Key Takeaways
- Cannabis moon rocks are buds of flower coated in concentrate, usually hash oil, and then rolled in kief.
- West Coast rapper Kurupt is the person most often credited with making moon rocks famous, and he later launched his own branded version.
- Moon rocks are dense and sticky, so they’re harder to keep lit than plain flower and don’t break up as easily.
- Infused pre-rolls add concentrate to a joint; moon rocks coat the whole bud, which is why they look and handle so differently.
- NugHub carries SpaceBuds Moon Rocks, made with flower, hash rosin and bubble hash and rolled in kief, in store on Forest Ave and for delivery.
Not the kind NASA brings home. Cannabis moon rocks are buds of flower coated in concentrate and rolled in kief until they look like little gold-dusted stones. They’ve been around for years, they’ve been name-dropped in rap songs, and they still confuse people the first time they see them on a menu.
The short version: they’re regular flower with two extra layers on the outside. The longer version is below, along with where to find them at a dispensary in NYC.
What are cannabis moon rocks?
Cannabis moon rocks are buds of flower coated in concentrate, usually hash oil, then rolled in kief so the outside looks dusty and gold.
Think of them in three layers. In the middle is a regular bud. Around it is a coat of concentrate, the sticky part that holds everything together. On the outside is kief, the fine, sandy trichome dust that collects at the bottom of a grinder.
That outer layer is where the name comes from. A finished moon rock is pale, crumbly-looking and cratered, a lot more like something from a museum case than a bud from a jar. Healthline’s write-up describes the process the same way: a bud dipped in or sprayed with concentrate, then rolled in kief.
If kief is new to you, our guide to what kief is covers where it comes from and how it’s collected.
Is moon rocks a strain?
No. Moon rocks is a way of making a product, not a strain. Any strain can be turned into moon rocks, and the label tells you which one was used.
People search “moon rocks strain” a lot, and it’s an easy mix-up since the name sits on the label where a strain name usually goes. But moon rocks describes the process, the same way “pre-roll” or “live resin” does.
Any strain can be used to make moon rocks, as Healthline points out, so brands sell them under strain or flavor names. That’s why two jars can taste completely different.
Who invented cannabis moon rocks?
West Coast rapper Kurupt is the name most tied to moon rocks. He’s often credited as their creator and later turned them into his own brand.
Moon rocks came up through hip-hop. High Times calls Kurupt “often regarded as the creator” of moon rocks, and his line about the appeal is hard to beat: “You have it all in one bowl.”
By the late 2010s, Kurupt had a deal with a public company to sell his version commercially, and moon rocks had shown up in songs from artists like Cardi B and Lil Wayne. That’s a big part of why so many people know the name before they’ve ever seen one.
Today plenty of brands make their own take, and the recipes vary. Some stick with classic hash oil, and others use solventless concentrates like rosin.
How are cannabis moon rocks different from flower and infused pre-rolls?
Flower is just the bud. Infused pre-rolls add concentrate inside or on a joint. Moon rocks coat each whole bud in concentrate and roll it in kief.
All three can share the same strain, so the difference is how much has been added and where it sits.
With an infused pre-roll, the concentrate is mixed into the ground flower or painted on the outside of the paper, and the joint is ready to go. With moon rocks, every individual bud is coated, so you’re buying the extras on the flower itself and deciding how to use it.
| Plain flower |
Moon rocks |
Infused pre-roll | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What’s added | Nothing | Concentrate coating plus a kief outer layer | Concentrate inside or on the joint, sometimes kief |
| How it looks | Green, frosty bud | Gold, dusty, stone-like | A finished joint |
| How it handles | Breaks up easily | Dense and sticky | Ready to light |
| How it’s sold | Jars and bags | Small jars | Singles and packs |
What’s the difference between moon rocks and sun rocks?
Sun rocks are a spin on moon rocks with a different coating. Brands use the name loosely, so the label is the only way to know what’s on them.
There’s no official recipe for either name. Moon rocks almost always mean concentrate plus a roll in kief. Sun rocks usually skip or change one of those layers, and what that means depends on who made them.
If you see both on a menu, read the product description. It’ll tell you what the coating is made of, and that’s what actually changes the flavor and texture.
Why are moon rocks hard to keep lit?
The concentrate coating and kief make each piece dense and greasy, so moon rocks are slower to catch and harder to keep going than plain flower.
Plain flower is airy, which is why it burns evenly. A moon rock is the opposite: a sticky, packed little ball with very little air in it. Healthline notes that keeping them lit “isn’t easy” for exactly that reason.
That stickiness also means they don’t crumble like regular flower. Most people break pieces off by hand.
What’s in the SpaceBuds Moon Rocks at NugHub?
SpaceBuds Moon Rocks combine flower with hash rosin and bubble hash, all rolled in kief, in flavors like Strawberry Slushie and Blueberry Muffin.
SpaceBuds’ version swaps the classic hash oil for solventless concentrates: hash rosin and bubble hash, with kief on the outside. If you like the flavor of rosin, that’s a big part of the appeal.
The flavors lean sweet and dessert-y. You’ll see names like Strawberry Slushie, Blueberry Muffin, Melon Ball, Peach Sunrise, Pineapple Upside Down Cake and Grape Bubbly. They come in 4g jars and a 1 oz jar.
Where can you buy moon rocks at a dispensary in NYC?
NugHub carries SpaceBuds Moon Rocks at our Forest Ave shop on Staten Island and for delivery. Our menu shows which flavors are in today.
Stop by the shop on Forest Ave or order delivery. Shop moon rocks on our menu.
Want something similar in a ready-made format? Our best pre-rolls in NYC guide covers the pre-rolls we carry, and our concentrates guide explains the oils and hash that go into moon rocks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are cannabis moon rocks made of?
Moon rocks are made of three layers: a bud of cannabis flower, a coating of concentrate such as hash oil or rosin, and an outer layer of kief.
Who invented cannabis moon rocks?
Rapper Kurupt is the person most often credited with creating and popularizing moon rocks. He later launched his own moon rocks brand.
Are moon rocks the same as infused pre-rolls?
No. An infused pre-roll is a joint with concentrate added. Moon rocks are whole buds coated in concentrate and kief, sold loose in a jar.
What’s the difference between cannabis moon rocks and sun rocks?
Sun rocks are a variation with a different coating. There’s no standard recipe, so check the product description to see what’s on them.
Why are moon rocks hard to light?
The concentrate and kief make them dense and greasy, with little air inside, so they catch slower and go out more easily than plain flower.
Can you buy cannabis moon rocks at a dispensary in New York?
Yes. Licensed New York dispensaries can carry them. NugHub stocks SpaceBuds Moon Rocks at our Forest Ave shop on Staten Island and for delivery.
Moon rocks are the same plant you already know, with two extra layers on the outside, and the label tells you exactly what those layers are.
