How to Grind Weed Without a Grinder Using Common Household Items

You’re all ready to pack a bowl or roll a joint, but you realized you don’t have a grinder. No worries! If you’re out and about, you can easily use your hands to break up some flower. If you’re at home, you have a ton of options from scissors to cheese graters to coffee bean grinders. In this article, we’ll show you 7 easy ways to grind your weed without a grinder so you can enjoy your weed any way you like.

How can you grind weed without a grinder?

Use your hands and fingertips to gently pull the weed apart.
Place the weed in a glass or jar and use scissors to snip it into small pieces.
Shake your weed in a pill bottle with a dime or penny inside until it’s broken up.
Use kitchen items like a cheese grater, coffee bean grinder, chef’s knife, or mortar and pestle to grind or shred the weed.

Section 1 of 8:

Ripping Weed Apart by Hand

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Try breaking apart your flower into smaller pieces with your fingers. Cannabis expert Aaron Justis says, “Typically, if you don't have a grinder, you can use your fingers…and that might be fast and easy.” Simply pick the bud apart or roll it between your fingers to separate the flower from the stems over a clean plate or bowl to catch all the fine pieces. This method is time consuming and a little tedious, but it’s the easiest way to grind your weed if you have no other tools or utensils around.
- Wash your hands before you begin to avoid contaminating the weed.
- Try to be light and delicate as you work. This keeps more of the trichomes attached to the weed, making it more potent.^{[1]
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- The finer you make the pieces, the smoother your inhalations will be (and it’ll be easier to roll your joint, too).
- The drier the weed, the more effective this method will be (sticky weed may clump together or stick to your fingers.

Section 2 of 8:

Chopping Weed with Scissors in a Glass

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Put your bud in a glass and snip it into pieces with sharp, clean scissors. Fill a clean drinking glass or jar up to half full with loosely packed, dry or sticky weed (a shot glass works great for small amounts). Wash a pair of scissors with soap and water, then insert them into the glass and start chopping up the weed. As you chop, rotate the cup to make it easier to cut all of it until the pieces reach your desired size.^{[2]
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- If you have a lot of weed, chop it in several batches. If you’re using a shot glass, it’s okay to use a small pair of scissors like nail scissors or mustache scissors.
- Justis adds that using scissors “takes a little more time but does it better” than pulling weed apart with your hands.
- Using a tall glass or jar keeps all the weed particles together and prevents making a mess.

Section 3 of 8:

Using a Coin and a Pill Bottle

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Place the marijuana buds into an empty pill bottle with a small coin. First, wash an old pill bottle with soap and water to clean it (if you don’t have one, any small container like a film canister or tiny food container will work). Then, fill the container about ¾ of the way full with loosely packed bud. Wipe down a penny or dime with hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol to disinfect it and add it to the jar.^{[3]
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- Since the coin will move around the container as you shake it, you don't need to worry about its placement—just throw it in on top of the weed.
- This method works best with dry weed, but it may grind up sticky weed, as well.
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Shake the bottle until the bud breaks up into fine pieces. Screw the lid on tightly and shake the bottle vigorously. As you shake it, the coin will cut and grind the buds into small pieces. After 1–2 minutes, open the container and check to see if your weed is small enough to use. If not, put the lid back on and continue shaking the bottle until you're happy with the size of the pieces.^{[4]
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- This method is easy and grinds effectively, so it’s a great option for everyday grinding—it’s a classic way to grind weed that a lot of users are familiar with!^{[5]
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- Depending on how thick your weed is, it can take a while to get your desired size. Expect to shake the container for at least 5 minutes for evenly fine pieces.

Section 4 of 8:

Using a Cheese Grater

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Rub your weed against a clean, fine cheese grater over a plate or bowl. Wash your cheese grater to make sure there’s no food residue on it, then carefully slide your weed back and forth across it to break it up into smaller pieces. The finer the cheese grater, the better! Do this over a clean plate, bowl, or cutting board to catch all of the ground weed.^{[6]
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- Be careful with your fingers as they get closer to the grater. Go slowly so you don’t take off some skin!
- Similarly, you could also use a fine mesh tea strainer or sieve. Just rub the weed against the mesh over a plate or bowl (same as the cheese grater).

