There are a lot of elements that contribute to the rolling experience, but nothing sets the tone more than the roll of a joint. There is a kink in the flow of the rotation when the joint is not burning right. Some stoners consider rolling a joint the worst thing you can ask them to do. You eyeball the paper, look at your weed, and wonder, how the heck am I supposed to roll all of that into a marijuana cigarette?
Just like anything else, rolling a joint takes practice. To simplify it for yourself you can think of it as arts and crafts; you have the power to roll your joint into a nice fatty, or a quick slim jimmy just to get a buzz going. To enjoy a quality joint you have to have quality papers to roll with. It is never helpful when papers are too dry or stiff for you to roll. Ivy Hall is a dispensary that is committed to stocking the shelves with the best high-quality products to complement your quality bud. Let us help you pick out the best rolling papers for your smoke session.
Different Types of Rolling Papers
Hemp
There are rolling papers that are made of the plant material marijuana comes from which is hemp. Hemp is a great option to roll with because it is essentially the same as the weed you are smoking on. Hemp is a strong material that gives way to a high-quality product. Hemp rolling paper tends to burn slower and longer so you don’t have to keep flicking your lighter to your joint to even out your cherry.
Hemp is a sustainable material and is more eco-friendly than rolling papers that use paper materials, it is biodegradable and makes for a healthier choice of paper because it is less likely to be bleached.
Rice
Rice papers are great to roll your joints with. They can be tough when you are first getting the hang of rolling because they are thin. When you get your bud rolled into a nice rice paper joint, trust the smoke is going to be light and smooth. Rice papers burn evenly and do not emit a lot of smoke, you really feel like you are smoking the bud alone with the minimal flavor from the paper.
Flax
Flax papers go in the same category as rice papers because of their flavorless smoke. Flax fiber grows in long stalks resulting in a durable, ultra-fine material. Flax papers are easy to roll and burn slowly. This material will allow you to taste your bud, it is the perfect material to roll some terpy, strong-flavored bud in. Brands that produce flax papers include Zig Zag and OCB.
Pre-Rolled Cones vs. Rolling Papers
Regular loose rolling papers are great because you get to choose how your joint looks. You can roll it with more body, or keep it standard. It allows you to practice your rolling skills. You can buy whatever amount of bud and just practice rolling a joint, and study the consistencies, the inconsistencies, truly understand how you like your joints rolled.
Loose rolling paper can take time and energy to roll, if you are a perfectionist like myself, you might like to make sure the joint is immaculate. That might not fly in a setting where folks are ready to smoke as soon as possible.You can never rush perfection, but there are ways to get the joint burning much faster.
Pre-rolled cones are perfect for convenience, especially for our shake folks. Shake is flower you buy that is ground up and ready to be rolled into a joint or placed in the oven for decarboxylation to chef up some edibles. Pre-rolled cones are already in the shape of a cone so you can fill it up with your bud and twist the end. It is a major time saver when you are going out or going to be around a large group of people and not have time to focus on your rolling.
Pre-rolled cones come with filters rolled with the cone so you don’t have to buy a separate book of filter tips, even though you might get lucky. Some loose rolling papers come with filters attached. Brands that have pre-rolled cones include Blazy Susan, RAW, and Vibes.
Top Rolling Paper Recommendations from Ivy Hall
Ivy Hall has a variety of high quality products for rolling up some bud. There might be a brand that might not burn the way you like or another one that never seems to roll right. It is nice to have options to choose from. As someone who likes to learn about the art of rolling, I have tried out a variety of different brands. Here are some brands that I have enjoyed rolling and smoking with:
ZigZag
The ZigZag rolling paper brand is definitely an OG brand in the world of cannabis accessories. This rolling paper company was founded in 1855 by French brothers, Jacques and Maurice Braunstein. Everyone is able to recognize the iconic portrait of Le Zouave. The emblem of the Zouaves was an elite class of infantrymen who played a prominent part in the French Colonization of North Africa.
The name ZigZag comes from the method of interleaving which allowed the rolling papers to dispense one at a time. A zigzag describes the shape the paper forms when pulled from the booklet. The patented interleaving process remains an industry mainstay in today’s modern packaging of papers.
These papers range in material from hemp to wood pulp and flax. ZigZag has their own line of cones for the quick on the go rollers as well.
The ZigZag rolling papers remind us of the longevity of the art of packaging and rolling culture as a whole. You can depend on this brand for a quality joint.
RAW cones
RAW papers and cones are on the same level of notoriety as the ZigZag cones. They share the spotlight for the OGs of rolling papers.
The actual brand of rolling papers was not founded until 2004 where Josh Kesselman saw a need in the market for natural, unbleached papers. He invested $1 million into a natural supplier that produced unbleached, less processed rolling paper.
In 2005, RAW debuted its line of rolling papers that were made from unbleached plants devoid of any chemicals, additives, and dyes.
