For many, learning to roll a blunt is a rite of cannabis passage. However, not everyone has the proper dexterity or the patience to roll up a proper blunt — cue pre-rolled blunts, like Dankwoods.
Despite their popularity and large following, Dankwoods are not actually a legitimate product on the legal market. In fact, the sale of pre-rolled blunts is currently illegal everywhere in the United States. Even in states with legalized adult-use sales, the mixing of tobacco and cannabis into a single product is simply not allowed by law.
The appeal of this illicit product is the simplicity and ease of use, but many find themselves asking, at what cost? Let’s take a closer look at Dankwoods and the potential risks involved in supporting an illegal cannabis business.
What Are Dankwoods?
In order to understand Dankwoods, you must first understand their inspiration: Backwoods Smokes.
Backwoods Smokes is a popular line of cigars most known for being wrapped in a leaf of Connecticut Broadleaf tobacco. When unrolled properly, this tobacco wrapper makes for a sturdy and enjoyable blunt.
Besides its durability, Backwoods also come in an assortment of flavors, like honey and grape, that adds to the smoking experience. They can also hold an impressive 3.5 grams of weed, making it the ultimate choice for pro-smokers and sharing amongst friends.
First you have to grab your wraps, which usually entails a trip to the gas station or a nearby convenience store. Then, assuming you’ve already obtained some cannabis, the next step is to grind it all up. From there, it’s time to toss the tobacco from your Peach Optimo or Strawberry Swisher (unless you live in San Francisco, in which case, the flavor choices are not great) and twist your blunt into shape. Finally, you get to spark it up and enjoy the reward of your labors.
The appeal of “Dankwoods” is a grab-and-go approach, similar to what makes pre-rolled joints such a hot buy at licensed dispensaries. The problem, unfortunately, is that the sale of pre-rolled blunts is currently illegal everywhere in the US. Even in states with legalized adult-use sales like California, the mixing of tobacco and cannabis into a single product is not allowed by law.
In the wake of last year’s widespread panic over tainted vaporizer cartridges — cartridges which were ultimately traced back to illicit market manufactures — savvy consumers should always be aware that visually impressive knockoff brands are running rampant, thanks in part to high tax rates for legal operators and a lack of resources to crackdown on their illegal counterparts.
One such brand is “Dankwoods,” a popular line of pre-rolled blunts. Here’s what we know about this “brand.”
Using Backwoods’ popularity, Dankwoods has essentially ripped off their brand by making pre-rolled blunts using Backwoods as wraps. They also use similar branding and styles to entice users to their line of products, even though it does not appear that the two brands are associated in any way.
Dankwoods also take the traditional blunt a few steps further: after rolling up some ganja in a Backwoods wrap, the blunt is often dipped in THC concentrate and covered in kief. In addition, they allegedly use high-quality Los Angeles grown cannabis strains like Gorilla Glue, Sour Diesel, and Girl Scout Cookies in each of their products.
While this may sound rather tempting to the everyday observer, the fact still remains that Dankwoods is a questionable brand.
Are Dankwoods Legit?
For those of you still wondering if Dankwoods are legit, the short answer is no. Although Dankwoods has a professional-looking website and over 60,000 followers on social media, they are not a licensed business on the legal market.
While this may not be an important distinction for some, it does make a major difference in the finished product. When you purchase Dankwoods, you have no idea what is actually inside the blunt, where it came from, where your money is going, and there is little to no transparency about any of the procedures involved. You could be unintentionally putting yourself and your health at risk if you choose to go with illegal market goods.
If that is not evidence for you, Dankwoods are simply not legal by design. As we previously mentioned, combining tobacco and cannabis in one product is not allowed in the US, no matter where you live.
Dankwoods Alternatives
While you cannot beat the ease of a pre-rolled blunt, you may be better off considering an alternative to illicit brands like Dankwoods.
Cannabis brands continue to innovate each and every day, with some even coming out with their own line of “cannagars”. These brands use natural wrappers, like weed leaves, rose petals, and palm leaves, and premium licensed flower to complete their cannabis cigars. Keep an eye out for brands like Las Vegas Cannagars and Lobo Cannagars at your local licensed dispensary.
Should You Trust “Dankwoods”?
The short answer is no.
Despite the legitimate look of the brand’s website or the 60,000 followers they’ve gained on Instagram, “Dankwoods” is an entirely illegal operation.
You simply cannot sell products that combine tobacco and cannabis in the US (at least for now), so by extension, the products being created by “Dankwoods” are illicit. That means no mandated testing, no scrutiny from government bodies, media, or industry peers, and no transparency in how they’re produced or distributed.
They claim to grow all their weed in Los Angeles, but what reason is there to believe them? Furthermore, given the potential for said cannabis to be tainted with harmful pesticides and herbicides, choosing a “Dankwoods” appears to favor risk over reward. This was also the case for “Dabwoods,” an illicit brand of THC vape cartridges that was implicated in last year’s spate of vape-related lung illness cases.