Wood vs Hemp vs Rice - What’s The Best Rolling Paper Material ?

If you like to roll your joints, as many cannabis connoisseurs around the world do, you'll need to buy your rolling papers. However, with multiple materials to choose from, like rice, hemp, and wood, it can be difficult to know which one is best.

In this guide, we’ll take a look at wood, hemp, and rice rolling papers, comparing each material and highlighting some of the key pros and cons. We’ll also go over some key factors you should consider when choosing rolling papers of your own.

Rice Rolling Paper

Let's kick things off with a look at rice rolling papers. One of the first things to note about rice paper is that it's really thin. It can almost feel like there's nothing between your fingers at all when you handle a sheet of rice rolling paper.

What does this mean for joints? Well, the thin nature of rice paper means that they have no real taste or aroma, so you'll get nothing but pure weed in every inhale, without any little extras or subtle notes from the paper itself.

Not only that, but rice rolling paper is quite slow to burn, so it can help you enjoy longer-lasting joints. On the downside, due to its thinness and fragility, rice paper is really difficult to work with and best suited for skilled and experienced cannabis connoisseurs.

 

Hemp Rolling Paper 

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Next, let's talk hemp. Hemp rolling paper is a really popular choice, especially for those who are new to the world of joints and spliffs. Why? Well, it's really easy to work with, and it's made from hemp plants, so it's just more marijuana to wrap around your marijuana.

Hemp paper is eco-friendly, as hemp plants can be grown at an industrial scale quite easily, and hemp paper is non-bleached, so there aren't any extra chemicals in it for you to worry about. Plus, hemp is durable and flexible, so it’s very easy to work with.

Hemp rolling papers have a slight flavour, too, which can enhance the aroma and taste of your favourite weed strains. They also burn a little faster than rice paper but not as quickly as wood pulp paper.

 

Wood Rolling Paper

Lastly, let’s discuss wood or wood pulp rolling paper. Wood papers are the de facto choice for most people when it comes to how to consume cannabis in joint form, and they’re really easy to find in any local cannabis store.

For many years, people have been relying on wood pulp papers, and the thickness of these papers is one of their most significant benefits. They're arguably the easiest type of paper to roll, so even total beginners won't have to worry about tearing or wasting the paper when preparing a joint.

But what about taste? Well, one of the key factors of wood pulp paper is that it does have quite a distinctive taste. Some people like this, but others find it distracting. In addition, the wood pulp can burn quite fast, and there are some low-quality papers out there that are bleached or treated with chemicals, making them less eco-friendly and potentially riskier than other options.

 

What’s The Best Rolling Paper Material?

So, which material is best if you want to roll a blunt or joint? Well, that will all depend on your personal preference, as each material has its pros and cons. A lot of people like the thin and subtle nature of rice paper, for example, but others prefer the reliability of wood.

In general, hemp paper might be the best for most people, as it offers a nice compromise in terms of ease of use and aroma; these papers aren’t too tricky to work with, and they won’t affect your weed flavour too much. Plus, they’re eco-friendly so it’s the best of both worlds.

What to Know Before You Buy a Rolling Paper

Before you buy any rolling papers of your own, it's important to carry out some research and know the basics of the various types and materials available to you. Once you know what each material has to offer, it should be easier for you to make an appropriate decision and find the right kind of paper to match your experience level and personal tastes.

 

What to Look for in a High-Quality Rolling Paper

There are lots of rolling papers out there, and they're not all the same! Each one is different and can have a real, noticeable impact on your smoking experiences. As well as considering different paper materials, you should also focus on these key factors:

Flavour 

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Think carefully about the flavour of each paper you use. Some types have no flavour whatsoever, but others will impact the smell and taste of your joints. There are even specially flavoured rolling papers that have spicy or fruity flavours specially added in.

 

Sizes

You should also consider the size. Naturally, bigger papers will be useful for making larger and longer joints, but they can also cost more. In general, single-wide papers are the size of a cigarette, while double-wide papers can hold twice as much weed as singles. 1 and 1/4 papers are a nice compromise, making joints that are a bit bigger than cigarettes.

 

Other Types of Rolling Papers

As well as rice, hemp, and wood, there are several other rolling paper types and materials you might hear about, including:

• Gold - Gold rolling papers are technically just hemp papers with gold leaves on them. The gold doesn't affect your smoking experience and is purely for aesthetic benefit so you can look extra fancy.
• Esparto - These rolling papers are made from a natural grass called esparto, and they usually contain a small percentage of wood pulp, too. These papers aren't recommended due to the presence of carcinogenic compounds.
• Flax - Flax papers feel super soft and silky to the touch and are easy to roll. They're also pretty slow to burn and have no serious flavour or aroma, so they're a nice alternative to rice or hemp.

 

Conclusion

When rolling and smoking a joint, it’s not only the weed itself that matters but the paper too! This is a key lesson that every cannabis enthusiast needs to learn, and we hope that this guide has helped you understand the basics of common rolling paper types. Be sure to try a few different options to find your favourite style of paper.

However, we still want to remind you that smoking anything with any kind of material has some bad effects on your health, even if the material is eco-friendly or natural. So before doing anything, we recommend you consult a health professional. 

 

*This article is not to be interpreted as a statement of any form by Spliff but merely a compendium of information compiled from other sources. These statements have not been evaluated by Health Canada, FDA or any other regulatory body. Consult your doctor before ingesting or smoking any herbal product.*