What Are Thai Sticks?
Article written by
Shanti RyleContent Writer
Content reviewed by
Dr. Lewis JasseyMedical Director - Pediatric Medicine
Thai sticks are a type of cannabis cigar that originated in Thailand and became popular in the U.S. in the 1970s. A Thai stick is comprised of a cured cannabis flower on a bamboo stick skewer, wrapped in fan leaves and held together with hemp string.
Read on to learn the origin of Thai sticks, what sets them apart as a cannabis product, and the potential benefits and risks of their use.
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What Are Thai Sticks?
Thai sticks are an ancient form of marijuana plant consumption that originated from the tribes in northeast Thailand, though exactly when they were first created is uncertain. The Thai stick made its way to the United States when Vietnam War veterans and surfers started taking trips to Thailand’s capital and returning home with Thai sticks, possibly dipped in opium.
While the War on Drugs clampdown curtailed the marijuana trade of Thai sticks on cannabis in the 1970s and 1980s, they recently resurged in popularity as more and more states legalized marijuana use. Online sources trace modern interest in Thai sticks to a cultivator known on Instagram as @afgoo_head, who crafted a variety of cannabis cigars that followed the same pattern as original Thai sticks. The interest stuck, and several brands now have their version of Thai sticks on offer to the cannabis consumer market.
How to Use
Before smoking a Thai stick, removing the wrapping materials is important. Peel off the hemp twine and carefully remove the stick from the center. The wrapping and curing of the Thai stick will ensure the blunt stays wrapped together.
Thai sticks burn slowly, sometimes as slow as a quarter-inch per hour, and should be consumed like a cigar with only slightly more inhaling once the end is ignited. You may require a torch to light your Thai stick, but you can also ignite it with a lighter or hemp wick.
Once your Thai stick is lit, start inhaling. Make sure not to inhale until after you’re done lighting; otherwise, you risk inhaling the flame through the hole in its center. Thai sticks are large and full of cannabinoids, so you may want to consider smoking only a little or sharing with others.
How Do Thai Sticks Make You Feel?
Thai sticks, at their most essential, contain large amounts of cannabis flower and therefore have the potential to be highly potent. It all depends on what strain is used to craft the Thai stick. Some makers may add potency to their Thai sticks, gluing the wrap leaves with concentrate or dipping the whole thing in cannabis oil or kief.
Thai sticks work the same way as other methods of consuming cannabis, but understand that they are designed to be much more potent than your average joint. On the other hand, some types of Thai Stick may utilize seeded cannabis and not seedless cannabis (sinsemilla), meaning that they won’t necessarily be quite as potent as some of today’s cultivars. Contemporary Thai sticks made by using Thai genetics and seedless cannabis is likely to be much more potent, however.
Potential Health Benefits and Uses
While Thai sticks nowadays can be made using the bud of any cannabis cultivar, traditional Thai sticks use cannabis native to Thailand, which traditionally features more sativa-like growing characteristics and uplifting, energizing chemovar profiles. This could be helpful for those with low energy or depressive moods, or who have trouble focusing on tasks.
Thai sticks are also highly potent and slow-burning, which provides a decent, possibly cost-saving method for individuals to consume high amounts of THC with one product.
Potential Risks and Side Effects
Because Thai sticks can be highly potent, they are best not consumed by novice smokers or those with a low tolerance. Traditional Thai stick strains can also cause paranoia or anxiety when too much is consumed.
If you prefer to avoid the potential risks of smoking cannabis versus other consumption methods, you may want to steer clear of Thai sticks.
Tips for Using Thai Sticks Safely
Make sure to unwrap the hemp string and remove the stick part of the Thai stick before smoking, or you’ll have no way to consume the cannabis. Also, ensure not to inhale before you’re finished lighting the tip, or you could accidentally burn your mouth by inhaling flames.
The Bottom Line: Should You Use Thai Sticks?
Thai sticks are a piece of cannabis history and worth sampling if you seek a cigar-like smoking experience with your marijuana. Thai sticks provide a potent dose of cannabinoids for those seeking more effective medicine. Still, if you’re less enamored with smoking and high levels of euphoria, you may want to pursue other cannabis consumption methods.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Thai Stick made of?
Thai sticks are made of marijuana (of any cultivar, but usually Thai genetics), a type of cannabis concentrate, and cannabis fan leaves; the cigar-like product is constructed around a stick skewer and wrapped in hemp string.
What is the point of a Thai Stick?
A Thai stick is a more potent, cigar-style method of consuming marijuana that offers a more traditional experience and alternative high-potency option to edibles or dabbing.
