Joints Without the High: The Best CBD Pre-Rolls

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CBD pre-rolls are like joints without the high. While you can get lower-THC and higher-CBD joints, CBD pre-rolls are all about the CBD, with less than 0.3% delta-9 THC so they’re compatible with the 2018 Farm Bill. They tend to have about 100 mg of CBD per joint, so it’s great for things like sleep and anxiety, and it’s more of a “unwind at the end of the day” type of deal than the pick-me-up nature of CBD cigarettes. But there are so many options out there that picking a specific pre-roll can be hard – how are you supposed to choose one?

We started with a master list of all the popular CBD pre-rolls out there, and using personal experience, user reviews and analyses of COAs, we got it down to 11 products we tested first-hand explicitly for this list. (See how we test.)

11 Best CBD Pre-Rolls

Here are our picks for the best CBD pre-rolls for the most potent and relaxing effects.

Best Overall:	Secret Nature	$15
Strongest:	Botany Farms	$10
Best For Sleep:	Plain Jane	$14.99
Best For Anxiety:	CBD American Shaman	$9.99
Best For Daytime:	Green Unicorn Farms	$15.99
Best Value:	Cannaflower	$29.95
Best Flavor:	Game Up	$9.99
Best Organic:	Tonic	$12
Smoothest:	Dad Grass	$14
Best Quality:	Cookies	$12.50
Best For Evening:	Exhale	$39.95

Best Overall: Secret OG by Secret Nature

Available for $15 from Secret Nature

Secret Nature’s CBD pre-rolls offer an indica-style smoke packed with organic, US-grown hemp flower. They have strong effects, too, with a very relaxing and soothing effect that’s great for both after-work relaxation and sleep. The flavor is great, they smoke really well and the smoke goes down smoothly – it feels like smoking a perfectly made joint. The vast majority is CBD and THC (delta-8 and 9), but you really don’t miss the other cannabinoids when smoking.

Read our full Secret Nature review

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Strongest Effect: Botany Farms

Available for $10 from Botany Farms

Botany Farms’ CBD pre-rolls are made from organic, US-grown hemp and offer a huge amount of CBD in each one. Each one contains 169 mg of CBD, and it hits hard, calming and uplifting to the point it almost feels like a THC high. However, you can still focus and don’t feel impaired. The flavor is good, but the bud is a little too tightly packed to smoke comfortably.

Read our full Botany Farms review

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Best for Sleep: Elektra by Plain Jane

Available for $14.99 from Plain Jane

Plain Jane’s CBD joint pre-rolls are about half the price of most other pre-rolls out there. They might not be perfect, but they’re well-rolled and smoke evenly and smoothly. It tastes pretty authentically weed-like too (with a choice of strain), although it can be a bit harsh on the throat. But, they’re awesome if you’re on a budget and have a calming, sleep-inducing effect.

Read our full Plain Jane review

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Best for Anxiety: Bubba Kush by CBD American Shaman

Available for $9.99 from CBD American Shaman

CBD American Shaman’s Bubba Kush CBD pre-roll is a 1 g beast of a joint that hits smoothly and brings on a deeply calming and pleasant feeling. It could smoke a little better (it’s too tightly packed), but it’s smooth on your throat, and you do get an authentic, terpene-y taste even though you get used to it pretty quickly. Overall the effects really make this one: it’s blissful.

Read our full CBD American Shaman review

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Best for Daytime: Lifter by Green Unicorn Farms

Available for $15.99 from Green Unicorn Farms

Green Unicorn Farms has a pretty big selection of pre-rolls, but the best CBD joint for the daytime is their Lifter pre-roll. It tastes great – rich, earthy and pine-y – and it’s perfectly packed so it smokes well without being over-stuffed. The effect is ideal for daytime use, with some expected relaxation coming from the approximately 110 mg of CBD per joint, but it mainly brings energy and intense focus.