Section 5 of 8:

Cutting Weed with a Knife

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Slice your bud on a clean cutting board with a sharp, non-serrated knife. If you have one, use a plastic cutting board and a chef’s grade knife for the best results. Start with a small amount of weed in the center of the board and slice through the flower. Lift your blade and move it over about 1 mm, then slice into the weed again, like you’re chopping up garlic or herbs.^{[7]
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- Continue chopping until the pieces are small enough for you to use.
- Clean your knife ahead of time so you don’t mix any food debris in with your weed.
- You can technically use any knife to cut up the weed. However, a non-serrated, sharpened knife knife works best, especially for sticky weed (although this method works best when the weed is dry).
- Chop slowly so that you don’t cut yourself. Don’t hold the weed in place with your hand because you could get cut. Instead, place your knife and your hand over the weed and slowly chop.

Section 6 of 8:

Using a Coffee Bean Grinder

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Run the weed through a coffee grinder in 5-second intervals to grind it. Add the weed up to the fill line (or below) and pack it loosely so that it’s easier for the grinder to chop it up. Then, place the lid onto the grinder and run it for a few seconds.^{[8]
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- Open the grinder and check the weed to see if the pieces are small enough. If they aren't, continue to grind your weed for up to 5 seconds at a time until you're happy with the size of the pieces.
- A coffee grinder is great for when you need to grind up a bunch of weed at once, like for baking edibles.^{[9]
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  Research source} However, it’s best to use dry weed because sticky weed may be harder to clean up.
- Opt for a coarse setting on your coffee grinder if it has one. Weed is hard to use if it's ground down into a super fine powder. Instead, you want your weed to be a little bigger than dried herbs typically are.
- Clean your coffee grinder thoroughly after you grind the weed so that your morning coffee won’t be spiked with THC.

Section 7 of 8:

Grinding Weed with a Mortar and Pestle

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Place some dried weed in the mortar (bowl) and grind it with the pestle. Fill the mortar no more than halfway with loosely packed, dried weed (sticky weed will just clump up in the mortar). To use the mortar and pestle, push the pestle down into the weed and rub or grind it against the bottom and sides of the mortar to grind up the weed. Use firm pressure and stop once you’re happy with the size of the pieces.^{[10]
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- If your weed isn't dry and you need to grind it soon, try placing it in the freezer for half an hour before you grind it.
- This method works best for small amounts (enough for 1 joint at a time). If you're grinding more, grind your weed in smaller batches.

Did You Know? To dry out weed, leave it to sit for 5–15 days in a room that’s 60 to 70 °F (16 to 21 °C) with low humidity and good air circulation. Check the weed daily to see if it feels crispy, which means it’s ready. It’s best not to rush this process by using a dehydrator or oven because it will alter the flavor and potency.^{[11]
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Section 8 of 8:

Why do you have to grind weed?

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Grinding helps weed burn evenly and releases cannabinoids and terpenes. When weed is in large chunks, air pockets can form in your joint as you roll it and cause the chunks to burn unevenly (called “canoeing”). The joint can get saggy as a result and be more difficult to smoke. By grinding the weed, you can pack it more tightly in your rolling papers and have a smoother smoke sesh.^{[12]
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- Grinding weed right before you smoke it also releases terpenes, or the oils that give weed its aroma. Terpenes evaporate quickly, and grinding your bud helps them get released faster.^{[13]
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- Grinding also knocks off and catches trichomes (kief) which produce THC. By catching these and rolling them with your ground weed, you make your weed more potent.
- On a practical level, grinding your weed also makes for easier rolling and prevents harsh smoke or wasted weed.^{[14]
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Community Q&A

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Why would you need to grind weed? Isn't it illegal?

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You would need to grind weed to make it easier to put in a bowl or make a joint. This is for medical marijuana. It's a better painkiller than opioids and an absolute must for cancer patients to give them the appetite that chemo takes away.

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Can I use an empty tobacco box to grind weed without a grinder?

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You can use anything that can be closed. Make sure nothing can escape. It's suggested to use a pill bottle, since it's a common thing that has a lid and enough room for a coin to shake around.

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Why would anybody think medical marijuana is illegal?

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Even though it's legal in many states, it's still technically illegal at the federal level. (States can make laws that are stricter than federal law, but not more lenient.)

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Tips

In general, it's best to only grind up what you need for 1 bowl or joint at a time. Weed is best when it's fresh and can lose some of its potency if it's pre-ground for a while.^{[15]
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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Wipe off any mineral oil from a brand-new reversible box-cutting blade. Once the blade is completely dry, chop or mince the weed to whatever fineness you desire. A good new blade should go right through the weed.
You can use a regular cheese grater! It's the easiest way to grind weed without a weed grinder, and nearly everyone has a cheese grater at home.
If you have a clean shallow mint tin, place the weed inside and poke it firmly with a key. This will work if the weed is on the dryer side.

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