Rolling Papers
Rolling papers are the thin sheets flower gets rolled into, and the material decides how slowly and how cleanly it burns. Hemp, rice and wood pulp all behave differently, and size, cones and tips are the rest of the decision.
Rolling papers are the thin sheets flower gets rolled into, and the material decides how slowly and how cleanly it burns. Hemp, rice and wood pulp all behave differently, and size, cones and tips are the rest of the decision.
A rolling paper is a thin sheet of plant fiber that holds ground flower in a joint. The material and the thickness are the entire product. They decide how fast it burns, how much of the taste comes from the paper rather than the flower, and how easy it is to roll in the first place.
Three materials cover almost all of it. Wood pulp is the thickest and the most forgiving to roll, and it burns the fastest. Hemp is thinner, burns slower and tastes close to neutral. Rice is the thinnest of the three and the slowest burning, and it is the least forgiving if your hands are not steady.
The number nobody reads is the size. Single wide is the small standard, 1 1/4 is what most people mean by a normal joint, and king size is roughly double that. Buying king size out of habit is where most of the waste in this category comes from, and it is a large part of why cones sell as well as they do. A cone is a pre-rolled paper you only have to fill, which takes the skill out of it entirely.
Papers sort by material first and by size second:
A grinder is what makes any of these roll evenly, and weed grinders is that page. Glass pipes and bowls is the same flower with nothing to roll, stash jars and bags keeps it fresh in between, and the trays and tools are in smoking accessories. All of it together is the 420 shop.
If you are learning to roll: wood pulp, in 1 1/4. Thick enough to handle without tearing, and cheap enough that ruining a few costs nothing.
If the paper taste bothers you: rice, or a thin hemp. Less material means less to taste, and it shows up most in the first third.
If rolling is the part you dislike: cones. Fill, tap, twist. They cost more per unit and they remove the skill from the equation, which for most people is worth it.
On size: 1 1/4 for one or two people, king size for a group. A king size smoked alone is usually a king size half wasted.
On tips: worth it every time. A tip holds the end open, keeps the mouthpiece dry, and gets you the last of it instead of the last of it getting your fingers.
On storage: papers go stale. Keep them in the pack and away from humidity. A bag from stash jars and bags keeps the papers and the flower in the same place, which is the only reliable way to have both when you want them.
