Marijuana is beautiful in all shapes and sizes, so it is always a shame to see when the “less glamorous” parts of our beloved plant get a bad rap. Unfortunate as it is, this is often the case for marijuana shake.

Shake weed is widely available in both medical and recreational dispensaries, but for many, the jury is still out on whether it’s worth smoking. What is shake weed? Is it as good as ‘regular’ weed? Will it get you as high? Keep reading to find out.

What Is Shake Weed?

If you type ‘shake weed’ into Google, you will likely be overrun by conflicting opinions. By and large, it seems to be a substance that is widely up for interpretation. In a general sense however, shake is the term used for the small bits of flower that collect and gather at the bottom of a cannabis baggy or storage container.

Marijuana shake comes from the same part of the weed plant as normal buds. In fact, shake is part of the buds. It’s just tiny little pieces of the buds that have fallen off over time. This could be due to handling, general bumping around through transporting, etc.

Shake weed can contain any part of the bud, including sugar leaves and trichomes. So yes, shake can have just as much THC as any other part of the flower. That’s right, despite what you may have read elsewhere, shake can get you high. In fact, it can be quite potent in some instances.

Where Can You Buy Shake Weed?

If you’ve ever bought cannabis in small plastic baggies, you’ll notice that small little bits break off and gather at the bottom. Kind of like crumbs in a bag of potato chips.

The same thing happens at dispensaries, albeit on a larger scale. Budtenders are well aware of this, so often times they’ll have shake weed for sale at discounted prices. In fact, dispensaries often sell shake as a stand-alone product. It can be bought by the gram, eighth, quarter-ounce, or sometimes even a full ounce.

The pros and cons of shake

Shake is cannabis flower that has naturally broken down through handling. It’s small parts that have come off of larger buds. For the average consumer, shake collects at the bottom of your stash, which you can also use to make joints. Convenience is the real benefit of shake—you can put it in a joint without having to grind it down. However, it is thought to be lower in quality. 

If shake includes kief that also fell off of buds then the shake will likely be potent. Shake is usually of lower quality because it’s the last to go from your stash and has had the longest time to dry out and degrade. 

Difference between shake and trim

Trim is what gets trimmed off cannabis buds after harvesting—it is mainly the resinous tips of buds, but sugar leaves, stems, and some chunks of flower might make their way into trim depending on how it was trimmed. 

Shake is what falls off in your jar or bag after buds have been handled over time.

The Cost of Cannabis Shake

Shake offers customers the opportunity to buy cannabis at a discounted price due to its small bits and suboptimal freshness. Consider shake to be the day-old doughnuts. While fine, they aren’t as fresh or pretty. Because of this, some will consider shake undesirable. 

To move either shake or doughnuts before they go bad, sellers mark its price down to remain appealing. Prices are also marked down because shake lacks the consistent quality that you find in fresh bud. When buying shake, you may get potent, quality flower. Or, it simply may be a bag of mids.

As such, prices for shake vary. Some companies try selling their leftover stock in grab bag varieties. These offerings include ounces for over $100. However, prices can be found well below triple digits as well, especially if the producer is trying to make sales. Shake sells for a variety of prices depending on the market, with some selling ounces as low as $20 for lower quality shake. “Top shelf” shake typically lists at an appealing discount to full buds but is more expensive than lower quality shake.

Is Shake Weed Good?

If you are still wondering whether shake is worth your time or money, we don’t blame you. With so many unreliable sellers out there, it’s often difficult to know what you’re getting. And unfortunate as it is, you can’t always trust a dispensary to be honest about the exact “source” of their shake weed for sale.

In order to have the best experience possible, make sure you know the difference between shake and trim. Many sellers will try and pass off trim for shake – this is one of the oldest tricks in the book. Trim is the unwanted parts of the cannabis plant that are removed before curing, and often it is full of chlorophyll and makes for a harsh smoke.

Lastly, we would simply recommend being upfront and asking questions before you decide to buy shake weed. Most dispensaries will be happy to help, and they’ll do what they can to point you in the right direction. Also, if you see shake referred to as “premium harvest shake,” this usually means it has all come from one flower. When possible, opt for this variety as it typically results in a much more enjoyable experience.

Is weed shake bad?

Whether shake is bad or not really depends on individual preference. 

There are some cons to smoking shake. Sometimes shake is rife with unsmokable cannabis trimmings such as stems and seeds, which can be a pain to remove. Dispensary-bought shake defies identification, too, as most bags are a mix of cannabis genetics and won’t provide a reliable psychoactive experience every time. Shake also dries out quickly, so you’ll want to smoke it fast before its condition worsens.

For some, the pros of inexpensive and usable shake outweigh the cons. It’s ultimately up to personal preference, budget, and the intended use for the shake.