Roach

Several solutions have evolved for the roach problem. Roach clips (small clips that hold the roach for continued smoking) were popular accessories in the 1970s and 1980s. Modern consumers more commonly use crutches or tips (rolled cardboard or glass filters) built into the joint, which provide a handle that can be smoked down to the very end without a roach remaining. Without a crutch, roaches can be saved and their accumulated resin-rich material rolled into a new joint, sometimes called a generation joint.

Roaches appear throughout cannabis culture as both practical items and cultural symbols. The act of saving roaches reflects a time when cannabis was expensive and waste was unacceptable. Today, with more affordable, legal cannabis available, many consumers simply discard roaches. The roach is also associated with etiquette: offering someone a roach instead of fresh flower can be seen as cheap, while in other contexts, passing the roach to the person who missed out on the rotation is considered fair. The humble roach remains a small but recognizable part of the cannabis experience.