Simple DIY's: Canna Cigar

AfricanGrower

Well-Known Member
Hello folks, it's AG here :ciao:

Welcome to another addition to my "SIMPLE DIY's", the Canna Cigar. Yes you heard right, imagine a cigar made with cured and compacted weed, all rolled together in your very own cannabis leaves...maybe even from the very same plant your chosen buds came from ;) The point is, you will definitely enjoy yourself throughout this process, anticipating the end result: a 'higher experience' :laughtwo:

Here is what your final product could potentially look like.

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But the beauty of hand rolling your own Canna Cigars is that each person's is unique to it's roller. It all comes down to the type of bud used, the amount, cure time, dry time, but MOST of all, patients.

To further point out, I am not the creator of this technique. Actually, this goes back into the '60s in South East Asia:

The origin of the original Thai sticks is somewhat obscure, since it can refer to the name of the strain or a bundle of cannabis flowers tied to a stick. Regardless, Thai sticks were popular during the late 1960's and early 1970's in Thailand and Vietnam. Soft buds were wrapped and neatly tied onto a bamboo stick or cannabis stem with hemp line for easy transportation. Thai Sticks were sold as a unit and U.S. soldiers would buy them and smuggle these sticks back to the U.S.. Many shipments made it to the country, until government officials caught on to what these sticks really were and began to crack down. Some people have learned that Thai sticks were also dipped in opiates.

Now fast forward to present day, we take it a step further and create a cigar from this. I followed a well known Canna Cigar maker's technique which I will be implementing into this tutorial.

Let the fun begin:high-five:

PART 1: Creation of the Thai Stick

Materials Needed

-Hemp Rope
-Wood/Bamboo Skewers
-Fluffy Nugs (Be prepared to use between a 1/4-1/2 ounce of prime bud for this project, but trust me it is well worth it ;))

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1. Start off by taking 1 or 2 nugs and pressing them around a skewer. Try to get the first couple of nugs to press together and form an even shape all around.

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2. Now take your hemp rope and start tying around the bud, just above where the skewer starts. I find that making a small knot in the rope prior helps with the initial tie.

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3. Now that you have it going, a rhythm should develop: adding 2-3 nugs at a time while securing them with the hemp rope. It is important to remember to choose nugs that are similar in size and density in order to keep everything even. If you find that one side has more bud than the other, unravel the rope a bit, go back and put some more nugs until that evenness is achieved. REMEMBER, consistency is key to achieving a smooth and even pulling Cigar.

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4. Once you have wrapped it to a desired length you can put a loop knot at the end of the hemp rope to secure the tie in place. Again, if any parts of the Thai Stick thin out or are uneven, take the time to go back and fill it in!

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5.These Thai Sticks are ready to be put in VacSeals for a week of curing. Remember to keep them in a cool, dark space. In this time the nugs will cure and solidify to form one solid skewer of buds.

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PART 2: PREP FOR CANNABIS LEAVES

Materials Needed

-Fresh Cannabis leaves
-Distilled Water
-Baking Soda
-Lemon Juice
-Newspaper

Now I am using the leaves from my Bubblelicious plant, that I have been cutting throughout the grow season. Typically when I see a nice fat leaf with no blemishes, I tend to pick off to add to the curing collection of leaves I have.

1. Depending on if you are a heavy foliar feeder or not, you may not need to completely follow this first step. I mix 5ml/Gal of Lemon Juice and 1ml/Gal of Baking Soda to create a disinfection rinse for the leaves.

2. I rinse them for a minute or two, then rinse them in plain distilled water to remove any residue.

3. Now lay these leaves between layers of newspaper. This prevents the moisture from escaping to quickly, creating a brittle leaf. In about 2-4 hours they should be dry enough not to be wet, but still able to maintain its structure as a leaf.

4. Now put these leaves in between pages in a large dictionary or encyclopedia. Anything that can provide equal pressure to all parts of the leaf will work fine.

While your Thai Sticks are curing for a week, this should give you time to dry out those flattened leaves and get them ready for cure.

5. After about 3-4 days, your leaves should be dry and brittle, but most importnatly they should have a 'paper thin' structure.

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6. The tricky part here is cutting each 'finger' off the the fan leaf without damaging anytthing. Be patient for this one guys, I crumbled a few leaves.

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7. Once they are cut down to size, carefully place them into an airtight jar. At the top of the lid place a piece of fresh lettuce attached to the inner lid. Burp the jar daily, and after about 2-3 days, the lettuce should have raised the RH, making the leaves more malleable when handling. They should be able to fully bend on itself without breaking or cracking. IF they are still brittle, repeat the process, but be careful not to get the leaves too moist as you will get a harsh burn when finally lighting the Cigar.

