Blunt, Joint, Spliff: What’s The Difference?

When it comes to enjoying cannabis, the sky’s the limit. Smoking, vaping, edibles, and more—there are many different ways to reach your ideal high. You may have heard people pass around the words blunt, joint, and spliff before, but what’s the real difference between these different types of cannabis consumption? Why are joints so popular, and are blunts really so different?

Joints remain a very popular way to consume weed because they’re small, portable, and easy to share with friends. While rolling is a skill that many cannabis consumers might eventually learn, novices can avoid the trouble by purchasing pre-rolled joints from their favorite dispensary or online retailer.

There are many different ways to roll weed, and that’s where blunts and spliffs come in. While they have their nuances, all of them are different ways to consume cannabis. What differentiates blunts, joints, and spliffs is how much cannabis and tobacco they have in them, and what material is used to roll them with.

Blunt, Joint, Spliff: What’s The Difference?

Okay, but what’s the actual difference between them? Joints and spliffs are rolled with rolling papers. Joints are filled with weed, and spliffs are a mix of tobacco and weed. Blunts aren’t rolled with rolling papers but instead are rolled using wraps made of tobacco. While the wrap is made with tobacco, the filling of a blunt is typically just weed.
What To Know About Joints

Joints are iconic. Even if you haven’t smoked cannabis before, there’s no doubt you’re aware of joints. You’ve seen friends pass them around or have watched television shows and films where characters take a hit. Joints are small, portable, and easy to use—you can take them wherever you need them and get the high you crave.

Joints are cannabis rolled up with thin rolling paper. Papers are traditionally white but novelty papers come in all sorts of colors and flavors. You can also find rolling papers in different sizes.

Rolling paper sizes can include:

• 1 ¼
• 1 ½
• Wide
• King
• Thin
• Ultra Thin
• Double Wide
• King Slim
• Specialty
• Flavored

Joint customization doesn’t end there. Rolling papers can come in a variety of flavors from fruity to decadent, such as chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, cookies & cream, and more. There are many different variants and styles so that you can find the right joint for you.

When joints are rolled they have a crutch—a filter—at the drawing end, allowing you to smoke the joint without burning your fingertips. Joints have been around for a long time and they have a very rich history within the cannabis industry.

What To Know About Spliffs

Like a joint, a spliff is made with rolling paper. The filling is a mixture of tobacco and cannabis, offering the joys of nicotine alongside the high of cannabis. While spliffs have more tobacco than a blunt, they’re also energetic because of the buzzy side effects of tobacco. Spliffs also have crutches like joints do, to keep you from burning your fingertips.

Spliffs are attractive because you can adjust the cannabis/tobacco ratio to suit your preference. Whether you want a little tobacco or a lot, you can find something that works for you. Many people enjoy their high this way and find that this balance can be optimal for many reasons.

What To Know About Blunts

Blunts are differentiated from joints and spliffs because they are cannabis rolled inside a blunt wrap or a cigar. The wraps themselves are made from tobacco, adding a small energetic buzz to your high. Since blunts don’t have tobacco in the actual mixture, they can add just enough nicotine to bring a little something without becoming overwhelming. They’re also bigger than joints and spliffs, traditionally, and they last longer.

Blunt wraps are sold at many corner stores, and they can come flavored. Many people also can use an empty cigar to make a blunt by re-using the wrapping. Cigarillos are a popular method for making blunts.

What Is The Difference Between Rolling Papers And Wrappers?

As you’ve learned, rolling papers actually define the smoking experience and change whether or not you enjoy your high. Everything comes down to size, material, and flavor—you’ll want the right material for what you intend to smoke, especially if you’re sharing with many people in your circle.

For blunts, the thicknesses can define the smoking experience. Thick papers burn slower than thin, but you might taste the paper more versus thins. King-sized papers are better for smoking in a group, but if you’re enjoying a blunt alone you’ll only need the smaller 1 ¼ or 1 ½ papers.

Rolling papers and blunt wraps can come flavored, but flavors might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Flavored papers can sometimes mess with the natural flavor of the cannabis you’re smoking, contrasting with the brand of weed. Some cannabis consumers might be loyalists to certain brands specifically due to the added flavors, and longtime blunt enjoyers may purchase the same papers over and over again.

Some consumers might choose rolling papers entirely based on their function and ease of use. High-quality papers have features such as tear prevention, easy sealing, better handling, and uniform burning. Your joint shouldn’t run and it should burn evenly throughout the length of the joint. If you’re rolling a joint for the first time you might want to ask one of your seasoned friends for help or look up some popular tips for rolling the best blunt.

Joint, Blunt, Or Spliff: Which One Is For Me?

Joints

There are positives and negatives with any rolling method and style, and it might come down to consumption. If you’re wondering whether you should smoke joints, blunts, or spliffs, you just have to ask yourself some simple questions.

Joints have been the cannabis mainstay for decades for many reasons. They’re small, portable, easy to smoke, great for sharing, and easy to save for later. They’re traditional—many cannabis consumers won’t think twice about sharing a joint with you, and they’re a simple way to get high. While you may need some experience to roll a great joint, you can easily buy pre-rolls and consume them alone or with friends. 

While joints are great, they aren’t discreet—anyone in your vicinity will be able to tell you’re smoking a joint. If you’re hoping to smoke in secret, or you want to keep your cannabis consumption on the down low, you might want to choose something different.

Spliffs

As stated above, spliffs are similar to joints but they have tobacco added. They carry similar pros and cons, such as being small and portable, and easy to smoke and share, but they also provide a more energetic buzz that many consumers might enjoy. They’re slightly more discreet than joints because of the nicotine smell, so you might be able to pass them off as traditional cigarettes depending on the setting.

As with cigarettes, smoking tobacco can be harmful to your health. Tobacco can also alter, mute, or ruin the taste of weed—if you have a specific strain you love, you might not be able to get the same tasting notes from it in a spliff. They also take the same amount of effort and practice to roll as joints, but pre-rolls are still an option.

Blunts

Blunts stand out from joints and blunts for many reasons. Blunts have diehard lovers and haters—many people only smoke blunts, or save them for special occasions. There are plenty of folks who might pass on a blunt even though they enjoy joints or spliffs; it’s important to understand the differences before lighting up.

As with joints and spliffs, blunts are portable, easy to use, perfect for sharing, and discreet (until lit). As with spliffs, blunts have the energetic buzz of tobacco and they come in a variety of flavors and styles. But also with spliffs, the inclusion of tobacco can mute the taste of tobacco, taste bad, or take some experience to roll and use. Also since they contain tobacco they can be bad for your health, so use them at your discretion.

Enjoy At Your Discretion

Whether joints, spliffs, or blunts are popular with your friends can vary by area and region, changing with the times and cannabis culture. Spliffs, for instance, are very popular in parts of Europe where joints are considered to be wasteful or unnecessary. Cannabis users in the Americas prefer joints to spliffs, mostly because of the dominant campaigns against the health effects of tobacco. 

While similar, it’s essential to know and understand the differences between blunts, joints, and spliffs to enjoy them at your leisure. An informed cannabis enjoyer can make better purchasing decisions.