Rolling up marijuana or tobacco gives you a customizable smoking experience. You control the paper and decide on the type – along with quantity – of the herbs to use. Although many people love pre-rolls from the dispensary, there is nothing quite like rolling your own. All you really need to roll is some rolling papers or wraps, ground up herbs, and some time to master the art of rolling. However, it’s a bit overwhelming to decide whether to use a rolling paper or a rolling wrap, especially since you may think they do the same thing. Well, the truth is, they’re not the same. They have different characteristics – from taste, smoke quality, burn and the way you roll them. While some smokers prefer using papers, other dedicate themselves to wraps. Which of them best suits your taste?
What Are Rolling Papers?
Rolling paper is a thin sheet of paper that you can use to manually roll your own cigarettes. Although some rolling papers don’t have flavors, manufacturers can add flavors and chemical additives to their papers. Rolling papers are made from different materials like wood pulp, flax, hemp, and rice. They are thin, but strong enough to provide support for your tobacco or finely ground herb during the rolling process. With all this, it’s still possible to control the burning speed when you light it up.
Many people overlook the quality and thickness of their smoking paper, but these factors will determine how well your roll will smoke. As a beginner, it’s best you get a thicker rolling paper, especially when you’re just learning how to roll. Heavier papers will not rip when rolling and they burn slower than thin papers.
Features
Size
While the size of your paper will depend on the brand you choose to use. The standard sizes of rolling papers are single-wide, 1 ¼”, 1 ½”, double-wide, and kings. You can easily use a single-wide paper to roll enough herb to give a normal size cigarette. See the measurement below.
Single-Wide – Length: 68-70mm, height: 34-36mm
1 1/4″ – Length: 76-78mm, height: 45-48mm
1 1/2″ – Length: 76-78mm, height: 60-62mm
Double-Wide – Length: 68-70mm, height: 76-90mm
King – Length: 100-105mm, height: 55-60mm
Rolling Paper Material
Wood pulp
Rolling papers made out of wood pulp are best for beginners because they are thick and can stay lit even in a storm. The bad news is they burn quickly and some people don’t like the taste, which is noticeable. Not just that, they also produce a dirtier smoke with a lot of ash. Most brands, however, now add flavors to wood pulp papers to make them taste better.
Hemp
These rolling papers are made from 100% hemp fibre.They come in varying degrees of thickness and are not as thick as wood pulp papers, but thicker than rice papers. Most of them are unbleached and their texture helps to make rolling easier. Hemp papers have a sweet taste and they can hold a lit roll better than rice rolling papers.
Rice
Rice rolling papers are made with processed rice and additives like sugar and flax. They are the thinnest types of papers with a smooth texture. They are not suitable for beginners because they can be quite challenging to use for rolling joints. The good news is that they have the slowest burn rate and produce little or no taste at all. It also requires constant smoking, or else you have to keep relighting your paper.
Pros
- You get the natural flavor of your weed
- Not expensive
- Gives control over smoking
- Quick to roll
- More paper per pack compared to wraps
Cons
- Burns faster than wraps
- Requires a bit of dexterity
What Are Rolling Wraps?
A rolling wrap, cigar wraps, or blunt wrap is a type of roll used to hold weed together like a cigar. In other words, rolling wraps are a paper case imitation of a real cigar. Blunt wraps sometimes come with tobacco inside, which they usually get from the tobacco leaf. Only use wraps with a flavor that you’re comfortable with because the taste of the wrap supersedes the flavor of your herbs. To add to the potency, people also add wax to the outer layer of the blunt. This is called a twax blunt.
Features
Shape and size
The shape and size of a cigar wrapper vary among brands. Generally, cigar wraps, just like real cigars, are measured by their length (given in inches) and ring gauge (1/64th of an inch). A cigar wrap is usually 7” X 3.4”.
Color
The color of a cigar wrap largely depends on the aging process of the tobacco leaves. Fresh tobacco leaf is naturally green. As it gets old and dries, it becomes caramel, and then chocolate brown. Many blunt wrappers are typically around the brown color, but some are black and some stay at the green spectrum. Ones made from hemp come with a green hemp leaf wrapped around tobacco.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Can easily share with friends
- Great flavor
- Lasts long
Cons
- Uses more buds
- Harsh smoke on your lungs
Disclaimer: This article is intended for information and educational purposes only and is not intended to reflect the views of the publication.