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By the time you've got your Cannabis leaves prepped and cured for application, your Thai Sticks should be just about ready to take apart.

PART 3: Creating the Canna Cigar

Don't worry friends, if have manged to get to this point, you are halfway through the entire process. For the next step, you will need a pre-cured Thai Stick. After at least a week after its creation, the Thai Stick should be cured enough to remain whole during the hemp line removal.

Materials Needed

-1 Cured Thai Stick
-5-6 Cured Cannabis Leaves

With the next three ingredients, you can substitute, each with varying difficulty of application as well as varying effects.

-Tobacco Flavoring Concentrate
or
-Sugar and water
or
-At least 2 grams of Purged THC (ie. BHO, oil, wax)

1. To remove the hemp line , very carefully undo any knot you may have fastened the stick with. Gently unwind the line as you try to avoid breaking or crumbling the dried nugs off of the skewer. If the nugs begin to fall apart, you will need to re-wrap the stick and wait longer. Curing time will vary. The stickier the nugs are, the easier it will be for them to bond to each other, making your job less frustrating.

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2.To seal the leaf onto the stick, you will need one of the three ingredients I listed above. As I know concentrates are usually harder to get your hands on, I have experimented with these other two methods.

Concentrates:Take a dabber or wax carving utensil and add a line of oil to the back of the leaf. You can warm the oil briefly by flaming it carefully with a lighter, making it easier to thin the oil and spread it across the leaf for better coverage. The leaves should be added several layers at a time.

Tobbacco/Sugar:Both of these substitutes are applied the same way with similar results. Mix a small amount of warm water with flavoring/sugar. Dip the whole leaf into the solution and start wrapping the the leaf in a spiral upwards. The leaves should be added in layers, continuing the the seam.

3. Now after the first layers are added, you can begin fashioning the hemp rope around the leaf and the Thai Stick. When the skewer is eventually pulled out, the Thai stick's wrapping should create a sturdy shell to keep the cannabis cigar sturdy and whole.

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4. Now into curing it goes for another 1-2 weeks. This is the last wait you will have to endure for your final product, and the longer you wait, the smoother the smoke from the Cigar will be!

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Conclusion

So there you have it, as simple as it gets! I will leave the thread open for questions and support. I will also be posting a FAQ on what I had trouble with, and specific pointers and tips to help you become successful in your own attempt!

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Absolutely Awesome. Perhaps the coolest thing ever???!!!!
 
FAQs

Q:What if the only bud at my disposal is dense as a rock?

A:Use moisture as your tool for this one. Place the nugs in any air tight container with any non toxic material that has the potential to raise the RH. I have a pack of Boveda humidity packs in the mail. Due to its success with other growers on the forum, the perfect 62% humidity creates the perfect density for your nugs, otherwise a piece of lettuce :laughtwo:

Q:What thickness hemp rope should be bought? Can I substitute?

A:I went with a medium thickness rope. Be careful not to get really thin hemp rope, as you risk damaging the Thai Stick and the Cannabis Leaf. I have never used a substitute, but I don't see why any food grade material won't work.

Q:What kind of skewer should be bought? Can I substitute?

A: The skewer does not necessarily have to be bamboo. I purchased two set, with varying thicknesses. I found that the thinner skewers work best with these type of projects, giving a smoother drag of smoke when lit.

Q: The bud is just not sticking together long enough for me to tie the hemp!?!

A: If methods have already been used to re-moisten the nugs, then I suggest either selecting a stickier strain, or taking a handful and humidify them with your breath :laughtwo:

Q:What is the best way to get the concentrates on the leaf?

A:Well my method included 2 grams of Bubblelicious BHO and about 3/4 grams of Bubblelicious hash. I melt the BHO slightly into an oily consistency using a lighter and a spoon and a dab streaks of the oil onto the underside of the leaf. I then soften the hash until malleable, layering that on the edges of most leaves.

TIP:To get the hash to seal better after tying the hemp rope, place the tied canna cigar into a zip bag, place the bag in a container of hot water for a minute or two. This will allow the hash to melt evenly along the ridges of the hemp rope. Allow the tied cigar to cool before putting it in for cure.

Q:When exactly should the skewer be pulled out?

A: I find that removing the skewer a couple of days into the final stages of the 'Cigar Cure' shrinks the tube just enough that the pull is reminiscent of an actual cigar!

