With pre-roll sales continuing to rise since 2020 and remaining a staple consumption method in both recreational and medical markets, it’s important your business is using the best pre roll cones. Cannabis businesses around the country are ditching the traditional hand-packing method of making a joint and pivoting to automated or semi-automated pre-roll packing machines like the Mini-RocketBox.
Whether you are a small, family-owned farm making hundreds of joints a week to a large, multi-state business producing thousands of joints in an hour, there is a pre-roll machine for you, and choosing the right one can save you a fortune on labor costs. Selecting the right machine for your business may seem like a difficult decision but there is an even more important factor to consider that will make or break even the most sophisticated pre-roll production systems – the pre-rolled cones you use.
Choosing the Best Pre Roll Cones
There are countless options you can go with when deciding what cones to use for your joints. Paper type, size of the paper, branded or unbranded crutches; all features you can choose from to make your joints unique and stand out in the market. While deciding on colors and paper for your pre-rolled cones is important, choosing the ones that maximize your pre-roll production is even more crucial. In this article, we will give you a few characteristics to look out for when choosing a cone for your joints that can make your experience with your automated or semi-automated pre-roll machine that much easier.
Don’t Fear the Reefer
In the pre-roll world, size matters! And depending on the pre-roll machine you have, you will most likely need a specific size of cone to make your joints (unless you are making a Barry Bond sized joint which most machines won’t help with). Most cone companies offer standard sizes that range from 0.5g to 1.0 joints so starting with the paper size is key. Here are some different types of the best pre roll cones you will find on the market:
Keep an eye out for Reefer and Slim variations of the above sizes. Reefer and Slim alternatives will provide the same length of cone as some of the popular sizes but will be thinner in width. These are still great cones as they provide a sleeker look to a joint, but may not be compatible with your pre-roll machine. Make sure to inquire with your pre-roll machine manufacturer to see if Reefer or Slim sizes will work for you or buy a small pack at your local smoke shop to test out before buying in bulk.
Make Sure You’re In a Sticky Situation
Unfortunately, some cones are rolled better than others, and finding out which ones are the most dependable will help your pre-roll production from grinding to a halt. But how can you tell a bad cone from a quality cone? There are a few attributes to look for when determining the quality of a cone to put in your pre-roll machine but one seems to stick out more than others – the gumline.
The gumline of a pre-rolled cone is where the paper that has been wrapped around the filter or crutch meets and holds the form of the cone together. Seems easy enough, especially since most cone companies are using the same adhesive, Gum Arabic or Sugar Gum, to hold these cones together. But some cones do a better job of applying that adhesive and recognizing which ones will save you countless headaches. One of the biggest troubles in using any pre-roll machine is having cones folding in on the gumline and blocking the opening where material should be passing through. This can derail a run of joints in your machine and keep you from making them efficiently.
Round Bottomed Cones Make The World Go Round
Now most pre-roll machines in the market, from fully automated to having a single operator, will use some form of funnel system to deliver your cannabis material from the machine to the cone. The best way to ensure your material is filling your joint correctly is by finding a cone company that produces the roundest cone consistently.
Nothing is worse than ordering a few boxes of pre-rolled cones and finding them to be smashed or packaged incorrectly, leaving you with flat, misshapen papers that will undoubtedly bring more labor costs to your business. The money you may have saved getting a great deal on cones could cost you more in the long run if the shape of those cones is inconsistent. Also, having your team spend hours meticulously opening cones to get them to fit in your machine sounds like a terrible time. If you find a company that has a quality cone every single time but comes at a higher price, it just may be worth it! A lot of the top brands in the market do very well at this but it’s up to you to find which works best for your business.
Get Down with the Thickness
The end result that every cannabis business owner wants for their joints is for their consumers to enjoy the product, be able to taste all of the wonderful flavors their cannabis has to offer, and of course, come back for more! So what pre-rolled cone will give your customers the optimal smoking experience? The argument over the best pre roll cones has been going on since the dawn of man but it typically all boils down to the thickness of the paper and the material it is made with.
Thinner papers will allow the cannabis inside your joint to shine but will be a nightmare to fill as they crush easily in any machine. Finding the right thickness of paper that provides a sturdy, easy fill, while also giving consumers a clean, smooth smoke is ideal for the success of any pre-roll filling machine.
There are tons of options for paper material out there as well that all claim to give the best flavor in a joint but keep in mind what will work best for your production? We have found that traditional wood pulp or hemp papers provide the ideal thickness and smoke for a fantastic end product while keeping your pre-roll operation rolling along. One newer player in the pre-rolled cones space, Zig Zag, has perfected this marriage of thickness and material to create an ideal cone that works amazingly in any pre-roll machine and delivers an excellent smoke. For a brand that has been in the rolling paper game for over 125 years, I’d think they know what they’re doing.
Keeping in mind the following characteristics when choosing a brand of cones for your business will help maximize the potential of your automated or semi-automated pre-roll machine, reduce labor costs created by substandard cones, and leave customers with a memorable smoking experience.
