New cannabis products are flooding the market each month. New tinctures, topicals, vapes, edibles, and even products like beard balms, ointments, and oral sprays are being introduced to users on a regular basis. The scale of this diversity is so big that today’s consumer can feel like in a huge theme park when entering a dispensary.

But frankly speaking, nothing can beat a good, classic joint.

Rolling and smoking the joint is the most iconic way to consume weed. Smoking applies high heat to your flower, decarboxylating (activating) the THC inside of it, and making it able to get you high. This is also the fastest delivery method of cannabinoids — inhaled THC gets right into the bloodstream, producing its effects within minutes.

Despite being a more common option among recreational consumers, there are lots of marijuana patients who prefer to medicate this way.

Why would they do so when there are so many smoke-free options to enjoy the herb?

Because joints offer some unique benefits you won’t find in any other consumption method. They’re easy to prepare, require just a little experience, and makes for a perfect party companion.

In this article, you’ll learn everything there is to know about joints. We’ll show you how to roll one step-by-step and explain the pros and cons of smoking a joint.

What is a Joint?

In simplest terms, a joint is just ground weed that has been rolled into a rolling paper in a straight or conical shape.

But is there only weed inside a joint?

Traditionally, yes. Joints are made with nothing but 100% weed. You can also smoke blunts and spliffs but these two items come with tobacco — we’ll get to that later in the article.

So, to wrap it up, a joint consists of:

Ground marijuana: choose your favorite strain and grind it finely to ensure an even burning surface for the joint.
Rolling papers: papers come in a myriad of shapes, sizes, and designs, but our favorites are hands down the RAW papers. Not only are they made with hemp fiber, but they’re also unbleached, so they’re the closest to nature and will give you the purest experience
Tip/filter/crutch: a tip will serve as the mouthpiece for your joint through which you can inhale the weed smoke.

Now, let’s focus on distinguishing between joints, blunts, and spliffs.

Joints, Blunts & Spliffs: What’s the Difference?

People tend to use the terms joints, blunts, and spliffs interchangeably, but in fact, these three forms of rolled cannabis are actually different.

Joints have nothing but cannabis as the filling. This is the purest form of rolled flower, with no additives such as herbal blends or ground tobacco. If you’re a weed purist, then joints are your number one way to blaze at 4:20 PM.

Blunts (like joints) are packed with pure cannabis. However, they require a different rolling material. To make a blunt, you need to roll your weed into a tobacco leaf or pack it into an emptied swisher. When rolling one, you need to give the tobacco leaf a passionate slobber because blunt wraps don’t have the glued side like joints do. Blunts are better suited for group sessions or parties. Some people just like to add tobacco into the mix because they enjoy the type of high it gives them. Blunts can also pack more weed than joints (up to 2 grams). They do, however, have obvious drawbacks, such as potential health concerns and inferior flavors.

Spliffs are very similar to joints. They’re rolled into regular papers, but with one exception — spliffs call for adding tobacco or some sort of a herbal blend to your weed. These two things make spliffs burn faster and more evenly. Spliffs are also more economical than joints because of the lower cannabis ratios. They’re more popular in Europe than in the US, where people actually refer to them as “joints” because they “join” two materials in a rolling paper.

What Statistics Say About Joints

The largest joint weighed exactly 4.20 pounds.
It would take 800 joints to kill a person, but that death would be caused by carbon monoxide poisoning rather than cannabis overdose.
In fact, there have been no cases of fatal overdoses when it comes to cannabis
An average cannabis consumer in Washington, smokes 123 joints yearly
“Suppose the Russians did something now…” — President John F. Kennedy said that when he smoked three joints during one night with his mistress in the White House.
A Guiness World Record for consuming the largest number of joints throughout the lifetime belongs to Irvin Rosenfeld, a man who’s already smoked 115,000 joints thanks to the courtesy of the US federal government that supplied Rosenfeld as part of their pilot program.

How to Roll a Joint: Gathering Your Equipment

To be honest, all you need to roll a joint is a few buds of weed and a rolling paper. Nevertheless, there are a few extra tips that can make the whole job easier.

Here’s your ideal equipment for rolling the perfect joint:

Cannabis flower: a joint doesn’t exist without one
Grinder: breaking weed by hand is doable but it’s anything but practical. Using a grinder will make the joint easier to roll, not to mention that this will give it a more even burn.
Rolling papers: there are lots of different papers to choose from, so it’s just a matter of personal preferences. If you’re about to smoke for the first time, buy a few different models and roll a couple of joints to see which one suits you best.
A piece of cardboard: some rolling papers come with tips attached to them, but others don’t. If you’re in the latter group, take a really small piece of cardboard and make a DIY tip for the mouthpiece of your joint.
A rolling tray: rolling your joints on papers creates much mess, so if you want to prevent your weed from spilling everywhere, a rolling tray is a keeper
A joint poker/pen: a joint poker will help you pack the joint tightly so it doesn’t get loose on any end. Alternatively, you can use a pen or a similarly shaped object to help yourself out.

