The bad news is that at one time or another every cannabis aficionado has or will find themselves in a situation where they are anxious to spark up their custom bong or a joint but there's no grinder to be found. The good news is that you don't necessarily need a grinder to prepare your flower for proper consumption. Don't get us wrong, cannabis grinders are incredibly convenient and everyone should have one, but with a little imagination, you can overcome the no-grinder obstacle. Below we'll look at six examples of how to do that.

Making Do Without a Grinder by the team at Colorado’s Premier Wholesale Smoke Shop

Not having a grinder handy when you need one doesn’t have to spell the end of your buzz-quest. Any of the following substitutes will do just fine in a pinch.

1: A coffee grinder

While it wasn't designed specifically to grind herbs a coffee grinder will nonetheless do when the chips are down. There are just a couple of important things to keep in mind before using your coffee grinder to grind herb:

• Make sure to clean the coffee grinder thoroughly before and after using it to grind flower. If you don't, any coffee bean residue could spoil the smell and taste of your weed, and weed residue could spoil the taste and smell of your coffee.
• If you're going to use a coffee grinder it will work better if you grind a large amount. Even on a low setting, a coffee grinder will shred your flower to a fine dust in seconds if you're not careful. Also, the more you place in the grinder the more control you'll have over the final grind. Just don't pack it too tight.

2: A mortar & Pestle

One of the many great things about having a shop that sells customized glass pipes and other cannabis paraphernalia is that we get to talk to lots of interesting people who have lots of interesting stories and ideas. This is one such example. We got the idea of using a mortar & pestle from one of our customers who says he’s been using this technique for years with boffo results. Who are we to argue? So if you’re caught without a grinder but there’s a mortar & pestle handy, have at it! Just keep in mind that if you’re too aggressive bits of your flower could wind up flying all over the place.

3: A cheese grater

Cheese graters are a simple, reliable way to grind your weed. They're not as high-impact as a coffee grinder and nearly everyone has one in their home. So even if you're at a friend's house and you forgot your grinder there's a pretty good chance your buddy has a cheese grater in the kitchen. The potential downside here is the same as it is with a mortar & pestle: if you're not careful, ground flower could wind up going all over the place. So grate with restraint.

4: Ye Olde pill bottle and coin

Let’s say you’ve just visited our wholesale head shop where you picked up a customized water pipe. You go straight to your friend’s house to break it in properly but when you get there you realize you have the pipe and the herb but you forgot the grinder. Also, your bud doesn’t have a cheese grater or a coffee grinder or a mortar & pestle. What now? Well if your friend just happens to have an empty pill bottle and a coin you’re in luck. Just clean the bottle and the coin to remove any lingering bacteria, toss a bit of herb into the bottle followed by the coin, secure the top and shake it up. In a minute you’ll have smokable weed.

5: A cutting board and knife

People have been using this method since the days of Reefer Madness! Is it crude? Sure. Is it potentially dangerous if you're not careful? It is, so be careful. And will it take more time than, say, a coffee grinder? It will, so be patient. All you need is a cutting board and sharp knife. The bigger the cutting board the better as it will help prevent wayward pieces of herb from getting away. You might be tempted to think that a dull blade will be safer and just as effective. It won't. If you don't feel comfortable using a sharp blade, then you should look into using other methods for grinding cannabis.

6: When all else fails…

If you forgot your weed grinder, don’t have access to a coffee grinder, cheese grater, mortar & pestle, pill bottle and coin or cutting board and sharp knife you can always embrace the bottom line method intrepid stoners have fallen back upon since time immemorial: your hands. In fact, can you really call yourself a stoner if you’ve never ground weed with your hands? Hmmmm… Anyway, it's every bit as simple and bare-bones as it sounds. Just place some flower between your palms and grind gently in a circular motion. If your weed is too moist to grind effectively as is, just pop it in the freezer for a few minutes to make it more brittle. It works. Try it.

Stop by the Puffr Wholesale Head Shop

If you’ve been grinding your herb with your palms lately it’s time to venture on down to the Puffr wholesale smoke shop to check out our selection of primo grinders. While you’re here check out our custom glass pipes, bongs and other high-quality items.