Read our full Green Unicorn Farms review

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Best Value: Frosted Lime by Cannaflower

Available for $29.95 from Cannaflower

Cannaflower’s CBD pre-rolls taste great, smoke smoothly and hit pretty hard. The 1 gram pre-rolls are made with just flower, and it shows, with a terpene-rich taste (it could be stronger but still good) and smooth smoke. Each one contains 135 mg of CBD (based on COA), with some CBG and CBC too. The effect is powerful, bringing a strong sense of calm and euphoria that borders on a high.

Read our full Cannaflower review

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Best Flavor: Bubba Kush by Game Up

Available for $9.99 from Game Up

Game Up’s Bubba Kush is a fantastic CBD joint if you’re looking for something to keep you calm through the day, manage pain or help you sleep. It gives a whole-body calm, in addition to a creative edge, and the flavor is exceptional. The CBD pre-roll is also well-packed, with organic CBD flower. It has CBC and CBG too, but the amounts are tiny (lower than THC, for instance).

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Best Organic: Sessions by Tonic

Available for $12 from Tonic

The Sessions pre rolled joints from Tonic are organic hemp flower joints grown in NY, with around 110 mg of CBD per joint. The effects are enjoyable, with a moderate, calming backdrop along with some enhanced focus for the following hour or two. Unfortunately the roll wasn’t great – mine had loose paper around the filter and burned way more on one side – but the CBD gets the job done nicely.

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Smoothest: Dad Grass

Available for $14 from Dad Grass

Dad Grass is a CBD joint that puts more of a focus on CBG than CBD in some ways, but this gives it a unique effect while still maintaining the benefits of CBD. It’s relaxing almost to the level of a high, but not intoxicating. Although the flavor could be better and I had a little uneven burning, it’s a very smooth smoke and a well-constructed joint.

Read our full Dad Grass review

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Best Quality Flower: Carrot Cake by Cookies

Available for $12.50 from Cookies

Cookies CBD’s hemp rolls are 1 gram each, and made in collaboration with Secret Nature. They have a good flavor at first (although it notably fades as you get used to it), and an advertised 167 mg of CBD per joint. The effects are strong, giving energy and a deep relaxation. However, it’s expensive, quite harsh around the fatter part, and I got a little side-burn during testing.

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Best for Evening: Skywalker OG by Exhale

Available for $39.95 from Exhale

Exhale’s CBD pre-rolls come in five-packs of 1 g pre-rolls, with a pretty unique but well-protected box. The pre-rolls have a great flavor, especially the Skywalker OG, and the smoke is smooth on your throat. They’re a little too tightly-packed, but they still smoke well and the effects are pleasant too. They contain around 100 mg of CBD (based on lab reports, not listed), and have calming, chilled effects.

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How We Tested the CBD Pre-Rolls

Our testing process for the CBD joints was pretty straightforward: smoke them, evaluate them and see which worked best for each category. But there is a lot of detail hiding behind that basic explanation.

First off: choosing the pre-rolls to test. This was done through a combination of reputation and our team’s personal experience with a range of CBD pre-rolls. We looked at each company in detail, considering their general reputation, third-party reviews, other lists like this one, the lab reports they provide, their prices and their general transparency about what they’re offering and what customers can expect from the pre-roll. We ended up settling on 11 products for first-hand testing.

The testing mainly focused on the effects of the pre-rolls, but flavor, the smoothness of the smoke and the construction of the joint (especially how it was packed and how easy it was to puff) were also key factors. Ordinarily rolling for my own really helped here – it’s easy to spot mistakes if you’ve made them before yourself. Any issues that cropped up during smoking (burning unevenly, for instance) were noted, and I focused on the effects for the following hour.

After all the pre-rolls had been tested, the initial notes on each company and the results of testing were combined to pick a winner for each category. This was generally straightforward (e.g. Lifter from Green Unicorn for daytime use), but in the case of a conflict, we just relied on personal judgment and what made sense for the list. For example, I thought Secret Nature’s OG was the best overall and the best for sleep, but Plain Jane was also great for sleep, so it made sense to give OG the best overall and Plain Jane best for sleep.

