Raw joint

A joint is a smokeable cannabis product that resembles a conical cigarette. Joints consist of weed, paper, and a filter, or “crutch.” Joint rolling paper can be made from rice, hemp, wood pulp, and more, including some designed to help boost the flavor profile of the weed. Crutches can be made from thick paper, cardstock, or index cards. Rolling papers are available in most convenience stores, smoke shops, and dispensaries, while crutches may be available at smoke shops, dispensaries, and online. 

Like a joint but not

• Spliff: a marijuana joint that includes a mixture of tobacco and cannabis
• Blunt: a cigar that has been hollowed out and filled with cannabis or a joint rolled with tobacco leaves
• Pre-roll: a ready-to-smoke joint that was pre-rolled for you by a manufacturer or a dispensary  

Frequently asked questions

A joint is a cannabis cigarette generally hand-rolled by the user but also available for purchase as a pre-roll. A joint rolled with cigar tobacco paper is a blunt and one with tobacco and weed is a spliff. Pre-rolls are pre-rolled joints available for purchase at retailers.  

What are joint filters called?

Joint filters are called crutches or tips. A crutch allows for better airflow through the joint, prevents excessive moisture from making the end wet, and reduces waste. They can be made from thick paper, cardstock, or index cards. Most smokers make their own but some retailers and dispensaries carry them and they are available online.  

Can I use paper for a joint filter?

Thick paper or cardboard makes for the best joint filters, commonly called crutches. Regular paper isn’t heavy enough to give the benefits of a crutch and it could contain chemicals you don’t want in your throat or lungs. Glass and wooden crutches are great alternatives to paper and can be found at tobacco shops, head shops, and some dispensaries. 

How do you roll a joint?

Rolling a joint can be an intricate art, but here are the five basic steps:

1. Use a grinder to break down the weed and make it easy to pack.
2. Create a crutch or filter.
3. Place the crutch at one end of the rolling paper. 
4. Fill and pack the paper with weed, using less at the crutch end, to form a cone shape.
5. Press the weed firmly into the paper and roll it up, licking the seal to seal it.

Can you double-wrap joints?

Double-wrapping a joint can slow the burn and make the joint last a little longer. Rolling with an extra layer of paper can also help direct airflow properly and minimize an uneven burn. But it also means twice the rolling paper, which will inevitably lead to a harsher smoke with less weed and more burning paper in every puff.

How do you smoke a joint?

Smoking a joint has a certain etiquette and rhythm, especially if you’re in a group setting. A joint smoking session starts when the roller puts joint to lips and flame to joint, takes two puffs, and then passes it to the person on the left. Sharing is part of cannabis culture and spreading the wealth comes naturally when you smoke a joint. 

How do you put out a joint?

There’s not much to putting out a joint. All you need to do is press the burning end against the surface of an ashtray or other non-flammable surface. If you want to put out an unfinished joint to save it for later, apply minimal force to maintain the integrity of the joint. You can also let the cherry separate from the rest of the joint and fall into the ashtray. A straightened paper clip or other small, non-flammable item can be used to gently separate the cherry from the joint. 

How much weed is in a joint?

When starting out, we recommend using a 1/2 gram of weed and normal or 1 1/4 sized rolling papers. This is a good amount of weed for a couple people and starting off on the smaller side will make rolling the joint more manageable.

For reference, most of the prerolls you buy at the store are a full gram, although some come in 2-packs of half-grams.

When you get good at rolling, you can move up to King sized papers and full-gram joints and widen your smoking circle.

Step-by-step guide on how to roll the perfect joint (with or without a filter)

To help you hone your own craft, we’ve prepared a simple seven-step guide on the easiest way to roll a classic cone joint, even for beginners. You’ll be rolling a perfect joint in no time.

Begin by gathering your rolling supplies:

• Cannabis strain of your choice
• Rolling papers
• Crutch (for the joint crutch or filter)
• Cannabis grinder
• Optional: A pen, or a similarly shaped object to help pack the joint

Step 1: Grind the cannabis

Break down your cannabis into shake. If your cannabis is dried well, it should break down easily. A grinder keeps your hand from getting sticky and thus sticking to the joint paper.

If you don’t have a grinder, you can grind the herb down by hand, using scissors, or any number of other breakdown methods.

Step 2: Create joint crutch/filter

Make a crutch, also called a tip or filter. You can make a crutch out of just about anything, but thin cardboard or business cards are solid go-tos. A lot of joint papers also include crutch material with their packaging.

Step 3: Fill joint with cannabis

Fill the paper with the shake and the crutch (if you’ve made one). Once the paper has the right amount of shake (a half gram to a gram usually does the trick), you can begin to form and shape the joint with your fingers.

A quick note on papers: There are a lot of different types and flavors of joint papers available. Many people prefer hemp papers because they tend to be thin but strong, and burn evenly without affecting the flavor of your weed.

Step 4: Pack the joint

Once you’ve loaded and shaped your joint, it’s time to roll it. Pinch the paper between your fingertips and roll it back and forth between them to pack the cannabis down into its final cone shape.

Step 5: Roll the joint

This step can make or break the quality of your joint. Tuck the unglued side of the paper into the roll, roll it up, and use the glued edge to tack down one end of the paper, using just a little bit of moisture.

Pro tip: Start with the crutch side because it can help guide the paper as it rolls around itself.

Once the paper is tacked down on one end, you can work your way down the rest of the seam by tucking and sealing the joint to the end.

Step 6: Finish your joint

Finally, pack the end of the joint to help ensure an even burn. A pen is great, but you can use just about anything.

Some good options if you’re on the go: the tip of your shoelace, the drawstring on your hoodie, or a small stick. If you’re not planning on sparking your joint right away, you may want to close the tip with a twist.

Other ways to roll a joint

There are limitless ways to roll a joint. You can roll them big or small. Get creative! Some people have even transformed joint rolling into an art all on its own, rolling their cannabis into a unique mix of functional origami.

Another trick is to use a dollar bill to help roll a joint. Simply fold a dollar bill in half and put your ground weed in it. Roll it back and forth, slip a rolling paper behind it, roll it up, and give it a lick. Easy peasy.

Other joint variants you can try rolling are a cross joint (two joints crossed in the middle, giving you three ends to light), a pinner (a thin joint), or an L joint or tulip, which have extra amounts of weed stuck on the end.