What Cannabis Grinders Are and Why It is a Must-Have

Cannabis grinders may be news to new cannabis users. But veterans use them regularly and may have more than one for convenience. To put it simply, grinders are used to grind cannabis into finer flakes for smoking or finer powders for multiple uses. This is a good opportunity to examine the reasons behind grinding and what to look for in a purchase.

First of all!

Cannabis benefits come from a flowering plant that has served humanity since before recorded evolution. That makes it a hardy survivor, not typical of many flowering plants you might know. Cannabis is a rough tough plant that you might find less pretty than the flowers popular in your area. On examination, the flowers can be quite colorful, rich, and brilliant. And, because the plant has terpenes and flavonoids, it produces distinct aromas and flavors.

However, it is a “woody” plant, thick with coarse fiber used for eons to make fabric and other products. So, unless you are buying pre-prepared cannabis, you want to reduce the plant matter to optimize the recreational and/or medical effects.

To reverse your thinking, if you want to put cannabis into a spliff, bong, bowl, or other means of consumption, you need to convert it to a manageable and convenient form. That’s were grinders come in.

What is a grinder?

Grinders are devices that break up cannabis into small and smaller pieces of usable weed. You will find them in various sizes, materials, and colors. If you want to roll a joint, fill a blunt, or pack a bowl, you need one.

Most grinders consist of three chambers stacked one above the other. You place the dried cannabis flower material in the top chamber and twist it. Small teeth or blades shred the cannabis as you turn, and the cannabis falls into the middle chamber. The finest debris filters down into the bottom chamber to provide Kief, a rich powder you can use in many ways — as a potent additive to your smoking cannabis or cannabis recipes.

You will want to clean the grinder after several uses to clear the holes, avoid contamination, and ensure the grinder’s efficiency. Some people store their grinders in the freezer to keep the cannabis and kief from sticking to the insides.

What are grinders made of?

People have been grinding for so long, they have lest us with numerous styles. They are still around marketing in different qualities and at different prices.

♦ Crank Grinder

A Crank Grinder is “old school.” It works on the same principle as an antique coffee grinder that used manual labor to turn a crank on the side or top of the device to shred the contents. While those old ones used wood and metal, the recent ones use aluminum or similar lightweight, low-cost material.

You break up the cannabis buds by hand and place the materials in the top section before turning the crank to grind the herb. After 10 to 15 cranks, you open the grinder to find your prepared cannabis. Turning the crank is not difficult for most users, but the cranks can wear and break in time.

♦ Electric Grinder

Electric grinders take the physical work out of it. It looks like a mini-electric blender. The grinding mechanics are the same as other grinders, but you leave the effort to the electric power. Some have settings for the time and texture of the grind, but they all need cleaning after each use to keep them from clogging.

♦ Metal Grinder

Electric grinders are made of metal, but metal grinders without the electric power are the most common. They are durable, convenient, and easy to use. You want one made of aluminum with metal teeth strong enough to stand up to the grind. The multi-chamber grinder effectively becomes a place to store the contents.

♦ Plastic Grinder

Plastic grinders often prove unreliable and short-lived. The best plastics are less durable than metal. However, they are much less expensive, readily available, and easily replaced.

♦ Stone Grinder

Grinders made from stone are handsome, substantial, and tough. Some cannabis users collect them for their looks and craftsmanship. They do have strong teeth and last a long time, but you are not going to carry one of these around with you.

♦ Wood Grinder

Many people collect wooden grinders, too. Many of the grinders are ornately and intricately engraved. Better than plastic and lighter than stone, wood grinders can be too heavy or cumbersome to carry around.

Why you must have one?

Grinders are a necessary item for your cannabis paraphernalia. The legalization of cannabis has not lowered its price. Chronic and occasional users should get as much out of their purchased or grown cannabis as possible. Users have learned not to waste any of the product.

Grinders get as much material out of your bud or flower as you can. It grinds the product to usable form as flakes or kief without reducing the potency. Handling the cannabis by hand will waste it as the pollen, oils, and ingredients stick to your fingers and implements.

Grinding the herb produces more uniform flakes each with more exposure to air and combustion. You can pack the ground leaf more tightly into a bowl or pipe to increase your draw on a consistent burn. Grinding, thus, eases use, increases potency, and reduces waste of the pricey herb. Brands like Sharpstone USA pay extra heed to make the surface durable in order to keep the herbs as pure as possible.

Cannabis grinders help you smoke at your convenience, improve the quality of your smoke, increase the potency by eliminating debris, save you money by eliminating waste, and produce a new product in the resultant kief.