Elements
Element papers have a special place in my heart. I remember a good friend of mine breaking them out at a session and them enthusing about how much they loved these papers. They were thin and flimsy and in my novice rolling days, I did not care for them. As I have gained more experience with rolling, I realized their beauty and simplicity as a paper.
The Elements Rolling Paper company prides itself on using all of the elements of fire, earth, air, and water to form their papers. These RAW founded papers are made with earth materials that burn with little ash, and are made with vegan gum. A watermark is pressed into the paper as a signature. The seeds of the plant are carried by the wind to their “place of growth” akin to the smoke we exhale that is carried to the skies above. Lastly, Elements rolling papers are designed to burn which accounts for its even burn when smoked.
It is inspiring to support a brand that is so connected with nature. When smoking an Elements joint it feels immensely natural, the burn is great and there is no thought if you are wasting your weed or not.
The Elements Rolling Papers are available in King Sizes, 1 ¼ cones, 1 1⁄2 cones, red and pink papers, along with perforated and pre-rolled tips. Elements have fulfilled the purpose of their mission as a natural rolling paper brand that consumers can rely on for the perfect smoke.
Blazy Susan
The Blazy Susan brand has a convenient reputation. They come in pink and purple pre-rolled cones and rolling papers that add an extra flair to the smoking experience. The company debuted in 2017, founded by Will Breakell who noticed how cluttered his coffee table was. The Virginia Military Institute Alum put his spin on the term Lazy Susan and turned her into Blazy Susan. The Blazy Susan is a tray you can place on your coffee table to help organize your stoner needs and keep everything in the same place.
The Blazy Susan papers are sourced from the “finest mills in France” through the use of wood pulp that is FSC sustainably harvested. The pink cones are colored with food safe dye and the purple cones are colored with vegetable based dye. There are also unbleached paper options.
Blazy Susans are vegan because they do not use any animal byproducts such as albumin and casein that negatively can impact your smoking experience.
If you are looking to spice up your joint routine, you can find the colorful papers on any of our Ivy Hall accessory shelves. We usually have them in 1 ¼ 6 packs, King size 3 packs, 53mm 50 packs (these usually go quick!) So don’t be lazy and get yourself some Blazy Susans!
Futurola Tyson Wraps
Futurola was founded in 1996 in The Future Coffee Shop in Amsterdam. The mission of Futurola is to elevate the ritualistic European smoking experience with high-quality smoking accessories. The Futurola papers are made of wood pulp and flax fibers. In order to craft an ideal rolling paper, the Futurola brand considers factors such as burn rate, the thickness of the paper, and whether it is bleached or unbleached.
In 2019, Futurola launched its Mike Tyson collection that included a terpene-infused blunt cone, a terpene-infused blunt wrap, a signature cone roller, and signature unbleached rolling paper with tips (my favorite!).
In partnership with the Futurola Brand, Mike Tyson’s cannabis brand strives to blend the greatness of Mike Tyson with the evenly yoked greatness of Futurola Rolling Papers.
Ivy Hall has stocked its shelves with this high quality brand to complement the user’s smoking experience.It is through the prioritization of the smoker experience that has allowed Futurola to maintain its longevity and reputation as a high quality brand of papers.
King Palm
The King Palm wrap brand formed as an ode to natural, traditional 10th and 15th-century smoking methods. Established back in 2016, the King palm brand is inspired by the natural ways of the past and has brought those same methods into the 21st century. King Palms are hand-made, all-natural leaf wraps that come in various sizes and flavors. This brand aims to create a timeless product that can deliver a consistent burn every time you pack it.
King Palm prides itself on utilizing a sustainable operation to help craft their product. The product is sourced from the Cordia tree from various farms throughout Southeast Asia. This region of the world has the maximal environment where these trees can thrive. This brand ensures that no trees are cut down during the production of their product, the leaves they harvest are resilient and grow back in abundance.
These King Palm wraps come with a wooden stick to help you stuff the wrap. The packs will come along with a humidity pack to keep your wraps fresh as well. If you get a flavored one, do not forget to pop the flavor ball so you get a taste, these wraps have yummy flavors like berry, mango-pineapple, and banana cream. At Ivy Hall, we’ll have the two packs, either flavored or natural. They are slow burning so if you have a lower tolerance you might have to put it out. If you like to take your time and smoke through your bud, you can trust a King Palm to stay lit the whole way through.
It is a great alternative for people trying to reduce their tobacco use, it has a nice body to it and smokes as smooth as a cigar.
How to Choose the Right Rolling Paper
When it comes to choosing the correct type of rolling paper you want to consider factors such as the material, size, flavor, and burn rate of the paper. These are factors that can have an impact on how you enjoy your joint so choose a brand that is able to tick those boxes for you consistently.
