Joint Guide for Cannabis Newbies
One of the oldest and most time-honored traditions in cannabis culture is the magical experience of the passing of the joint. In fact, if cannabis has a cardinal rule, “puff, puff, pass,” may be it. Joints, or cones as they’re often referred to in dispensary nomenclature, have advantages and disadvantages. On one hand, they’re highly portable and great for sharing. On the other, they’re the smokiest, thus smelliest way to consume cannabis, can be hard to handle and get damaged easily.
The beauty of cannabis dispensaries means there’s a vast selection of pre-rolled cones to choose from, in all sizes and strains. There’s jumbo, party-sized joints rolled in cannabis honey all the way down to regular mini-joints. You can buy them as singles or in packs. Most of them come with the conveniences of crutches and packaging to prevent damage.
Crutch: A filter or tip rolled into a joint to aid in smoking. It creates a space between your fingertips and the lit end of the joint – the cherry. It helps prevent a soggy end while sharing with friends and makes passing easier.
For some, the ability to roll a joint is a point of pride. If you really want to master the skill, there are hundreds of rolling guides available online or check out YouTube for some tutorial videos.
There’s more than one way to roll a joint. Check out this guide for a variety of rolling styles.
For the rest of us, pre-rolled or a rolling machine is the way to go. You can make your own crutches out of small strips of cardboard but you can also buy an entire booklet of tear-off ones for about a dollar at any smoke shop. Rolling machines cost anywhere from a few bucks for a cheap, plastic one to the $20-30 range for a nice metal one. You can even splurge on an automatic roller. Just load it up and spit out a dozen perfectly rolled joints.
Joints, Blunts and Spliffs, Oh My!
Rolled cannabis comes in three basic varieties: joints, blunts and spliffs. Here’s what they are and how they differ from each other.
Joints: refers to the traditional marijuana cigarette, hand or machine rolled using thin rolling papers.
Rolling papers: Purchasable at any gas station or smoke shop, come in a variety of sizes and materials including traditional wood pulp and clear, made from plant cellulose.
Blunts: like the joint, a blunt contains only ground cannabis, but blunts are almost always rolled with tobacco leaves. Generally speaking, they contain more nicotine than joint (which has none) but less than a spliff. You can make your own blunts by hollowing out cigars and refilling them with cannabis or buy blunt papers, which are thicker and larger than wood pulp papers.
Spliff: a spliff contains a mixture of ground cannabis and tobacco, which can be a nasty surprise to someone expecting pure cannabis. The addition of tobacco gives the smoker more of an initial head rush as well as the energy boost from the nicotine.