Next, place one of the pre-rolled joint casings (each unit comes with a pack of 20) into the lower half of the unit, set the grinder on top so that the magnetic lock seals and press the activation button on the front of the unit. The grinder will automatically powder those nugs, which falls through the bottom, into the waiting casing. Once the grinder has done its duty, tap the unit on the tabletop a few times to settle and pack the weed, separate the grinder halves to pop out the joint, twist off the end and you’re ready to smoke.

I love how easy it is to use and how it cuts out a bunch of the tedious grunt work that goes into making a joint. There’s nothing to measure, chop, separate, grind, lick or shape. Just shove some weed into one end, a cone into the other and push a button. The battery is surprisingly robust, lasting long enough to roll out an eighth into three chubby 110mm bats. My only major complaint is how top heavy it is and how readily it can be knocked over. One tumble off your coffee table could spell the end of this autogrinder.

Om Nom Nugs

Joints aren’t the end all, be all of cannabis consumption, mind you. Some folks dislike the smell, others are unable to due to health issues or an overzealous HOA. This, of course, is where edibles come in. But before you can start baking up a batch of magic brownies, you first need to activate the THC in your nugs from its natural THC-A state. Leafly has a solid explainer as to why.

Traditionally, this is done by spreading the weed out on a baking sheet and slow roasting it in the oven for an hour or two at low temperatures. This is the simplest method but also the least accurate and most difficult to control. This is part of the reason we have automated infusion gadgets like the $175 MagicalButter Machine, which sounds like a swarm of bees stuffed into a disposal and thrown into a tornado when it’s in operation, or the pricey-but-versatile $350 Levo II.

The new THC activating machine on the scene is the $215 Ardent NOVA Decarboxylator. Roughly the size of a large travel mug, the NOVA holds up to an ounce of unground flowers or up to five ounces of kief. And since you’re not smoking the end results, there’s no need to pre-grind or destem your nugs before stuffing them into the NOVA. (Though you will need to crush up the activated nugs before cooking or consuming them.)