How to Roll Blunts

The name was born from Phillies Blunt cigars, which combined cannabis, nicotine and tobacco and was a particularly popular brand among smokers in the 1980s—although the concept of a blunt seems to stretch back as far as the 19th-century Caribbean. Harsh, toasty, and flavorful, the modern blunt elevates the standard smoking experience, allowing consumers to feel like they’re engaging in a supercharged version of their favorite high-THC strains. 

This piece is all about learning how to roll a blunt—a somewhat complex but rewarding endeavor for you to master.

What is a blunt?

A blunt is basically a joint with a tobacco leaf used as a wrap instead of traditional joint-rolling paper. While one consumer might love blunts for their extra buzziness, another might avoid them for that very reason. Nicotine certainly isn’t desirable for everyone, and although tobacco leaves are packed with delicious flavor and aroma to some, they’re a non-starter for others. 

With consumer health in mind, an increasing number of brands are opting for alternatives that still feel like slower-burning tobacco wraps even though they’re created from cannabis leaves, banana leaves, roses, and hemp.

Blunt wraps

There are plenty of factors to consider when it comes to knowing how to roll a blunt, but the most important one is your wrap of choice from the smoke shop. Rolling the perfect blunt begins with the perfect paper, or at least whatever is most conducive to successfully handling ground cannabis. 

We’ve outlined some of the most popular options on the market to help you establish some personal preferences:

Phillies

Let’s start with the origin story brand: Phillies, which are still particularly popular for consumers in the northeastern region of the U.S.

Zig Zags

Zig Zags use exclusive tobacco leaves from the northern Philippines, allowing for fresh and explosive flavor that feels otherworldly. 

Dutch Masters

Dutch Masters or “Dutchies” are another popular option. Their distinctive packaging makes them easily recognizable, and their high-quality slow burn renders them unforgettable. 

Backwoods

Perhaps the most controversial option on the market, you either swear by Backwoods or swear to avoid their distinctive flavor for life. An all-natural brand of tobacco wraps, Backwoods are undeniably smooth to smoke on, but many consumers find them unreasonably difficult to wrap.

White Owl

White Owls are on the smaller side—great for consumers who love a good blunt buzz but despise the general size of these behemoths. 

Swisher Sweets

Swisher Sweets are sort of the Kleenex of the category; all blunts aren’t Swishers, but industry preference has been widespread enough to establish “swisher” as a universally-recognized synonym for “blunt.”

Natural options

As we mentioned earlier, consumers who love the size and smoothness of a blunt without nicotine might prefer flower petals or cannabis or hemp leaves on their rolling tray.  

How to roll a perfect blunt

If you’re searching for blunt roll how to then you’ve come to the right place. Make sure you’ve chosen a proper wrap and familiarize yourself with its unique mechanisms, tips, and tricks. Once you have a solid understanding of the medium you’re working with, you’re ready to roll. 

Step one: Grind your weed

This is pretty self-explanatory—just make sure you’re grinding up between 1-2 grams of weed, depending on how big you want your blunt to be. 

Step two: Prepare your wrap

Next, it’s time to break down your blunt wrap—unless you bought wraps that are already tobacco-less. Use a razorblade to split the cigar or cigarillo straight down the middle; then, carefully break it apart until the tobacco is ready to fall out in a peaty little pile. 

Step three: Moisten your wrap

Wraps tend to be crisp and dry, but for a successful cannabis-infused toke, you’re going to need some moisture. Accomplish this easily by getting your hand wet and running your fingers across the wrap. Be gentle, lest it tear. Finally, shape the flattened wrap into a V shape.

Step four: Load the wrap

Hold the V-ed wrap in one hand, using the other to gently sprinkle your ground flower like you’re filling a ditch. You can add tobacco into the mix if you’d like, or even bits of lavender or rose for a relaxing effect. On the other hand, you can supercharge your creation with some kief or oil. 

Step five: Roll it

The best part! Start by squeezing and rolling the blunt between your two fingers, similar to a joint. This helps pack your loose flower in so it keeps a solid shape. From there, tuck the wrap’s bottom over and behind the flower so you can roll the blunt into a cylinder. The moisture you carefully added should keep it together once it’s folded, but you may need to remoisten the top edge a bit to really lock it in.

How to use a blunt roller

Streamline smoking with a roller, which will help you achieve a clean and even wrap. 

To do this, you’ll grind up your flower and prepare the wrap by lining it up on the roller, ensuring it’s straight and centered. Fill your wrap with flower as usual. Then, close the roller and start rolling it back and forth between your fingers. Apply even pressure as you roll, which will help you compact the cannabis and shape the blunt. 

Continue rolling until the wrap has completely wrapped around the cannabis. Now, you’re ready to partake!

Frequently asked questions 

What’s the difference between a blunt and a joint?

The difference between blunts and joints or pre-rolls lies in the rolling papers. While blunt wraps contain tobacco, offering a bonus buzz to the consumer, a rolled joint contains nothing but cannabis products—either plain old flower, or a choice combination of flower, kief, and/or oil. 

Are blunts harder to roll than joints?

That depends entirely on who you ask. One consumer might prefer rolling joints, while another swears by the power of their blunt paper. The general consensus seems to agree that blunts are thicker, harder to roll, and more susceptible to moisture damage—still, some connoisseurs opt for regularly facing the challenge.

Why is there a straw in blunt wraps?

Oh, you mean the “blunt splitter”? 

This thin piece of plastic or wood is there to help you split open the cigar or cigarillo you’re working with so you can fill it up with cannabis. The splitter is especially helpful if you’re not used to rolling blunts; tobacco leaf wraps can be somewhat easy to damage if you’re not familiar with their mechanism. 

Is there nicotine in a blunt wrapper?

Yes. While the tobacco inside the cigar or cigarillo is removed and replaced with weed, the tobacco leaves still contain nicotine. Smoking blunts is not recommended for people avoiding nicotine or tobacco products.

Is a backwoods a blunt?

By design? No. But by cannabis community practice? Absolutely. Backwoods is one of the most popular brands consumers turn to for rolling blunts. However, just like the ongoing joint versus blunt debate: for every consumer who swears by Backwoods, the next guy hates them. It’s a bit of a wrapshoot.