Shake marijuana

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.

The Pros And Cons Of Marijuana Shake

After reading the above and knowing the answer to the question “what is marijuana shake”, you’ve probably come to a crossroads—is marijuana shake a good thing, or a bad thing?

The short answer is both.

One of the pros of shake, is, again, it’s cheaper than nugs. If you’re going to be using it for rolling a bunch of joints, or even making edibles, where the consistency of the bud doesn’t really matter for extraction purposes,  you might as well get the best bang for your buck.

There’s also an off chance that some of your shake is extra potent. If it’s sitting at the bottom of a vacuum-sealed bag for some time, it could accumulate some kief on top, making it stronger than regular weed. But if it hasn’t been in storage long enough to make that happen, then it’s less than likely that your shake is as strong as a regular nug.

However, there are a few risks when buying shake.

Some shake might come complete with trimmings—something you most definitely do not want. One of the most aggravating parts about smoking is removing the stems and seeds, yet you may find yourself with a surplus of them if your shake contains plant trimmings.

Secondly, it’s hard to identify shake. It could be a mixture of leftovers from different strains, so there’s no real telling what you’re going to get. So if you’re using the herb for medicinal purposes, or you just prefer a certain strain, getting pre-rolled joints or buying shake, in general, may not be your best bet.

And an obvious flaw, of course, is that shake tends to be dried out. If you do purchase marijuana shake, you’re either going to want to use it quickly, or store it in a jar before its condition worsens.

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 . In a pinch, shake is cheaper, looks exactly like pre-ground bud, and it’s just as smokeable.

shake marijuana

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.

shake marijuana

Why do you shake after smoking cannabis?

So, what causes the cannabis shakes? Are they just a side effect of getting too high for your own good? There are actually a variety of factors that could contribute to the shakes, including:

• Cold environment
• Over-stimulation
• Anxiety
• Too much THC

Let’s break it down:

Cold environment

You might be shaking or shivering because you’re cold. Cannabis actually lowers your body temperature—an effect known as “THC-induced hypothermia”. Before you start imagining yourself freezing to death as your couch morphs into a snow-covered mountain, take a beat. THC-induced hypothermia only causes a slight drop in basal body temperature. You might shiver and shake what your mama gave you, but it isn’t dangerous or life-threatening.

Over-stimulation

In a lot of places, it’s common to roll a little tobacco into your joint. Nicotine is a stimulant: it excites the nervous system and boosts dopamine levels. While this boost is the reason a lot of people like to add a pinch of tobacco to their weed, it can cause twitching and anxiety in higher doses. If you’ve been enjoying this combo and find yourself with a case of the shakes, the problem could actually be the tobacco, not the cannabis. Likewise, if you’ve been drinking a lot of coffee, tea, or soda, caffeine could be contributing to your tremors.

Anxiety

It’s well-known that weed can cause acute anxiety and paranoia, and some people are more susceptible to it than others. If you’re one of those people, or if you just caught a bad break, nervousness could be at the root of your shakes. Of course, your body acting in ways that feel out of your control can amplify anxiety. If you get the shakes, try not to panic. Instead, keep calm and carry on.

1 thought on “Shake marijuana”

  1. PeaceOfTheHighLife

    In terms of logic, I’d say shake is actually better (in terms of purchasing) because you have no stem weight. However, in practical experience, I find that nugs are just better as they tend to hold more crystals so you get more high. I don’t have any evidence for either side of the argument though, but that’s the impression I’ve gotten.

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