Education
What is Shake Weed? Can it Get You High?
When you hear about shake, a few odd things might come to mind, like a weed smoothie or the unwanted leftovers from an otherwise solid batch of bud, but what is shake weed, exactly?
The thing is, shake weed is usually neither of those things, although it definitely can be depending on how it’s handled.
For the most part, almost everyone who knows about cannabis has related shake weed to the same status as the grimy leftovers of last week’s dinner.
While the two may draw some parallels with one another, is that really a good way to look at shake?
The truth is, there’s more to shake weed than meets the eye. So, if you’re interested in getting a clearer view of what shake weed really is, read on.
What is Shake Weed?
Simply put, shake weed, also known as shake, is the leftovers of cannabis that accumulate at the bottom of the jar, or so that’s what many people would like to believe.
However, a better way of looking at shake is to see it as a collection of loose leaves from the regular handling of cannabis. Something that each and every one of us cannabis connoisseurs is sure to take part in.
In today’s modern world, where everyone is obsessed with getting the newest, greatest thing, including the highest quality of weed, shake weed is often left on the back burner and forgotten due to the nature of its creation.
In fact, an overwhelmingly large amount of cannabis users would consider shake weed to be a lower quality of weed when compared to fully intact buds.
The truth is, shake can either be a good thing or a bad thing. If stored in the proper conditions and if fallen from high-quality buds, you’ll quickly find that shake can make for a smooth and enjoyable smoking experience.
However, if left out for too long and if fallen from a lower quality batch of bud, then smoking shake weed may result in an unsavoury coughing fit.
While we agree that shake may not be the prettiest thing to look at, that doesn’t mean that its quality is any less than that of the buds of which it fell off.
In fact, some could argue that shake could be even more potent than the original buds themselves due to the fact that kief also tends to fall off from the buds during handling.
When you put two and two together, it’s plain to see that where shake accumulates, so does the kief.
It also means the so-called “low quality” shake weed at the bottom of the jar has been bathing in trichomes thanks to the kief surrounding it.
What is Shake Weed Used For?
Shake is most commonly found in pre-rolled joints at dispensaries or even sold on its own for a discounted price. Due to the regular handling of marijuana at dispensaries, shake weed is a frequent sight, especially after high-traffic business periods.
To make the most of their weed and not unnecessarily waste anything, dispensaries will thus use shake to create their pre-rolls. This tactic may seem great on paper, especially when it comes to making sure every ounce of bud is put to use.
However, certain questions arise surrounding the actual quality of these pre-rolls.
As we’ve already mentioned, not all shake is created equally, so it can be a bit of a gamble. Ultimately, figuring out whether or not shake is worth it is up to you and is defined by what you’re looking for in your cannabis.
If you don’t mind rolling the dice every so often, a fresh batch of shake weed could be an interesting way to spice things up.
Aside from pre-rolls, another method of using shake is by infusing it to create cannabutter or medicated oils. One of the saving graces of cannabis edibles is that the actual quality of the cannabis at hand is not likely to be felt as much as if you were to smoke it.
When making cannabutter or medicated oils, it doesn’t matter if a few stems get caught in the mix, as you’ll be straining them out later anyways.
That said, at Sugar Jack’s, we pride ourselves on purity and consistency. In this way, we only incorporate the best ingredients, such as organic Manuka honey and cane sugar, into our edibles.
On top of that, we opt to use only premium nano-emulsified THC distillate in our gummies and cookies to provide optimal flavour and accurate dosing without sacrificing potency.
The Pros & Cons of Shake Weed
As we said before, there are pros and cons to utilizing shake. Now that we’ve outlined what it is and its various uses, below, we’ll delve deeper into the positives and negatives.
The Pros:
It’s Cheaper
The most obvious reason to buy shake is because of its discounted price.
Due to shake being perceived as less potent leftovers when compared to other batches of bud that are fully intact, you can easily snag a batch for a low price.
While you may not exactly know what type of quality cannabis you’re getting, it’ll be much cheaper than buying different strains.
It Can be Used for Edibles
One of the saving graces about shake weed and at-home edibles is that they are basically designed for one another.
Edibles can accommodate the smaller loose texture of shake since much of the actual plant matter will be strained out of the mixture anyways.
That means shake is an effective and resourceful way to make cannabutter and weed oils without having to dip into stache.
It’s Great for Group Seshes
Needless to say, if you’re going to be supplying cannabis at a large gathering, shake weed is a great way to make a bunch of joints or even blunts without having to take from your primo stache.
Better yet, you could even mix the two together for a blend of volume and assured high quality. The chances are, people won’t even notice the difference.
The Cons:
The Quality can Vary Significantly
As we’ve mentioned earlier, dispensaries use shake in their pre-rolled joints or sell them in large jars for a discounted price. That said, a particular batch of shake isn’t confined to a single strain, but rather it may be a collection of shake from a bunch of different strains.
In other words, it’s literally and figuratively a mixed bag.
This fact can either be a good thing or a bad thing. It just depends on what you’re expecting how your luck plays out.
Not only that, but the overall quality of shake is not that high. Typically, it consists of the dried out, non-potent, and poor-tasting leftovers of various strains.
It’s Unpredictable
Piggybacking off of this previous point, since many shake jars will likely comprise multiple different strains, there’s no telling the specific effects.
So, if you’re sensitive to a particular strain or it causes you to experience adverse side effects, it’s a gamble or whether or not this will happen to you.
Similarly, if you’re particularly sensitive to THC, it could contain combinations of strains with extremely low or relatively high concentrations, and you won’t know until it’s potentially too late.
You Get What you Pay For
Ultimately, if you’re looking for a budget-friendly way to get high, shake weed is a safe bet. However, if you can afford to purchase higher quality flower, we would recommend that instead.
Like with most other things, if you pay low prices for an item, it will be reflected in the overall quality and experience that you’re going to have. Lower cost points mean lower quality, and lower quality typically means less potency.
Additionally, as we stated above, these low fees also come with a heightened level of risk in not knowing exactly what you’re getting.
Shake Weed – A Penny-Pinching Pot Option
While shake weed is often viewed as the low-quality leftovers from an otherwise high-quality batch of bud, that doesn’t necessarily always hold true.
In fact, certain batches of shake may actually maintain a similar quality to the original bud it came from. Better yet, cannabis shake can be geared towards creating cannabutter or infused edibles without much of a sacrifice in quality.
That said, our Sugar Jack’s products are created with the best quality ingredients to ensure accurate and reliable quality assurance while providing our customers with the best and safest possible experience.
Ultimately, whether you decide to buy shake or not will depend on your own risk tolerance and what you are looking for in your weed. If you don’t mind rolling the dice, or just want some cheap weed, go for some shake.
Happy toking!