Material of the paper can impact the taste and burn rate. Some materials like wood pulp can have a slight burnt paper after taste, especially if they are bleached, this material tends to burn faster as well. Rice, flax and hemp paper are perfect options to avoid extra flavor.
When it comes to burn rate, assess if you prefer to sit and smoke your joint while you scroll on your phone or smoke one long enough to walk the dog. For the latter, wood pulp paper would have a faster burn rate, or a shorter sized paper. For a slower burn, rice papers are more beneficial, especially for a long rotation with friends.
When it comes to size, tolerance, situation, and duration of smoke are elements that come to mind. Someone with a lower tolerance, when it does not require too many hits to get a buzz going, shorter papers like Blazy Susan’s 53 mm shorty cones will suffice. They come in a 12 pack or a 50 bulk pack, we stock our shelves with the Blazies, but they sell quickly! So keep an eye on our menu and blaze your way in to grab the minis!
For those with a higher tolerance, king size rolling papers and cones are great. Sit on the porch with your joint, talk on the phone, or share with a friend. What is nice about the king sized papers is even if it can’t be smoked all the way through, there is still a good amount of the joint left to come back to. A nice happy medium are the 1 ¼ sized papers such as Elements and Blazy Susans. This size is perfect for a solo stroll on the beach or a quick sesh outside with a smoke buddy before heading back into a party. A versatile size for any predicament.
If you are a purist and want to strictly taste your bud, considering thin papers will be the best option. Rice papers are the best for minimal flavor, avoid white papers or papers that are bleached or dyed. These factors can have an impact on the flavor profile of your smoke. If the papers are dyed, check to see if they are vegan cones or vegetable based dye. The type of gum placed on the paper, where you lick to seal your joint. Most companies use arabic gum, a type of nontoxic gum that comes from the African Acacia tree. There are papers that do not have any gum but will take some extra saliva to seal, keep your lighter close to dry!
It is easy to think of rolling papers as a quick accessory to get high. There are different ways you can control the quality of your smoke. Are you tasting the terpenes? Is the joint already finished before you really feel high? How long did it take to burn with this material compared to the other material? Once you are able to ask and answer these questions, you can begin the journey of enhancing your roll game and the way you smoke your joints.
Rolling Paper FAQs
What do I do if I roll my joint too tight?
It is never fun when the joint is rolled too tight, it is easy to get heavy-handed and roll a marijuana bullet and find yourself sucking harder to get a hit. If you roll your joint too tight, try to massage it or stick a toothpick through it to help sift around the bud.
What is canoeing? How do I prevent my joints from canoeing?
Canoeing is when one side of the joint burns quicker than the other. This can result in smoking the weed in the joint halfway through with green weed still in the joint. It can really feel like a waste of good flower.
Something that helps joints from canoeing is ensuring the paper is evenly rolled around the bud before sealing. It is easy to rush through rolling a joint and folding the paper. Canoeing is something that can get out of hand quickly, when the joint is first lit make sure to make sure it is burning evenly from the start. Keep your lighter close to help even it out.
What if my joint is flimsy or not maintaining a good body?
A nice safeguard when your joint does not have a good shape is to wrap it around with another paper leaf. Some may consider this “cheating”, and it is extra material to smoke, it is not always going to be perfect on the first roll. It is good to do even if your joint is too loose or overflowing. Wrap the second leaf around it to solidify the body and help it burn much easier.
What if my joint rips?
When your joint rips you can tear a piece of another leaf and paste it on the spot. However, at Ivy Hall we have the nifty Wrap Patches right next to our registers. Wrap Patches are great to help you “doctor” the blunt or joint to maintain consistent air flow.
What makes rolling papers vegan?
The material the rolling paper is made of is what makes it vegan. Many brands are great with indicating on their packaging that they are vegan and/or non-GMO, such as RAW, Blazy Susan, and Elements. Through the use of hemp and rice materials and sustainable manufacturing operations, environmentally conscious rolling paper brands have made it their mission to not use animal byproducts and ensure the process of making the product is not creating more waste.
Quality Rolling Papers Enhance Your Smoking Experience
It is important to choose high-quality rolling paper for your weed because it can really determine your smoking experience. If you choose papers that burn too fast, your joint will be gone before your high, and if you choose paper that can canoe too easily, well, you’re not going to want to smoke anymore after that; so if you want to choose good quality papers from the start, your cipher can run smoothly.
Please feel free to visit any of our locations and take a gander at our accessory shelves, we have a multitude of options that are fitting for your rolling habits. Elements has a wonderful quote at the bottom of their website that states:
“Perfection is never actually achieved, it’s a mindset, and what is perfect for us might not be perfect for everyone.”
So please remember that while you are rolling your joint. Can your joint be perfect every time? Not exactly, but what is important is that you practice, your best does not have to be perfect, but it can come pretty close.
