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Best Ways to Stop Your Joints from Canoeing

If you want to stop your joints from canoeing, read on to figure out how to roll an even joint.

By C.C. CurtisPublished 6 years ago 5 min read
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Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images

While many people are still trying to adjust to the rapid change in the legal status of marijuana, others have been long waiting for that time to arrive. Those who are well versed in the use of cannabis are ready and eager to share their best tips and tricks for getting the most from each experience. And one of the issues that brings the most questions is that of "canoeing." In this brief article, we are going to learn just what that means and different ways to stop your joints from canoeing. We'll even consider how to recover if canoeing occurs.

So, just what is canoeing?

Picture the type of boat known as a canoe. You see a narrow boat that is open down the center and which then forms two points at the end. Canoeing is when a joint is not just burning unevenly, but is when one side of the joint burns and creates a look similar to that of the boat by the same name. Clearly, it wastes your weed and money, and so you need to figure out how to stop your joints from canoeing, and as is the case with so many things, proactive behavior means learning causal factors.

As one expert said, "Canoeing can be caused by a number of factors like rolling loosely or smoking outside when it is windy…[but] there are several ways to prevent a joint from canoeing." So, now that you know that it is a possibility, you can also learn how to stop canoeing, and it all begins with the way you roll the joint.

Rolling is the key.

Gaps between the rolling paper or material and the cannabis leaves is usually the main cause of canoeing. Just imagine a joint in deep focus and up close. If there is a pocket of air on only one side, what happens next? The fire at the end of the joint leaps up and quickly burns that small area of paper. After all, paper burns much quicker on its own, and if the flame has nothing but paper over a gap or space, it is going to open up the joint just like a canoe.

So, to stop your joints from canoeing, be sure that the joint is rolled as tightly as possible and that the paper makes contact the entire length, and that you know how to roll a joint like a boss. But if you see a joint beginning to cane, you can tilt the joint so the side burning faster is now on the bottom. What does this do? Because heat rises, it is going to get pulled into the cannabis rather than continuing to burn along the paper alone. If you still need help, check out some helpful accessories to roll a joint.

Lighting can be a problem.

Gif via Dazed and Confused

The next way to stop canoeing is to know how to go about lighting your joint in the best way possible. First things first—get it lit properly before taking any drags or passing it round. If there is a breeze or wind, you need to block the end entirely to light it properly. Why would wind make canoeing occur? Essentially, wind can pull a flame farther up the joint and it can ignite almost any part of the paper—including the central area. Joints burn unevenly when exposed to uneven flames, so one of the simplest ways to stop your joints from canoeing in breezy conditions (and also to light evenly) is to learn how to spin the joint within the flame.

What this does is disperse the flames evenly and as soon as you take the first serious puff, you will see that the entire tip is burning evenly and consistently.

Even Then…

Image courtesy Thought Catalog

If you have rolled and lit a joint properly and you still see tell tale signs of trouble, you can stop your joints from canoeing with a simple trick—getting the side wet. You can just lick your finger and run it quickly and lightly over the area of the joint that burns faster. In fact, this is so useful that many smokers keep a cup of water on hand to dip their finger and run it along any areas of trouble. This is a much more amenable solution than running a lighter on the slower burning side and forcing it to "catch up", i.e. wasting weed.

However, you can avoid it just by using most of these weed lifehacks for stoners. Start with good rolling paper, spread the cannabis evenly over the paper, and roll the joint tightly. Ensuring contact with the paper on all sides and from top to bottom is one of the easiest ways to avoid the problem of canoeing. Then, lighting out of the wind or sheltering the joint while spinning it in the flame can ensure that you don't get into any trouble.

If you think your efforts have failed to stop canoeing, just take a moment to wet that area that seems to be opening up and splitting, or turn the joint over and force the flame into the cannabis rather than following the paper alone. These sorts of quick fixes can ensure that you are rolling and smoking a joint efficiently and without waste.

As the experts will all agree, "nobody likes a canoeing joint," as it can burn the fingertips, certainly wastes some or most of the cannabis in the joint, and generally spoils the fun. You are supposed to be enjoying the smoking experience and not babysitting the flame to make sure it isn't racing up one side and splitting the joint open.

You can stop your joints from canoeing with these simple tips, and we suggest you practice rolling joints properly (if new to the game or a frequent experiencer of canoeing) as this is the most common cause. Don't panic if some canoeing starts because you also have learned how to stop joints already starting to canoe. Just relax, take a moment to fix the situation, and continue smoking.

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About the Creator

C.C. Curtis

Enjoys lounging in NYC bars, loves traveling to foreign countries, and volunteers at the homeless shelter twice a month.

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