Blunts and Joints 101: What to Consider When Choosing Rolling Papers

Rolling joints is an art that has been around for quite a while. You break up or grind up some dried cannabis flowers, put them in a small piece of paper, and twist it into a joint, spliff, doobie, stogie, or one of many other nicknames used to describe a rolled cigarette of cannabis. There’s an ongoing debate as to whether or not they were invented in France or Spain. Many people believe the credit goes to Spain.

History of the Rolling Paper

The history of the first rolling paper company takes us on a journey to Spain. They were first said to surface around 1532. This was the year that Alexandro Rizlette de Cramptone Lacroix traded a bottle of bubbly for a pack of wraps. The trade took place between the Frenchman and French soldiers that had acquired rolling papers while in Spain.

From here, the rest is history and gave birth to what is deemed the first rolling paper company founded in 1736 called the Lacroix Rolling Paper Company. Since this time, rolling papers have traveled down the evolutionary highway to have all sorts of wild features incorporated in them. Now, you have loads of options to choose from and tons of brands. Today’s rolling paper market includes brands like RizLa+, JOB, Zig-Zag, Bugler, Tops, Elements, Juicy Jays, RAW, and OCB, to name some of the most popular.

With all these choices to choose from, how do you tell which pack of rolling papers is right for you? Truthfully, it is a preference thing. They may all be rolling papers, but they are all different. Let’s explore some of the differences in rolling papers that may help you decide how to pick the right pack of wraps. First, let’s take a closer look at what most papers are made of.

What’s a Wrap Made Of?

Unlike many other types of paper, rolling papers are not traditionally made from wood but rather from plant fibers such as hemp or rice. These fibers are combined with chemicals such as calcium carbonate, sodium, and potassium citrate, magnesium carbonate, and others that attribute to the paper’s physical appearance as well as flavor and burn rate.

What to Consider When Choosing Rolling Papers

When you are deciding on what pack of wraps to buy, there are a few things you will want to take into consideration. First, is, do you actually know how to roll a joint? The reason for this is because if you don’t, you’ll most likely want to start with a big rolling paper. Rolling papers come in a variety of different sizes. The most common are 1.5s, 1.1/4s, and 1.0’s.  These range from large to small in size.

The next thing you will want to discover is what type of rolling paper you like. You can get rice papers, hemp papers, or popular wood pulp and flax papers. Then there are flavored papers like the popular Juicy Jays. Picking the rolling papers you like, is best done by trying them all. Once you have the size and style of rolling paper you like picked out, you will have found your go-to brand for rolling papers, aka wraps.

During the testing process of picking out your favorite rolling paper, you will have plenty of opportunities to learn how to roll a joint by hand. If you just can’t do it and still want a joint, there are rolling machines that can help you do this, but nothing is like a good hand roll.

What to Consider When Choosing Other Rolling Products

If rolling by hand and rolling machines aren’t your jam, then you may want to try a cone. Cones typically come in two sizes, kings and 1¼. They already have the filter tip and glue taken care of. All you have to do is break up your herb and pack it in the cone using a small plunger stick provided with the purchase of a pack of cones. Cones are available from brands like RAW, Elements, and Zig-Zag, to name a few.

If you are looking for those old school joints with blueberries, strawberries, bananas, or cherries on them, that are flavored to match, you’re looking for a pack of Juicy Jays. Some people love flavored papers, and others find them to be thick and harsh. Be cautious, though, as some people also believe that flavored papers could pose a potential health risk.

Let’s Get Blunt

Another option for rolling up your cannabis is called packing a blunt. A blunt is rolled using the outer tobacco leaf from a deconstructed cigar or cigarillo. It’s then filled with ground up herb to roll or wrap into a blunt.  Blunts are rolled using everything from Swishers and White Owls, to Garcia Vega’s and many other brands in between. A cigar is split open, and the tobacco is removed and replaced with cannabis, then rerolled.

You can also buy blunt wraps that are just the cigar paper. Both cigars and blunt wraps are available in a wide variety of flavors ranging from chocolate and strawberry to mango, peach, grape, and more. Regardless of how you choose to consume cannabis, it is best to do a little research into first. There are loads of information as well as stories about the plant and community online, including tutorials on how to roll a joint and pack cones!