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Thai Stick
4 min

How To Make A Thai Stick

4 min

Thai sticks are a great way to impress your smoking buddies with a potent cannabis cigar. They take some time and dedication to make, but the outcome is more than worth it.

The creativity behind cannabis consumption appears almost endless. Methods can range from the mundane to the exotic, with Thai sticks perched firmly on the exotic end of the spectrum. At first, these green rolls appear to be similar in simplicity to joints or blunts, but don’t let the look deceive you. This potentially ancient form of smoking cannabis is more complex to make, yet extremely fun to smoke.

Thai sticks appeal to cannabis purists and can be made 100% out of material that stems from the cannabis plant. This natural option is a great choice when out smoking in nature, and truly lets a grower make the most of all parts of their crop.

WHAT IS A THAI STICK?

A Thai stick is essentially a blunt made entirely out of different parts of the cannabis plant. The wrap is made from fresh cannabis leaves, which are initially held together by hemp fibre made from the stalks and stems. A central rod is used in the binding process, which can either be made hemp fibre or bamboo.

Thai sticks are a more exotic way to smoke weed when compared to blunts, and although they take much longer to make, the effort is worth it for special occasions and a more pure, cannabis-orientated smoke. They offer the same smoothness as a blunt, without the tobacco.

HOW TO MAKE A THAI STICK

To make a batch of Thai sticks, you will need:

  • A sturdy hemp stem, thin bamboo stick, or a kebab skewer
  • Hemp string or hemp wick
  • Hash oil or sugar water
  • Fresh cannabis leaves
  • Parchment paper
  • Flowers from your preferred cannabis strain

Instructions

 

How To Make A Thai Stick - Step 1

STEP 1

To begin this process, it’s best to carry out some quality control checks. Open the stash of your preferred strain and select the fluffiest and softest buds from the pile. These types of flowers perform much better in Thai sticks as they can be packed down much more effectively, a trait not shared by more dense and solid buds.


How To Make A Thai Stick - Step 2

STEP 2

Next up, take the stem, stick, or skewer and paint it with a layer of hash oil or sugar water. Try and use a stick that has an even thickness over its entire length to create a more uniform Thai stick. Whichever substance you choose to use, the purpose is the same. This layer will act as a glue-like substance to keep the buds together. Using hash oil will have the side effect of making the end product more potent, a great bonus to many smokers out there who prefer more intense experiences.


How To Make A Thai Stick - Step 3

STEP 3

Now that your stick is all sticky, skewer your buds and then spiral-wrap them from top to bottom using the hemp string, completely covering the buds over the length of the stick. While wrapping, try to keep the girth of the future Thai stick as consistent as possible.


How To Make A Thai Stick - Step 4

STEP 4

This step requires the least work, but the most patience, for you’ll need to wait quite some time. Wrap the tied up buds in a piece of parchment paper and keep this bundle in the fridge 24-48 hours. This period will give the buds time to "fuse" and form one long piece.


How To Make A Thai Stick - Step 5

STEP 5

Now that you’ve waited a couple of days, it’s time to take your psychoactive bundle out of the fridge. Unwrap the parchment paper and unwrap the string from the stick. Do so carefully to avoid pulling any of the flowers away from the stick. The hash oil or sugar water will come into play here and help the buds stay in place.


How To Make A Thai Stick - Step 6

STEP 6

Now that the bare buds are showing, it’s time to wrap them back up again. Paint another layer of either sugar water or hash oil on the outside of the fused buds and wrap them in a clean and fresh cannabis leaf to give the appearance of a green cigar. You’ll need to repeat this process twice, resulting in 3 layers of leaves, applying the sugar water or hash oil in between each layer.


How To Make A Thai Stick - Step 7

STEP 7

Proceed to wrap your Thai stick in parchment paper once again and warm it up for a few seconds over a hot surface, such as a pan or hot plate. This will melt the oil/sugar water, spread it over the leaves, and allow the stick to seal when it solidifies again.


How To Make A Thai Stick - Step 8

STEP 8

Remove the piece of parchment paper used in the heating process and rewrap the stick once again in hemp string and a new piece of parchment paper. Place this bundle in the fridge for 3-5 days, where it will begin to cure. This process will help to remove moisture from the Thai stick, which will greatly enhance its shelf life and prevent mould formation. Curing will also help to seal the stick fully and help to preserve the delicious taste of the strain you have chosen.


How To Make A Thai Stick - Step 8

STEP 9

Be sure to remove the hemp string and the stick from the middle of the Thai stick before blazing.

Note: The actions taken during step 8 all depend on how dedicated you are to the traditional way of doing things. Some Thai stick-makers place their cured sticks within plastic bags and bury them a metre in the ground for a month, curing the stick and enhancing the flavours. The alternative to this is to vacuum-seal your stick and wait a week for it to cure further. However, if you have already waited enough and your patience is wearing thin, you can go ahead and smoke them up.

THE HISTORY OF THE THAI STICK

As the name of this potent cannabis cigar suggests, it originates from the Southeast Asian country of Thailand. Thai sticks are thought to have been created and consumed in the region for a long time, and were exposed to Western culture during the Vietnam War of the 1960s. It is said that returning American soldiers introduced the Thai stick to the states. Thai sticks had a big impact on the American cannabis scene, until their decline around 10 years later.

THE DEMISE AND RENAISSANCE OF THE THAI STICK

This decline occurred in part due to supply chain issues. When the Vietnam war ended, so did the influx of Thai sticks in the USA. Stricter laws and the war on drugs also greatly impacted the lifespan of the Thai stick in the cannabis scene. The classification of cannabis as Schedule I substance greatly reduced its distribution.

The Thai stick definitely has the potential to make a comeback. With widespread acceptance of the herb and increasing legalization, smokers are always looking for new (or old-school) ways to ingest the herb. The Thai stick is a rare, impressive, and potent method to do so. With some countries such as Canada allowing for home-grown cannabis, the Thai stick will certainly be easier to make than ever.

Luke Sumpter
Luke Sumpter
With a BSc (Hons) degree in Clinical Health Sciences and a passion for growing plants, Luke Sumpter has worked as a professional journalist and writer at the intersection of cannabis and science for the past 7 years.
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