Thai Stick – How To Roll Your Own

Ever heard of a Thai Stick? 

Marijuana use appears to be increasingly popular and widespread. With all of this demand fueling substantial growth, we are seeing more entrepreneurs getting into the cannabis industry.. As a result, we’re seeing massive growth in the variety of products available to us.

While the future is bright, sometimes it helps to take a step back and look to the history books. Today, we’ll be doing just that for the rise and fall of the Thai Stick. 

This style of product is not well-known in the west, especially compared to its heyday. Looking back helps us understand why, and that is exactly what we’re going to do.

The Origins of the Thai Stick

thai stick origins

It may not come as a surprise due to the name, but Thai Sticks were first discovered in Thailand. Westerners shipped to Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War were the first to find these beauties. It is said they were first found in the hills of Thailand in the 1960s.

These soldiers were facing incredibly difficult situations and these sticks may have helped them make it more bearable. Clearly, these sticks left an impression, as many soldiers ended up smuggling them back home with them from Thailand. This is thought to be the first occurrence of Thai Sticks entering the United States.

For those wondering how we got from the Vietnam War to the neighboring country of Thailand? In fact, the US operated numerous air bases in Thailand during the war. This movement led to a drug pipeline straight to America, as Thailand was crucial to maintaining the flow of troops.

The appeal of these Thai Sticks was high due to their high potency, size, and use of hash oil. Many Western cannabis consumers fell for these sticks, as they were unlike anything they ever smoked before.

In the West, these sticks remained popular for around a decade before subsiding in popularity. This shift may have partly been due to the ending of the Vietnam War. As soldiers stopped traveling back from Southeast Asia with these treats. The Western world shifted its attention to joints more broadly, and to bongs after that.

Much has changed since that era, and it seems that Thai Sticks are making a comeback. We can thank Thailand for first creating these Thai Sticks, and now the West has taken the charge. Using newer cannabis concentrates, we have more options than ever with how to create these joints.

What Are Thai Sticks?

thai stick definition

To put it as simply as possible, Thai Sticks are cannabis buds that have been skewered onto a bamboo stick. They are then wrapped in a leaf and tied with string. They can be made with a variety of leaves and types of strings, including weed leaves and hemp wick.

The whole buds that are skewered inside of these sticks may be moistened with sugar water or liquid cannabis concentrate. The purpose of this liquid is to help the buds mold around the bamboo sticks.

Other cannabis concentrates like kief, wax and even distillate may also be added inside or around these sticks.

The addition of cannabis extracts dramatically increases the potency of these sticks. Using high-quality cannabis strains will also improve the quality of these sticks.

Generally, these sticks are never made with shake or trim, as they are meant to be made with entire nugs. Which strain you put inside is up to you, however, as any strain will do. You can make a CBD Thai stick with only low-THC buds and extracts.

The Thai Cannabis Strain

Something important to note, there is also a cannabis strain out there called Thai Stick Strain. It is also sometimes called Thai Strain as well. 

This landrace strain does not directly relate to these sticks, as any strain can be used instead. It is unclear if this strain has any special historical connection to the sticks themselves. It is perfectly reasonable to assume that the strain was named after the sticks.

Now that you got all the information you need, it’s time to talk about how to make one of these bad boys.

Making Thai Sticks

Creating one of these tasty marijuana kebabs is a tempting idea for any cannabis enthusiast. Keep in mind that the process can be complex and time-consuming. Smoking one of these is incredibly easy. All you have to do is untie the string, remove the stick, and light it up.

The process of making a thai stick is essentially what’s known as “twaxxing.” It’s a way to smoke shatter, wax or any other cannabis concentrate you’d like in a joint or blunt instead of a dab rig.

In other words, Thai Sticks are the original twax joints and are basically large and potent weed cigars. They are not a good choice for novice consumers and those with a low tolerance to THC. 

If you are lucky enough to get to smoke one that someone else made, ask them what they put inside. As much as you may want to enjoy this treat, taking only a puff or two would be a safe idea.

With all of that said, we’ll turn to the process of rolling a Thai Stick. Let’s begin!

Supplies You’ll Need To Roll a Thai Stick

  • Cannabis Dried Flower – Whole buds, no grinding needed!
  • A bamboo stick or equivalent (such as chopsticks)
  • Hemp wick or alternative string
  • Hash oil, cannabis oil, or sugar water
  • Clean Cannabis leaves or another plant leaf of choice  
  • Parchment paper

Step #1

Start by looking at your buds, and picking big and fluffy ones. Set these aside, as fluffy buds compress better than dense nugs, making them more suitable for this purpose.

thai stick strain

This can also improve the quality of the smoking experience. Generally, find a bunch of nugs that are roughly the same size as well, if you can.

Step #2

Next, you’ll need your liquid of choice, whether sugar water or hash oil. Take your skewering stick and coat it lightly. 

cannabis oil

At this point, you can skewer your buds and fill up as much of the stick as you want, leave at least a bit sticking out on either end. You can further bind the buds using some sugar water plus the hemp string to strap them into place. Don’t be afraid to be liberal with your sticky liquid of choice. You’ll create a Thai Stick mold that is nicely held together with the hemp string.

Step #3

This step is one of the toughest, but all you have to do is wait. The Thai stick needs time to cure and solidify. Unfortunately, you’ll need a bit of patience, as this can take several days. In addition, you can wrap the sticks in parchment paper and store them in the refrigerator.

Step #4

Once you have waited a few days, slowly unwrap any hemp string you used to help bind the buds to the stick. At this stage, you can add further hash oil or sugar water as desired. Use your liquid as needed to fill in some gaps with additional small buds.

Step #5

Once you are satisfied with your stick and its light layer of liquid coating, you can wrap it up. Take the clean leaves you selected and wrap up the blunt. Generally, you’ll want around three layers of leaves, depending on the type you picked.

Step #6

At this point, wrap up your stick in three layers of parchment paper. Take that wrap and place it in a hot pan or on a hot place for just a few seconds. This quick burst of heat helps seal with layers of leaves.

Step #7

At this point, you’ll want to remove the stick from the paper, not throwing it away as you’ll need it again. Use your string of choice to re-wrap the stick once more. Now you can roll it back up into the parchment paper layers. At once again, place this in the fridge to cure, this time for a few hours.

Step #8

I know you’ve been so patient up to this step. You can just smoke the product, but one more step will take your Thai Sticks to the next level. There are two main options here – 1. Bury the stick 3-feet underground for a month inside a plastic bag – 2. Vacuum seal the sticks and let them sit for a week.

This extra curing step at the end is like totally worth the time and effort. It the best way to increase the quality of the final product substantially.

Step #9

You’ve waited all these weeks, and now it is time to celebrate! Remember to remove the string from around your Thai Stick, and then pull out the stick. Finally, light it up and enjoy the amazing experience of this top-shelf Cannabis cigar.

Final Thoughts On The Thai Stick

Feel free to get creative with the process, as you can add other extracts and concentrate inside as desired. After getting some practice, you’ll be amazed at the high-quality Thai Sticks you can create. As mentioned earlier, these are potent products, so ensure you stay within your tolerance. Same goes with whomever you may share it with, be sure to give them a heads-up! Enjoy responsibility, and you’ll have an amazing time smoking your hand-crafted Thai Stick.

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