One of the greatest things about cannabis culture now is how many people are becoming informed on just how much a single plant has to offer and the range of products that can be resourcefully created with cannabis.
It’s not just all about flower anymore. As menus grow wide with consumption options and new products it becomes more and more common for people not to know what their options are. That knowledge gap is expected, and it creates an awesome opportunity to share information. It’s with that in mind that I offer a simple breakdown on a product widely loved by novice and connoisseur patients alike: Moonrocks!
{Pictured above: Kay Tummino | Processing Data Lead)
What are Moonrocks?
The big question, and a fairly short answer: they’re nuggets of flower, dipped in cannabis oil and rolled in kief or bubble hash. At Sira, we opt to kick things up a notch by using bubble hash over kief. If that lingo is slightly fuzzy for you, no worries!
1) Flower is the nugs or buds classically referred to as marijuana.
2) Cannabis oil come in different consistencies and can made from different extraction methods. Essentially, oil is made by extracting the active plant constituents from cannabis flower using a solvent, such as C02, Ethanol, or Butane. At Sira, we use an ethanol extraction to yield full spectrum oil for our moonrocks.
3) Bubble Hash is a solventless cannabis extract made from cannabis flowers. The cannabis is agitated in ice water, and the resulting mixture is filtered and refined to separate the resin glands from the plant material. Kief is basically dried trichomes from cannabis, and if you have a three part grinder at home then you’re already collecting some in that bottom chamber. It has a super fine sand-like consistency and is often sprinkled over flower before smoking.
The strains of those three components can totally vary, though moonrocks are often labeled as indica, sativa, and hybrid at dispensaries. They’re sold in one-gram quantities, typically because they are a high potency product at over 50% THC.
Some Helpful Tips for Smoking Moonrocks:
You got yourself some moonrocks, awesome! Now you’ve likely got one or two big, potent covered buds, what’s next?
1) Breaking Down: use a knife or scissors instead of a grinder. To get a nice even burning consistency you want to break the moonrock up a bit and mix it with some ground flower. It’s covered in kief or bubble hash so if you break it up by hand, you’ll lose a bunch of product. It’s not recommended that you put moonrocks in a grinder either, it’ll gunk up your grinder and you’ll still lose a lot of product. I recommend cutting or shaving off pieces using a clean pocketknife or scissors. It’ll help your gram of moonrocks last longer as well too!
2) Smoking Moonrocks: smoke using Glass Pipes. Glass, aka bowls/bubblers/bongs, are the most widely recommended way to enjoy moonrocks. It is however, not recommended to stick a whole moonrock or solely moonrocks into the bowl. Over-packing the bowl with moonrocks can get oily and then not burn well. Also, moonrocks will stay burning once lit, and you’ll end up wasting smoke.
I recommend a mix of ground flower and moonrock bits, and lighting up using a hemp wick. A long-loved stoner accessory, hemp wick cuts down on excess butane in the experience and helps for that even burn.
3) Rolling Up with Moonrocks: If you’re rolling a joint or blunt, you can totally add some moonrock bits in with your flower and roll as you typically would! I like to mix it well with my flower and then roll, but some people prefer to lay out their paper or wrap with bud on it, then add the concentrates on top, then roll up. Either way it's best to choose a thicker rolling paper/wrap, like a hemp wrap so the oil doesn't leech through the paper.
4) Potency: be Prepared With such a high potency product, taking the low and slow approach is totally recommended, especially for those newer to cannabis use. You can always smoke more if you see fit. Remember that with three sources of THC, there is likely to be a heavier experience. Some report increased cottonmouth and munchies along with the increased effects. Though that has not been my experience, it never hurts to have some snacks and a water around after a smoke sesh!
I encourage you to be mindful of how you feel the effects vs. your typical smoking experience and go from there. In my experience, indica moonrocks are a super sleep aide for me, and a great way to medicate effectively without using a lot of flower.
Equipped with the knowledge of what makes a moonrock truly lunar, and some know-how about getting the most out of your moonrock experience, all that’s left to do is pick some up from the dispensary and enjoy!
