There is some crazy lingo that circulates cannabis culture but knowing the specifics can be a tell-all whether you’re a seasoned vet or a newbie. Just as you look at your parents with a raised eyebrow when they refer to smoking weed as “doing dope,” you may be looked at the same way if you refer to a blunt as a joint or vice versa.
While they are similar in that they are both a way to consume marijuana, they do differ in ways that are crucial to know. You may be thinking, well, are they not both marijuana wrapped up in preparation to be smoked? Does it really matter if I call it the wrong name? You’re not wrong… but would you call a desktop computer a laptop? They do the same things, but several determining factors make them different.
If you’re new to the marijuana community (and if so, welcome!), it’s important to get your verbiage right. But fear not! We are here at High There are ready to help you learn so that your cannabis confidence will be at an all-time high (hopefully just like you). So whether it’s your first smoking experience, or you’re just trying to google something to prove your friends wrong, look no further… we’ve got your cannabis knowledge covered.
Blunts vs Joints, the TL;DR
Overall, there aren’t too many differences between the two:
The most obvious difference between a blunt vs joint is the material of the wrap, which then affects the color, size, and flavor.
Blunts and joints both contain strictly marijuana and function the same way. Blunts are usually bigger since they can be easier to pack full if you use an emptied-out cigar wrap and fill it with weed. Other than that, they’re pretty similar since they are both methods for smoking weed, and it does not depend on what strain you choose to smoke.
What is a Joint?
A joint is probably one of the most popular ways to smoke marijuana. They are small, cigarette-sized rolls that can contain any strain of cannabis. You can either buy your own weed, rolling papers, and filters to make them yourself, or you can purchase pre-rolls that are ready to smoke. Of course, you will also need your own grinder to break up the marijuana to place in the rolling paper if you
.Inside
The contents that make up a joint are strictly marijuana. Joints can contain any strain of marijuana you prefer, whether it’s
. The important information here is that it is only cannabis that makes up the contents of a joint. One other important part of a joint is the crutch.A crutch (sometimes called a filter) is often used in a joint to add support. If a joint does not have a filter, it can be flimsy and difficult to smoke. Using a crutch in the mouthpiece of a joint will make it easier to smoke more of the joint without burning your fingertips or lips.
Rolling Papers
The exterior is what makes up the biggest differences between blunts vs joints. A joint is always going to be wrapped with some sort of rolling paper. These papers can be whatever materials you prefer to use, like rice paper, cigarette papers, or hemp wraps.
Rolling papers can vary in thickness, flavor, burn time, and malleability (which will affect their ability to roll easily or not). If you aren’t an expert at rolling joints, you can buy pre-rolls that are already perfectly wrapped to save you more time and convenience.
Size
The size of a joint can vary depending on what size of rolling papers you get. There are different sizes of rolling papers on the market. These sizes include Single Wide, 1 1/4, 1 1/2, Double Wide, and King Size. The length of the papers ranges from 2.75″ to 4″ respectively. Not only do these papers differ in length but also the amount of marijuana they can fit inside. For the most part, joints will be around 3″ long and resemble the size of a standard cigarette.
Flavor
As mentioned before, some joint papers can be found with added flavor to them. But most will be flavorless so that you can fully indulge in the flavor of the cannabis strain you use to fill it. However,if you don’t enjoy the flavor of marijuana, there are always a wide variety of flavored papers available to choose from.
What is a Blunt?
Joints are easy enough to define, so what’s in a blunt?
Inside
A blunt does not differ from a joint in regards to what’s inside of it. Surprise, surprise. It’s still marijuana. An easy rule of thumb is that if it has exclusively marijuana inside it, it’s a joint or a blunt. Anything else mixed into it will be called something else and should be referred to as such.
You can use whatever strain of cannabis you fancy in a blunt. You have the option of an Indica, Sativa, or a hybrid. Typically you can fit more cannabis inside of a blunt due to the way you wrap it up.
