Personally, I wouldnÂt use thorny materials in the compost pile to lessen the chance of getting pricked, and have not done so. But if the compost is well aged, all organic matters would crumble into fine, small granular so that you may not even see shape of thorns afterward.

It may be easier to chop the canes to less than a foot long or so for easy mixing with other green materials, and wear thick gloves.

Don't compost any rose canes at all. Some fungi, notably botrytis, have spore pods (sclerotia) that can survive any and all composting processes.

I have been composting the canes from my roses for years with no problems that I'm aware of. I've not been stabbed by a rose thorn yet and I handle my compost with my bare hands frequently.