Through discussion on issues like this and additional comparisons, we settled on the final form of the list. More on CBD Oracle’s testing methodology.

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Guide to Buying the Best CBD Pre Rolls

Although the list above gives you plenty of options and lets you find one based on your priorities, there are a few things it’s good to know for buying CBD joints in general. Although you’ll usually need a bit of trial and error before finding “your brand,” you’ll be more likely to find something you love if you’re well-informed on the basics and know what to look out for.

What to Look For

• US-grown hemp: Although you can grow good hemp elsewhere, US (or European) hemp is generally high-quality and is always the best choice.
• COAs/Lab reports: Basically every company offers lab reports these days, but it’s important to check for them. They should be recent and check for things like pesticides and heavy metals in addition to potency.
• Dosage stated clearly: You’re buying CBD, so you should know how much is in there. Often, the best place to look is the COA.
• Good price: Of course everyone considers price when buying, but it’s an important thing to consider if you’ll be smoking regularly.
• Reputable companies: Choose hemp from a reputable source. Doing the above will help a lot, but it’s also good to check reviews and feedback for companies from third-party sources.

What to Avoid

• Non-flower hemp: CBD cigarettes are good if you just want something to smoke and don’t care about the odd stalk or seed, but if you’re buying pre-rolls it should be made with just flower.
• Vague product descriptions: If the company isn’t making things like dosage, the strain of hemp used and where it was grown easy to find out, it isn’t a good sign.
• Old and limited lab reports: Lab reports are expected these days, but if a company just wants to “tick the box,” they may have a few more generic reports (e.g. testing the original hemp rather than a finished product) or just some really old ones. Dig a bit more and make sure it’s up-to-date and relevant.

Types of CBD Pre-Rolls

Not all CBD prerolls are made equal, so you’ll need an understanding of the basic types you’ll find out there when you go to pick some up.

• Hemp pre-rolls: Hemp pre-rolls are made from hemp itself rather than just CBD-rich flower. This means there will be some stalk and seed material mixed up in there too. This is more common with CBD “cigarettes” because the resulting mix has a bit of a tobacco-like look.
• CBD pre-rolls: Pre-rolls made from CBD flower are more like a CBD joint than a cigarette. The resinous flower is too sticky to work alone in a cigarette-like format, but for a joint it’s perfect. They usually come in tubes.
• CBD moon rocket pre-rolls: The moon rocket style of CBD pre-roll is a standard style CBD pre-roll, but coated in kief. The version from CBD American Shaman has CBG kief, but you could also use CBD kief and more to make them.
• CBD blunts: This is just what it sounds like: a blunt, except with CBD-rich, low-THC weed. A blunt is basically a joint rolled in a tobacco leaf or cigar paper, but with pure green inside.
• CBD cigarettes: These are high-CBD cigarettes, usually using cruder hemp as a filling. They still get the job done, though.
• Cannabis pre-rolls: Cannabis pre-rolls are what this is all really based on. They’re pre-made joints with THC, which is a great option if you don’t like rolling and are in a legal state.

Where Do You Buy CBD Pre-Rolls?

The most convenient place to buy CBD prerolls is online, because you can ship hemp products nationwide, barring a few states with bans in place. This makes buying online a very simple option, giving you more choice over what you get and making it easier to compare prices.

However, you can also pick up CBD pre-rolls at CBD dispensaries (or regular dispensaries) and even local vape stores. It’s better to stick to one of these sources rather than at a gas station or something, because you’re more likely to get a quality pre-roll.

Are CBD Pre-Rolls Legal to Buy?

CBD pre-rolls are legal to buy provided they contain less than 0.3% delta-9 THC by dry weight, according to the 2018 Farm Bill. This is the general rule, but some states (Idaho, Iowa and South Dakota, at time of writing) choose to still prohibit CBD.

