Learn How To Roll A Blunt In 7 Brazen Steps
How to roll a blunt – Where does the name of blunt come from?
It comes from a mythical American cigarette company called Phillies Blunt; from Philadelphia, they started marketing uniquely-sized cigarettes: gradually, the name of blunt got popular in the 80s – any cheap, simple, fast marijuana joint.
How to roll a blunt – What is a blunt?
A blunt is to a joint what a cigar is to a cigarette. Or more simply, it is a cigar that has been emptied of its loose-leaf tobacco and filled with cannabis. While not quite as iconic as the standard joint, the cultural significance of the blunt cannot be ignored.
Many prefer the added buzz created by the mix of cannabis and its tobacco wrap, while others appreciate the variety of flavors available in a lot of cigarillos and blunt wraps.
Rolling a blunt has its own issues, as opposed to rolling a joint, so to help you roll up your own, we’ve prepared a simple guide to blunt rolling.
How to roll a blunt – Advantages of smoking a blunt
People tend to either love or hate blunts. The main complaint against them is they have tobacco and can make for a harsh smoke.
Some reasons people prefer blunts are:
- Heightened effects: the tobacco adds a buzziness and energy to your high
- Flavor and aroma: some people love the smell of a burning blunt, especially if you use a nice cigar or a flavored blunt wrap
- Portable: like joints, you can take a blunt anywhere
- Slow burn: Blunts burn slower than joints, so they last a lot longer in your smoking circle
How to roll a blunt – Get your materials for rolling a blunt
Start by gathering the necessary supplies:
- Cannabis strain of choice
- Cigar, cigarillo, or blunt wrap
- Grinder and blade are optional, but may be helpful for those new to rolling
Any cigar or cigarillo will do, but we recommend one that isn’t completely dried out, as it’ll break easier and be harder to roll. These days you can usually find blunt wraps at any corner store, which are like one giant rolling paper made out of tobacco.
Common cigarillos you can find at most corner stores are:
- Swisher Sweets
- Black & Mild
- Phillies
- Dutch Masters
- White Owl
- Game
How to roll a blunt – How much weed should you put in a blunt?
Blunts are bigger than your average joint so you’ll need more weed. Typically, 1-2 grams should be enough for one blunt, but if you are using a big cigar, you may need more. Consider how many people will be in your smoking circle.
How to roll a blunt
Step 1: Grind your cannabis
Break down your cannabis into shake using a grinder or your hands. Using a grinder will help maintain an even burn, while using your hands is the more traditional method and is often preferred to help the blunt burn a little slower.
Step 2: Prep the blunt wrap
To roll your blunt you’ll need a tobacco wrap. Traditionally, connoisseurs will empty a cigarillo (like Swisher Sweets, Phillies, or Backwoods), but these days you can find empty wraps at the corner store.
Use a blade to cut the blunt lengthwise, or if you’ve got the right touch you can “crack” the blunt using your fingers.
Once you’ve split the blunt, empty the tobacco from the middle and discard (or if you like to smoke spliffs, save it for later).
Step 3: Wet the tobacco wrap
Using just a little bit of moisture will make your blunt wrap easier to work with, shape, and help seal up any small tears that might occur while you’re emptying its tobacco innards.
This is easily done with some saliva, but if you’re rolling this blunt for someone else, you might consider using the tip of your finger and some tap water.
Step 4: Fill it up
Fill the empty tobacco wrapping with ground cannabis. For a standard size cigarillo one to two grams is plenty, though if you’re sharing your blunt, are an experienced roller, or are using a blunt wrap, you should be able to fit a fair amount more.
Step 5: Roll the blunt wrap
Roll the cannabis between your fingers to pack the blunt evenly. Be careful: if you didn’t moisten the wrap enough, it may crack.
Once you’ve packed and shaped your blunt, tuck the wrap under itself and wet the inside of the exposed edge from end to end. Use your fingers to smooth out any wrinkles.
Pro Tip: If you poke a hole or if the blunt cracks while you’re working with it, you can use the gummy adhesive from a rolling paper to repair it.
Step 6-7: Bake the blunt and enjoy!
Now that your blunt is rolled, you’ll want to “bake” or dry it to help seal it together and encourage an even burn. Bake your blunt by running a lighter lengthwise under the seam and around the outside. Be careful not to hold the lighter too close—you only want the heat, not the flame.
Now that you’ve got your blunt rolled, all that’s left is to light the end and enjoy with some friends!
Let Tupac Teach You How To Roll A Blunt [Video]
Disadvantages of smoking a blunt
While I still and will always believe smoking flower is the best, I’m starting to feel less connected to smoking blunts—and I’m sad about it.
There are plenty of advantages and disadvantages to smoking blunts. For one, blunts are long-lasting because of the thickness and chemical makeup of the wrap. And that added pinch of tobaccky definitely adds a little umph to your high.
But overall, the disadvantages of primarily burning big blunts are starting to become more and more apparent to me.
The price of Swishers
While living in Texas, the price of a 2-pack of Swisher Sweets was a smooth $1.07. However, in Seattle, because of the tobacco tax, them thangs hit you for a cool $2.41. That may be a small number for a one-time buy, but when you smoke at least three times a day, every day, that expense can really kill a budget.
When Swishers start costing more than a theater box of Gobstoppers, it’s time to look at how we’re prioritizing our funds.
The amount of cannabis burned
When rolled properly, the average blunt will use about 0.782 grams of cannabis at the minimum. So if you cop an eighth from the local dispensary, chances are that eighth will be gone in about four blunts—or in a day or two, considering the rate at which I smoke.
That is such an inefficient way of stretching cannabis.
Sure, you can roll skimpy-ass blunts to preserve bud, time, and resources, but the stretching of a little bit of weed through a blunt makes the entire L taste like tobacco. That just brings about endless coughing fits and the thought of I should’ve just put this in a bowl. It’s a very unpleasant experience, especially for flavor chasers like ya boy.
It distorts the taste of your weed
Speaking of flavor: While I’ve always loved blunts, I never said they were the best method for properly tasting the full flavor of your weed. You’re going to taste the wrap when smoking blunts, especially if you’re using flavored wraps (please keep Grape Swishers all the way the fuck away from me).
At a certain point—especially as we learn more about terpenes and their role in aroma, flavor, and the effects of cannabis—it’s becoming more and more important for me to reeeealllllyyyy taste only my flower upon each inhale and exhale.
The tobacco
Last, and certainly not least, as I grow older, I’ve become more health-conscious (because age makes my body hurts). That means I have to be more selective with what I put into my body, especially when it comes to the smoke in my lungs.
Tobacco wraps are a minimal amount of tobacco (unlike spliffs), but they are still tobacco, which increases the risk of things like lung cancer and looking like you’re 49 at age 28.
Because of this, and every other reason above (especially THE PRICE OF SWISHERS), it may be time for me to walk away from my beloved big boy blunts.
And I’m sad about it.
But with that being said. there is a common ground thanks to raw.
Final Hit: Blunts Bad For Your Health
Unfortunately, there isn’t much existing research on blunt users specifically. However, that’s going to change soon when the University of Cincinnati begins its research on young African American blunt use. If health is your main concern, consider switching from blunts to joints, or an even safer method of inhalation like vaporizing. Also, make sure you’re smoking or growing organic weed to ensure your habit is as safe as can be.
On the other hand, continuously smoking tobacco along with your weed may lead to some consequences somewhere down the line. That’s why people like Rick Ross, who used to smoke ten blunts in one sitting, now prefers a joint.