What is Shake

Small pieces of cannabis flower that were once part of larger buds. Shake usually falls off buds when handling them or when they get jostled around in packaging. It can be used by producers to make pre-rolled joints.

The pros and cons of shake

Shake is cannabis flower that has naturally broken down through handling. It’s small parts that have come off of larger buds. For the average consumer, shake collects at the bottom of your stash, which you can also use to make joints. Convenience is the real benefit of shake—you can put it in a joint without having to grind it down. However, it is thought to be lower in quality.

If shake includes kief that also fell off of buds then the shake will likely be potent. Shake is usually of lower quality because it’s the last to go from your stash and has had the longest time to dry out and degrade.

Difference between shake and trim

Trim is what gets trimmed off cannabis buds after harvesting—it is mainly the resinous tips of buds, but sugar leaves, stems, and some chunks of flower might make their way into trim depending on how it was trimmed.

Shake is what falls off in your jar or bag after buds have been handled over time.

How much is shake?

You won’t often find shake on dispensary shelves, but most cannabis shops hold on to the unseemly trimmings to maximize their profits. Depending on the laws in their state, some dispensaries throw all of their shake into a large, grab-bag container and use it to roll their in-house joints. These can be a fun, surprise smoking experience but tread with caution — you never know quite what strain you’re puffing with a shake-filled joint. When in doubt, ask your budtender for more details.

Dispensaries typically will also sell different amounts of shake for far cheaper than the flower on their shelves. Some shops in legalized states will sell an ounce of shake for as little as $40. In a pinch, shake is cheaper, looks exactly like pre-ground bud, and it’s just as smokeable.

What is weed shake used for?

Once you move past the lack of glamour, shake is an excellent substitute for full, fluffy buds.

Shake essentially is pre-ground flower, ready to pack in a bowl or fill out the empty space in a large joint or blunt. When crafting edibles, too, one needn’t worry about the look of one’s buds — they’re all about to be mixed into your recipe. You only need pretty flower to use as a garnish.

Some cannabis consumers create tinctures using their leftover shake. As long as you have enough shake by weight for your recipe, the alcohol in the tincture recipe will properly strip all the THC-goodness from your trim.

Occasionally, cannabis extractors will use shake to make concentrates, though many in the industry prefer to use flower, ensuring a higher quality end product.

Is weed shake bad?

Whether shake is bad or not really depends on individual preference.

There are some cons to smoking shake. Sometimes shake is rife with unsmokable cannabis trimmings such as stems and seeds, which can be a pain to remove. Dispensary-bought shake defies identification, too, as most bags are a mix of cannabis genetics and won’t provide a reliable psychoactive experience every time. Shake also dries out quickly, so you’ll want to smoke it fast before its condition worsens.

For some, the pros of inexpensive and usable shake outweigh the cons. It’s ultimately up to personal preference, budget, and the intended use for the shake.

Where Can You Buy Shake Weed?

If you’ve ever bought cannabis in small plastic baggies, you’ll notice that small little bits break off and gather at the bottom. Kind of like crumbs in a bag of potato chips.

The same thing happens at dispensaries, albeit on a larger scale. Budtenders are well aware of this, so often times they’ll have shake weed for sale at discounted prices. In fact, dispensaries often sell shake as a stand-alone product. It can be bought by the gram, eighth, quarter-ounce, or sometimes even a full ounce.

If you’re on a tight budget, you could save a fair amount of money if you buy shake weed. A lot of dispensaries will even have shake for sale in the form of pre-rolled joints, but this can be slightly problematic – particularly for those using cannabis as a medicinal treatment.

The reason it can be problematic is because in most cases, there isn’t enough shake from one particular strain to make up a pre-rolled joint. The dispensary will use shake from multiple strains to fill the joint, thereby minimizing waste and maximizing profit.

For some, a ‘mix-n-match’ shake joint can be a tasty treat and produce an exciting and potent high. But for those who are seeking treatment for a specific ailment, shake weed can fall short of the mark. It can even have some unwanted side effects such as headaches.

We would advise anyone looking to buy shake in pre-rolled form from a dispensary to first consult the budtender. Ask them where the shake is from, and whether it’s from one single strain or a hodgepodge of multiple strains. Also, if you are using pre-rolled joints for medicinal purposes, be sure to tell the budtender your ailments so that they can point you in the right direction.

Is Shake Weed Good?

If you are still wondering whether shake is worth your time or money, we don’t blame you. With so many unreliable sellers out there, it’s often difficult to know what you’re getting. And unfortunate as it is, you can’t always trust a dispensary to be honest about the exact “source” of their shake weed for sale.

In order to have the best experience possible, make sure you know the difference between shake and trim. Many sellers will try and pass off trim for shake – this is one of the oldest tricks in the book. Trim is the unwanted parts of the cannabis plant that are removed before curing, and often it is full of chlorophyll and makes for a harsh smoke.