5 Ways to Grind Your Weed Without A Grinder

Whether you're out on the road looking to roll up a joint or simply don’t own an herb grinder, there are other methods you can use to process your weed to make joints and blunts much easier to roll, allowing them to burn in a balanced fashion.

Grinders are a common tool that can be found in almost every stoner’s toolkit. But at times, this luxury isn’t always afforded, causing smokers to come up with DIY and genius ways to process weed. This task can be relatively easy, depending upon what you have lying around, or how happy you are to get your hands all sticky.

Here are 5 ways to grind up your weed into a rollable form when you don’t have a grinder on hand.

1. GET YOUR HANDS STICKY

Okay, so this option really is for when every other option isn’t available. Perhaps you’re far from home and there isn’t a grinder, pair of scissors, or knife anywhere in site. In moments like this, it really is time to get primitive and just get the job done with your bare hands.

Simply load a nug or two into one hand and form the shape of a bowl to stop anything from falling off the sides. Use your other hand to slowly pick the bud apart into the smallest pieces possible. Of course, having a clean surface available will make this task a lot easier and far less messy.

As all smokers will know, cannabis flowers are coated with a sticky resin produced by plant glands known as trichomes. When picking bud apart like this, you are certain to experience a build up of cannabinoid-rich resin of your fingertips. You can use something like a piece of cardboard or a key to scrape this off and load it into your joint to stop it from going to waste.

2. KNIFE AND CUTTING BOARD

So quite a few houses won’t have grinders within them, but most will have a decent knife and a cutting board. Say you’re at your friend’s house and he’s without a grinder. The next best option would be to head to the kitchen and see what’s lying around.

Some people might have a few blunt knives, but others take their cooking very seriously and might have a super sharp chef's blade available. Regardless of what is available, you can use a knife to chop up buds like you would any other culinary herb. Start by chopping from the tip of the bud down to the base, slicing the flowers up into smaller pieces.

Once the herb is in small pieces, you can use a “rock chop” technique to cut it up even smaller. Place your other hand on the top of the other end of the knife (avoiding the tip) and rock the blade side to side over the material, just like you would when mincing up an ingredient such as garlic.

When ready, scrape the herb onto a tray or simply use the cutting board as a rolling platform.

3. COFFEE GRINDER

If you’re a fan of coffee, then you’ll definitely be prepared for this option. Coffee and cannabis seem to pair well together in so many different ways. The buzz offered by coffee and the chill vibes offered by weed seem to contrast each other in a favourable manner, and even the ways in which these two plant powerhouses are prepared can be similar.

If you don’t have a weed grinder available, a coffee grinder can help to shred your flowers down to size. In fact, coffee grinders can be even more effective than weed grinders when looking to process a large amount of dried cannabis in a small amount of time. If it’s an electrical model, it will also save you the wrist ache that might develop when using a manual weed grinder for big nugs.

Once all your bud has been processed, do your best to scrape out all of the residual resin that may have been left behind. Also, be sure to wash out the coffee grinder well beforehand, unless you really love the smell and taste of coffee that much.

4. GRATER

Graters do such a good job of processing weed (as long as they are the right size) that some weed grinders have actually been designed to mimic them. Graters can be found in most kitchens, and some of them have a side featuring many small holes capable of slicing up cannabis flowers into fine particles when rubbed against them.

Place the grater on top of a cutting board or plate to collect the pile of cannabis dust that will remain. Make sure the grater is clean and free of any food particles.

5. SCISSORS IN A SHOT GLASS

Scissors may be the first port of call for many cannabis smokers when they discover there are no grinders available in their situation. Scissors are easy to handle and can be used to quickly tear up cannabis nugs.

However, the addition of a shot glass makes this process a lot less messy and keeps the hands clean, meaning the bud and resin stay together for the most part. Any residue on the scissors can be scraped off.

Place your bud into a shot glass and start to cut it into pieces with the scissors. Over a short amount of time, the flowers will be rendered down into almost a powder.