Q:HELP! My Cigar is not sparking up?

A:Assuming that all steps were followed correctly, then I can suggest two things friend:high-five: First it could just be the type of bud you used. I found that my 1 month cured nugs needed an extra week to cure with just enough moisture to keep a cherry. Secondly, if you are using a regular BIC lighter you will be wasting all that fuel all into your lungs, ugh! Now to get a perfect light on a cigar as compact as the one you have, you will need a Butane Torch. Anything that can give you at least a 3 inch flame will suffice. I bought this one here for my extracts, and it works perfectly for lighting a Canna Cigar with ease ;)

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Well that is all the questions I could come up with on my own, I hope that it further helps you in the process of creating your own Cigar. Once again, feel free to ask about anything I have not yet covered in the FAQ or the Tutorial.

Good Luck :Namaste:
 
I did the same thing back in college I got the instructions out of High Times. They recommended using rice flour and water for a very thin paste to stick the leaves. It's a fun project. Thanks for bringing back some good memories. if I remember right it got a few of my housemates pretty messed up! Thanks again and you did a great job of explaining
 
Looks nice. I am a cigar roller and Have made my own cigar press. I use them to press my buds Just like my cigars leafs and wrap them. Your way is very nice
 
i have a couple questions about the process of making a Thai stick..

1.what leafs do i use?? (fan leafs)??

2.When it comes time to vaccum seal is just one of those food vacs with their own seal bags okay to use for both vac times(the Thai stick and then the final vac seal)??

Thanks for your time!!
 
i have a couple questions about the process of making a Thai stick..

1.what leafs do i use?? (fan leafs)??

2.When it comes time to vaccum seal is just one of those food vacs with their own seal bags okay to use for both vac times(the Thai stick and then the final vac seal)??

Thanks for your time!!

>>>1.what leafs do i use?? (fan leafs)??

I use fan leaves where the middle finger is no shorter than 4 inches in length. I usually pick them off during the grow season when they are free of blemishes and deficiencies.

>>>2.When it comes time to vaccum seal is just one of those food vacs with their own seal bags okay to use for both vac times(the Thai stick and then the final vac seal)??

I would recommend just placing them in a mason jar if you have one. But if you want to cure faster a Vac seal will work. In terms of type, the seal bags can be used to cure the Thai Stick and Canna Cigar as long as your skewer is still inserted. This will prevent the structure of the cigar from cracking under the vacuum of the bag.

Welcome to the forums Nate, I hope you find your stay here as gratifying as I do.

Hey , lay off yer meds a tad haha missing your posts! Must be dang awesome meds ;)

Howya been WRB! It's not the meds that got me, it's trying to maintain the current crop of meds that are in the tent ;) Anything new up North brotha?
 
Thanks so much for takib the time out of your day to "spread the love" . Now, when u say put them in a mason jar your're talking about the leafs right? to cure them, then once done wrap them around the thai stick. I have one more question.. how many layers of leafs do u put just one??? have u tried more?? Once again thanks so much for your time.. Have a great day!!
 
Thanks so much for takib the time out of your day to "spread the love" . Now, when u say put them in a mason jar your're talking about the leafs right? to cure them, then once done wrap them around the thai stick. I have one more question.. how many layers of leafs do u put just one??? have u tried more?? Once again thanks so much for your time.. Have a great day!!

Hey Nate, when curing the leaves, you want to put them in a mason jar or any other sealed container that won't disturb them as they are very fragile at this point.

>>> how many layers of leafs do u put just one???

I use multiple leaves to wrap around the cigar until it is completely sealed, spiraling up like a candy cane. I have never tried wrapping a second set of leaves around this as I would want to avoid any harsh smoke the double layer might cause. A second wrap could cause more moisture to be trapped in your cigar, preventing a smooth smoke and an even burn.
 
Howya been WRB! It's not the meds that got me, it's trying to maintain the current crop of meds that are in the tent ;) Anything new up North brotha?[/QUOTE]

Hey man! I wish I got better notifications when I get replies , makin me look slow on the draw here! lmao....
I am doing well! I been workin my butt off preppin for my outdoor past month or so got all my plants int he ground outdoors , you should come check it out n shoot me some love haha!
Outdoor 2014 Worldwide
Keep in mind this is not just a grow but nearing the end of my 20 year adventure finding/creating good strains for outside in my area , looks like I got them now! Beaslty autos and a romulan grapefruit and a Poly Male auto mmmmm hope to see ya there brother!
 
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