1,000 ft
from a school, day care or youth center where smoking is banned while kids are present
17407
DCC rule for labeling infused prerolls
Nov. 20, 2023
the day Snoop revealed "giving up smoke" was a fire pit ad
How to smoke a preroll comes down to a few small habits: check whether it is plain flower or infused, light the tip evenly while you turn it, take small, easy draws, and put it out completely when you are done. A preroll comes packed and ready, which makes it the simplest way to try a new strain, and it rewards a little patience at the lighting stage.
Before you light up, pick the place. California’s DCC allows adults 21 and over to use cannabis on private property, but not in public places like restaurants or bars, not anywhere tobacco smoking is banned, and not within 1,000 feet of a school, day care or youth center while kids are present. That last rule, in Health and Safety Code section 11362.3(a)(3), has an exception for the grounds of a private residence, but only if the smoke can’t be detected at the school while children are there.
Last reviewed: November 2026.
Plain or infused: know what you are holding
A preroll is ground flower packed into a paper cone or rolled paper, usually with a filter tip at one end. An infused preroll adds concentrate, such as distillate, live resin or kief, to the flower or the outside of the paper. The added concentrate usually raises the THC, but the actual amount depends on both batches, so read the full label and treat an infused preroll as a different product even if the strain name matches.
What kind of preroll is it?
Choose a type to see what to expect.
THC as a percentage
Plain flower
Just ground flower in paper. The label shows total THC as a percentage, like a jar of flower.
Added mg on the label
Infused
Flower plus concentrate. The label shows added cannabinoids in milligrams. Much stronger, so take less.
Ask first
Not sure
Check the package or ask a budtender before you light it.
The label tells you which you have. Under section 17407 of the DCC regulations, an infused preroll’s package shows either the total cannabinoid content in milligrams, or the flower’s percentage plus the added cannabinoids in milligrams. If you see milligrams of added THC, it is infused.
How to smoke a preroll, step by step
Hold the preroll by the filter end, keeping your fingers away from the tip. If the top is twisted closed, pinch off the twist so the flower is exposed. Then toast the tip: hold the flame just below the end without inhaling, and slowly rotate the preroll until the whole edge glows evenly. Taking your time here is what prevents most uneven burns.
Once the edge glows, take a small, gentle draw. You do not need to pull hard or hold the smoke in, and a light draw keeps the burn even. Tap off ash into an ashtray every so often, and set the preroll down between puffs rather than letting it burn in your hand.
Step through it
Lighting a preroll
Five small steps for an even burn.
1. Hold
Grip the filter end
Fingers on the filter, tip pointing away from you.
2. Open
Pinch off the twist
If the top is twisted shut, pinch it off to expose the flower.
3. Toast
Rotate in the flame
Hold the flame just below the tip and turn it slowly, without inhaling, until the edge glows all the way around.
4. Draw
Small, gentle puffs
No hard pulls, no holding it in. Set it down between puffs.
5. Out
Put it out fully
Press the lit end into an ashtray until no ember remains, and let it cool.
Start low with any new preroll, especially an infused one. Never drive after using cannabis.
Smoking any plant material means inhaling smoke, and no technique changes that. Stop whenever you have had enough; a preroll does not need to be finished in one sitting.
How to fix a canoe or a preroll that keeps going out
A canoe is when one side of the preroll burns faster than the other, leaving a long strip of unburnt paper down one side. It usually starts with uneven lighting or a gust of air. The common fix is to let it rest for a moment, then touch the flame briefly to the slow side until the edge evens out again. Turning the preroll so the fast side faces up can also slow it down.
If it keeps going out, the flower may be packed tight or you may be drawing too gently to keep the ember alive. Relight the tip the same way you started, rotating it in the flame, then take a slightly steadier draw. If the paper is torn or the preroll looks damaged, stop and swap it.
Read the burn
Four prerolls, four fixes
- Even burnThe whole edge glows.How: Hold the flame just below the tip and rotate it until the edge glows, then take your first draw.
- CanoeOne side runs ahead and leaves a strip of paper.Fix: Let it rest, touch the flame to the slow side, and turn the fast side up.
- Keeps going outThe ember dies between puffs.Fix: Relight while rotating, then take a slightly steadier draw. Torn paper? Swap it.
- Done for nowYou have had enough.How: Press and turn it in an ashtray, let it cool, then back in its child-resistant package.
mgInfused? The package shows added cannabinoids in milligrams. That means more THC in the same size.DCC regulations section 17407
Small, gentle draws, no breath-holding. Never drive after smoking.
Putting it out and saving the rest
Press the lit end into an ashtray and turn it until the ember is fully out, then let it cool for a minute before you put it away. Never put a warm preroll into a pocket, plastic tube or trash can.
Store the rest in its original child-resistant package, away from children and pets, as the DCC responsible-use guide advises. In a car, cannabis has to be in a sealed package or container or in the trunk, because an open container while driving or riding is illegal. And never drive after smoking.
Where you can and can't smoke a preroll
Private property is the main place you can smoke, and even there the owner can ban it. If you rent, check your lease. Hotel rooms are out for smoking: since January 1, 2024, California’s workplace smoking law (Labor Code section 6404.5, as changed by SB 626) has no guest-room exception, and the DCC says you can’t smoke cannabis anywhere tobacco smoking is banned. Ask the front desk about an outdoor area where smoking is allowed, check with the owner of a vacation rental, and see our guide to smoking cannabis in a hotel room.
Federal land is off limits too, including national parks, because cannabis is still illegal under federal law. This is general information, not legal advice. For the full picture, see our guide to California cannabis laws.
So, did Snoop Dogg quit smoking?
Not as far as anyone can tell. In November 2023, Snoop Dogg posted that he was “giving up smoke,” prompting fans to wonder whether he meant it. Four days later, on November 20, he revealed it was a setup for an ad campaign for a smokeless fire pit, NBC News reported. “I’m going smokeless,” he said in the ad, roasting marshmallows next to the fire pit.
As for which strains he smokes, indica or sativa, there is no reliable public answer, and his pace is not one to match. Pick a preroll for its flavor and the label, go slow, and enjoy it your way. You can browse today’s prerolls at your Vibe store, and our guide to concentrates explains what goes into an infused one.
Frequently asked questions
Hold it by the filter, pinch off any twisted tip, and toast the end in a flame while rotating it until it glows evenly. Take small, gentle draws without holding the smoke in, and put it out fully in an ashtray when you are done.
Hold the flame just below the tip without inhaling and rotate the preroll slowly until the whole edge glows. Then take a gentle draw. Even lighting prevents most canoes.
No. His November 2023 “giving up smoke” post turned out to be a teaser for a smokeless fire pit ad, revealed on November 20, 2023, as NBC News reported.
On private property, yes, unless the owner bans it. Not in public places, not where tobacco smoking is banned, and not in a hotel guest room, where state law bans smoking. Check your lease if you rent.
Sources
- DCC: what's legal
- California DCC: text of regulations, section 17407
- DCC: responsible cannabis use
- NBC News: Snoop Dogg reveals 'giving up smoke' was an ad campaign for a fire pit
For adults 21+ (18+ with a physician’s recommendation in California). Keep out of reach of children and pets. Do not drive or operate machinery after use.
Find prerolls at your Vibe store
Pick your location to browse today's prerolls and ask whether a pack is plain flower or infused.