen above. Use the right hand to pour the flower into the joint, placing more flower towards the ignition side than the filter. Make sure that the glue is at the top of the paper facing towards you. Taper the flower towards the filter side, as this will create a cone-style joint that can fit more flowers. Keep some herb to the side to fill the joint once it’s rolled – you don’t want to fill it too full in this phase, or you will mess it up.

Step 3. Use Your Index Fingers & Thumbs To Support

The next step is to transfer the joint so that the index and thumb on each hand support it. I taper my joints off to the right-hand side, but you can use whichever side you find easier.

From here, use your thumbs to roll the flower back and forth, to tighten it up and shape it. The goal here is to roll the joint at an angle. Since we’re rolling a cone, it’s essential to roll with the paper leaning inwards on the right hand (for right-handed rollers).

Step 4. Lick & Tuck

Lick the glue of the paper while using the thumbs to keep pushing the flower tightly down into the joint. Now’s the hardest part… Tuck the bottom of the paper over the flower while at the same time using your index fingers to pull the glue side over. I know it sounds complicated – but check this out; it should help.

Step 5. Keep The Glue in the Same Position

Continue tucking the lower part of the paper around. You may need to adjust your hand position here; just make sure the glue doesn’t touch any of the paper when doing so. From this position, roll the glue over using your index fingers.

Step 6. Insert Filter

You can now roll a filter tip to match the size of the smaller opening of the cone. This can be challenging, and having it a bit smaller that too big can help stop pushing the end of the joint inside (you don’t want this). When I learned this technique first, this was the hardest part – and some prefer to insert the filter tip before rolling. You can do that too.

Step 7. Fill & Smoke

Now simply fill the tip of your joint with the remaining flower (there will usually be a bit of a gap there). Fold the tip over and tap the filter side to the table or rolling try to help move flower down the joint, creating a tighter, neater roll. Keep doing this while adding flower to the top between tap sessions. Congratulations, you’ve rolled a cone joint! Twist the top and smoke up!