Joints and blunts are two great ways to smoke your favorite buds. When well-rolled, blunts and joints taste great and take a long time to burn, which makes them perfect to share with friends.
What is a joint?
A joint is one method to inhale herb smoke. Herbs are ground and place in a thin (typically rice, hemp or flax) joint paper that is gently squeezed together and rolled up to form what looks like a cigarette. Here’s more on choosing the right joint paper.
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What is a blunt?
A blunt is a cigar or cigarillo that has had its tobacco removed and replaced with legal buds. The cigar can be made of a processed leaf, as in the case of a Swisher or Dutch Master, or from a natural leaf like a Backwoods or a Game Leaf. Care must be taken when selecting your wrap style, as different leafs need different preparation techniques. Natural leaves should be unrolled rather than split open, and require some skill to roll. Processed leaves are generally split by a razor or with your fingernail, and roll similarly to a normal rolling paper.
Widely available “Wraps” are a common way to smoke a blunt. They are a processed leaf, similar to a swisher or dutch, packaged without any filler tobacco, ready to roll. ZigZag, Juicy and Highhemp all sell a wide range of flavors in both Tobacco and Hemp varieties.
What are the Differences between Blunts and Joints?
There are plenty of differences between the two. Here’s a quick breakdown:
Burn speed
Joints burn quickly, about 3 to 5 minutes, whereas a blunt can burn about twice as long or more. This is because joints use thin paper rather than thick tobacco leaves. However, burn speed is highly dependent on the amount of bud used, and how tightly it was packed when being rolled.
Health
Since they use tobacco leaves and may include some tobacco, blunts do present the same health risks as smoking cigars. Smoking both joints and blunts means you will be inhaling some carcinogens burned in the process.
Volume
Cigar wrappers are significantly larger than regular rolling papers, so blunts can hold much more. There are advanced techniques for tightly packing blunts, leaving an airflow tunnel in the center using hash oil, dabs or wooden skewers. These masterpieces, known as Thai Sticks, can burn for hours at a time!
Taste
A significant amount of a blunt or joint’s flavor comes from its wrapper. Blunt-lovers argue that using the tobacco leaves improves the flavor and even the effects. Joint-lovers prefer the unadulterated taste of their favorite strains.
Grinding
Grinding your bud for a blunt or a joint is different from grinding for a bong or bowl. Herb that is ground into almost powdery dust will result in a clogged draw and an uneven burn. Rolling a blunt or joint works better with herb that has a fluffy consistency that facilitates airflow around small chunks of bud. Since blunts are quite a bit fatter than joints, you will need to grind up more herb for your blunts than you would for rolling joints. Here’s how to choose the right grinder.
Difference Between Rolling a Joint vs. a Blunt
Rolling a blunt can involve quite a bit more work than rolling a joint because blunts often involve the use of cigar wrappers rather than conventional rolling papers. Although rolling blunts add a few more steps, some beginners find the actual process of rolling blunt wraps easier than rolling joints. This is because rolling paper is very flimsy and easy to become frustrated with.
Rolling a Blunt
- Remove any tobacco from cigar/cigarillo (unwrap or split down the middle)
- May need to be moisturized prior to unrolling to prevent any cracks
- Require hand-grinded herbs for adequate airflow
- Don’t typically use a filter for a mouthpiece, however glass tips are available
- Uses more herb than joints
Rolling a Joint
- Requires finely grinded herbs for an even burn
- No need to unroll the paper prior to use
- More flimsy than blunt wraps
- Generally uses rolled filter tips, glass tips are also popular
Rolling Pro Tips:
- Moisten blunt wraps with a damp wet paper towel prior to unrolling
- Repair any holes in your rolled bud with another rolling paper
- Don’t overpack your blunts or joints, they won’t burn effectively or evenly
- The tighter you roll, you’ll receive less airflow (and smoke)