Outside
The exterior of a blunt is what makes the difference to a joint. Blunts use tobacco paper to wrap the marijuana and seal it in. Blunts can also be made by cleaning out a cigar wrap and filling it with weed instead.
Cigar wraps are made from tobacco leaves, giving the blunts a dark brown color. Strictly by looking at a blunt, you should be able to determine what it is because of the color of the rolling paper. Blunts will resemble cigars, while joints will most likely appear white or grey.
Size
A blunt and a joint are fairly comparable in length and width. However, a blunt will vary in length, width, and girth depending on the cigar wrap used. There are some fairly large cigars out there in the world, so depending on which wrap you use, you could hit the jackpot and get a huge blunt.
That being said, most of them will appear to be around the size of a regular joint or cigar. People can typically fit more weed into a cigar wrap than regular rolling paper though, usually making them thicker.
Flavor
Using cigar paper gives the cannabis a more full and rich flavor. Another big surprise here, folks, it’s going to taste like tobacco — which is another determining factor from a blunt to a joint.
Other than that, the strain of marijuana that you choose to put in it will have an effect on the flavor as well. Since a blunt uses a cigar wrap, you may experience more of a buzz with your cannabis high due to the nicotine content.
Pro Tip – Spliffs
Congratulations on reading the article this far when you could have just google-imaged the difference between the two, yay for using your brain! As a bonus, we would like to mention another method of smoking cannabis: a spliff. All true cannabis enthusiasts will know the differences between these three products.
Just as we did for blunts and joints, we’ll break down what a spliff is by its interior, exterior, and flavor. Spliffs are less common in the United States due to less overall nicotine consumption than in other parts of the world. For example, places like Europe consume more tobacco. Therefore spliffs are more popular than regular joints or blunts.
Inside
Unlike joints and blunts, spliffs contain tobacco in them. This differs from a blunt because blunts only use a tobacco leaf wrap, whereas a spliff will contain marijuana and tobacco mixed together inside of the paper.
The ratio of tobacco to marijuana will depend on the preference of the user. It can be either mostly tobacco, with little marijuana, or vice versa. Either way, it would still classify as a spliff. A spliff would still contain a crutch because they are typically constructed the same way as a joint.
The effects of smoking a spliff will be a different experience than a regular joint or blunt. If you filled the spliff with more nicotine content, you can expect more of a nicotine buzz than cannabis high. If you have only put a small amount of tobacco, you will experience more of a typical marijuana high while still maintaining a nicotine buzz.
Outside
As mentioned before, spliffs are similar in construction to a joint. Meaning they can be rolled in different types of paper. It would be helpful to use a crutch in a spliff to add more support and protect your fingertips and mouth from burns.
Flavor
Due to the added tobacco to a spliff, people will experience a different flavor than a regular joint. The flavor will be stronger and richer because of the tobacco. If you choose to use a flavored rolling paper, this will change the flavor effects as well. Most people stay away from flavored wraps because they can conflict with the flavor of the cannabis and tobacco, lending a not-so-great flavor experience.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Is a blunt different than a joint?
Yes, a blunt is different than a joint. Blunts use tobacco leaf cigar wraps to hold the products inside, while joints use rolling papers.
Why Spliffs are better than joints?
Some people say that spliffs are better than joints because the added nicotine content can amplify the feeling of the marijuana high. If you are not into tobacco, you would disagree that spliffs are better than joints.
How much does it cost to fill up a joint?
The cost of a joint will vary depending on its size. On average, it costs around $7-$8/gram of cannabis. Most joints hold a maximum of 1g of marijuana. Making it less than $10 to fill a joint. This price may vary depending on if it comes pre-rolled or the strain of cannabis you choose.
What’s a spliff according to Urban Dictionary?
The
is as follows: A spliff is an old-school term originally referring to any joint where you might have to “split the difference” between tobacco and cannabis. It can be flower or hash that is mixed with tobacco.”