What’s A Roach Clip, And Why Do You Need One?

Nowadays, smoking marijuana is more than just a fun activity you practice on weekends considering that the cannabis market is continuously expanding.

Besides the various smoking concentrates, including different types of strains and edibles, daily stoners today tend to ease the whole process and make the entire trip way more effective, which explains the need for many smoking tools, including roach clips.

What Is A Roach Clip?

If you haven’t heard of the term roach clip, stay tuned.

A roach clip presents a tool made for smoking the end of the joint (called roach) without burning yourself. As the name says, the word roach stands for the end of your cooperative or blunt. We all know that as you smoke your stuff and near get to the bottom of the cigarette, it can get quite unpleasant to hold it, considering that you can quickly burn your fingers. 

On the other hand, the word clip refers to the small metal device that holds the joint instead of using your fingers. Some users state that a roach clip resembles tweezers because it presents a thin and metal tool. The best part of using a roach clip is that you can easily maneuver it to smoke the whole joint. Besides the name roach clip, stoners often call it roach or joint holder.

The Origin

Individual scientists and historians state the Roach Clips originated in 19th century Mexico. For example, in the book Cannabis History, the author (Martin Booth) says that the term mentioned above, roaches comes from the popular Mexican song called La Cucaracha, aka The Cockroach. 

The name cockroach refers to one of Villa s foot soldiers who smoked marijuana to relax and prepare for the upcoming battle.

In 1938,  New Yorker Magazine wrote about the use of marijuana in Jazz clubs (In Harlem) and mentioned the term roach as a somewhat smoked joint.

Later on, in 1973, Charles Willeford speaks about roach clips as the next big thing and describes these devices as an evolutionary thing in weed culture.

With the hippie movement, roach clips made a boom on the cannabis scene as an innovative and helpful tool to ease the whole process.

And today, in the modern era, owning a roach clip isn’t hard as they are very accessible and affordable.

Proper Use

The best thing about them is that roach clips are reasonably easy to use, meaning there is no science behind them. All you need to do is grab a joint and set it up according to your own needs and preferences.

Luckily, there are a lot of different types available online. They often come in the form of key chains or roach clip bracelets and accessories. Every one of them is pretty similar, ranging in size and quality. Most of them only require a simple clamp to open it, close it to lockdown (the crutch) and hold the joint. 

The crutch is a synonym for the roach of the joint. When you grab the joint and ensure it’s secured, the only thing you need to do is light it up, smoke the whole joint without burning your fingers, and enjoy

Using a roach clip is relatively simple, and purchasing it does not require excessive money.

Perks of Using A Roach Clip

Using a roach clip is not often practiced among daily smokers because this practice doesn’t seem beneficial. So, if you burn out a large amount of weed and don’t care to smoke the whole joint, purchasing a roach clip will not be on your priority list. However, using it has its perks, including safety, saving money, and eliminating smelly hands.

When it comes to effectiveness, using a roach clip will prevent your fingers from burning, as we all know that the joint can get quite hot at the bottom.

Although smoking the whole joint may seem unimportant, it’s better to smoke it all than roll another one. Right? Especially because sometimes you simply don’t have large amounts of weed on you, and this tiny part can still get you high and make a difference. So, please don’t throw it away and purchase a quality roach clip.

Now, cannabis has a strong odour that can often be hard to get rid of, especially when it comes to your hands. And who wants their hands to be smelly?

Using a roach clip prevents any direct contact between your skin and the joint. Many users state that this is the first reason they use roach clips while smoking.

Also, consuming marijuana with this tool may give away a more low critical look, especially from a distance, which can be pretty valuable nowadays

Pricing and Accessibility

Fortunately, Roach Clips are very cheap and come in many colours and forms, so purchasing one shouldn’t present a strike on your budget.

When it comes to accessibility, there is an infinite number of models available online. Look out for the quality, as you d want a metal roach clip instead of plastic keychains. Also, pick out the correct size according to your smoking habits (bigger joints will require a giant roach clip)

Summary

In general, a roach clip may not seem like an essential tool you need to have in your household. However, these small devices can ease the whole smoking process while boosting effectiveness, safety, preventing foul-smelling hands, and making the most out of every joint.

Roach Clips may seem like an everyday thing, but they originated in 17th century Mexico and since then appeared in almost every part of society. They come in various forms and sizes and are usually made out of metal. Roach Clips resembles tweezers for looks and is pretty easy to use as all you need to do is press and hold the joint (blunt or cigarette). 

When it comes to accessibility and pricing, they are pretty cheap and readily available online so choose your desired model according to your needs and preferences.

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