How to Roll a Joint: A Step-by-Step Guide

Rolling a joint requires you to complete six steps, including:

Grinding the weed
Forming a crutch for the joint
Placing the weed in the paper
Forming a joint and rolling it with your fingers into a desired shape
Licking and sealing the joint, closing it at the top
Lighting the tip of the joint and smoking it.

For first-time smokers, we’ve put together a more detailed guide on how to roll a joint step-by-step:

Remember that nobody was born a perfect roller. It takes time and practice to master your craft, so don’t get discouraged if your first joint looks like a far cry from what you’ve seen in dispensaries.

1. Grind the Weed

This step requires you to break up your dried flower. You can do it by hand, with scissors, or with a grinder.

The grinder is the easiest way to grind the herb because it ensures a fine ground, translating to evenly burning joints. For many experienced consumers, a grinder is a must-have tool.

The amount of ground weed you’ll be putting in your joint depends on your tolerance to THC and whether you’re smoking on your own or have some company to smoke with. The THC content of your strain is important too.

A 2016 study reported that the average amount of weed put in a joint was 0.32 grams.

2. Make the Tip for Your Joint

The tip is the mouthpiece of your joint. Some people call it a filter, others refer to it as “the crutch.”

There are also people who enjoy crutchless joints but they’re in the clear minority.

Why is a tip so important?

First off, it gives you a firm hold over the joint.

Moreover, adding a tip to the joint prevents your lips from getting burned as you smoke. You also minimize the risk of the bits of marijuana getting into your mouth. You can buy pre-made tips that typically come with a pack of papers. They’re also available on their own.

However, if you want to make a DIY tip for the joint, all you need is a thin cardboard paper like a business card. Simply cut a rectangle shape from it, roll it into a zig-zag shape to form an accordion, then make it as thick as you desire.

3. Pack the Joint Paper with Your Weed

Place your rolling papers on a flat surface and put your tip at the beginning of your joint.

Using your fingers, fill the rest of the rolling paper with your ground herb. Make sure you don’t load too much weed because it may distort your joint or simply tear the paper due to the excess material.

Rolling a cone-shaped joint means that you need to use less weed near the tip and pack more towards its end.

4. Roll the Joint

Now that you have your tip and ground weed all on the paper, use your thumbs and index fingers to pinch the paper and roll your joint up and down to evenly spread the herb within the cone. You can pick any weed that falls out as you roll the joint and save it for later.

Once your paper has been rolled into a cylinder shape, roll it tightly because loosely rolled joints are difficult to smoke and produce uneven hits.

Work your pen or joint poker down the paper to pack more weed into it and make your construct burn slower. Load it until you feel resistance.

5. Seal the Joint

Most rolling papers have glue on one edge that serves as a safe seal for closing the joint once moistened. Just lick the adhesive strip and press the glue side onto it. Starting at the tip, move your fingers along to the end. If the joint feels too loose, grab the poker again and load the joint until it becomes firm. Twist the extra paper material at the end to keep your weed from escaping. You can also form a flat hat using the tips of your fingers — it will fall off as you ignite the joint.

6. Smoke the Joint and Enjoy Your Session

You might be tempted to think that lighting up a joint is the same as lighting up a cigarette.

Well, this doesn’t work that way.

First up, you don’t inhale the smoke as you ignite the tip. Instead, you run the flame over the tip of the joint and turn it over to create an even burning surface. Then you light the cap, take it off, and ignite the weed. This is when you start to inhale.

Key Takeaways on How to Roll a Joint at Home

Rolling a joint is easier than most people think. It just requires basic manual skills to enjoy a nicely rolled doobie.

Of course, it takes time and practice to master the art of rolling a perfect joint, but as you roll more doobies in your career, you’ll soon notice huge improvements. Time will come that your friend will be staring at your joint and marvelling how, on earth, is it possible to make something so beautiful.

We hope our guide on how to roll a joint has helped you get a good grasp over the basics. From now on, you can experiment with different tips, rolling papers, and other smoking accessories to enjoy your new craft. Heck, you can even smoke out of a 24-carat paper for a full-bodied luxury experience — the world is yours.

Do you remember the first time that you rolled a joint? Did it turn out nice and even or would you rather not recall those memories?

Let us know in the comment section below!