How Much Do CBD Pre-Rolls Cost?

While the price of CBD pre-rolls does vary, you can expect to pay around $10 for a single pre-roll or around $30 to $40 for a five-pack. On the cheaper side, you can find some individual pre-rolls for as little as $4.50, and Plain Jane also offers a seven-pack for $14.99. On the more expensive side, you can find five-packs for $40 or more, and individual pre-rolls for up to $15.

What Are the Effects of CBD Pre-Rolls? And How Long Do They Last?

CBD pre-rolls don’t contain substantial amounts of THC, so they won’t get you high, but they have the same pleasant, calming effect as most CBD products. Shortly after smoking one – five to ten minutes after, say – you feel a wave of relaxation wash over you. It feels like the “chill out” part of smoking a THC-rich joint, just without the actual high. The effects also partially depend on the amount you have – bigger doses tend to be a bit sleepier, while smaller amounts can almost energize you.

You will feel the effects of a pre-roll for around an hour or two. This depends on the amount you take, of course, but generally speaking you won’t notice it much after this point.

Can CBD Pre-Rolls Help With Sleep, Pain and Anxiety?

Whether CBD pre-rolls help with a variety of conditions is a topic of active debate. While the evidence tends to be limited by a lack of studies or small samples, there are plenty of positive signs for several conditions. However, sleep, chronic pain and anxiety are three key areas because they’re the main reasons people use CBD medically.

When it comes to using CBD pre rolls for sleep, the evidence looks pretty positive, provided you take a larger dose. The evidence is well-summarized by a review article on the topic, which points out that while THC has some benefits, it could decrease sleep quality long-term. However, CBD (in doses of 160 mg/day or more) increases sleeping time and generally helps with insomnia. But it’s worth noting that low doses can have a stimulating effect. The authors point out that the improvement in sleep is likely due to its impact on anxiety.

And anxiety is one of the other major reasons people use CBD. The evidence here basically follows the same pattern as above: there are studies showing a reduction in anxiety after taking CBD, but not enough for scientists to be super-confident about it. The most widely-mentioned study involved people with generalized social anxiety disorder going through a simulated public speaking task. They found that the 12 people who got the CBD (a big 600 mg dose) experienced less anxiety than the placebo group, to the point where their response was in line with people without anxiety conditions.

Finally, for pain the story is essentially the same, but with many indications that CBD has a positive effect. If there is a clear sign of a likely benefit, it’s in the studies showing that people often reduce their use of pain medications such as opioids when they start taking CBD. However, there is also direct experimental evidence of a benefit, although it seems to affect specific aspects of pain (such as pain unpleasantness and conditioned pain modulation) more than others. Overall, many studies look at CBD in combination with THC, which makes it difficult to draw specific conclusions on CBD.

How Long Do CBD Pre-Rolls Stay Fresh?

CBD pre-rolls will remain fresh for several months, even up to a year if it’s stored properly. While leaving it for a year will likely result in a decrease in potency, it’s still likely to be technically “smoke-able.” If you want to get the best out of your CBD pre-rolls, it’s best to use them within about three months of purchasing them.

If you want to maximize the shelf life of your CBD pre-rolls, you should keep them in an airtight container, away from light and moisture as much as possible. It’s also important to protect them from physical damage, because even fresh pre-rolls can be destroyed by being crushed or squashed accidentally.

Conclusion

The explosion in CBD products has led to an explosion in CBD pre-rolls, cigarettes and more, and while navigating the options can be difficult at first, it’s easy to pick up the basics. Once you’ve tried a couple of CBD joints that seemed like your sort of thing, you’ll be in a much better position to make the right choice afterwards. Preferences differ, but if you stick to widely-recommended options like those above, and you make sure to pick something that’s good for your intended purposes, you’ll find your perfect hemp pre-roll in no time.

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