Cannabis rolling papers are thin sheets of plant fiber that hold ground cannabis in a hand-rolled joint. Dispensaries sell them at the register or on the accessory wall. A booklet of 32 to 50 sheets costs $2 to $5. The paper holds no cannabis, no THC, and no nicotine. You still show ID to buy the flower.
What the paper is made of
Paper starts as wood pulp, hemp, rice, flax, or bamboo. Mills press the fiber into sheets and add a thin gum strip along one edge. The gum is gum arabic or a plant starch. It keeps the roll shut after you wet it.
Common sizes
- 1 1/4: 78 mm by 44 mm. The size sold most in US shops. It holds about 0.5 g of ground flower.
- Single wide: 69 mm by 36 mm. Smaller roll, less paper.
- King size: 110 mm by 44 mm. Longer roll, about 1 g of flower.
- Cones: pre-rolled paper tubes. Sizes run 70 mm, 98 mm, and 109 mm. Packs of 3 to 6 cost $2 to $6.
Paper weight
Weight shows on the label in grams per square meter (g/m2). Thin papers run 13 to 14 g/m2. Standard papers run 20 to 25 g/m2. Thin paper burns fast and adds little taste. Heavy paper burns slow and covers the flavor of the flower.
Bleached and unbleached
White paper gets bleached with chlorine or a chlorine-free process. Brown paper skips the bleach step. Color is not a safety grade. Both types burn. Read the label for additives if taste matters to you.
Clear papers and other options
Cellulose papers look clear. They form from plant fiber and burn slower than wood pulp. Hemp papers burn slow. Rice papers burn fast and leave light ash.
Blunt wraps are a different product
Blunt wraps use a tobacco leaf or paper treated with tobacco extract. That adds nicotine. Federal law sets the minimum age for tobacco product sales at 21. Hemp wraps use hemp leaf and hold no nicotine. Check the label before you buy.
What a budtender can tell you
Ask about size, gum type, and weight. Ask which papers fit your grinder and your flower amount. Staff at a licensed shop know the stock and the price.
Accessories sold next to the papers
- Rolling tips and crutches: cardboard tubes, $1 to $3 for a pack.
- Rolling machines: plastic or metal, $3 to $20.
- Rolling trays: curved trays that catch loose flower, $5 to $25.
- Pre-rolls: machine-rolled joints, 0.5 g or 1 g, in single tubes or packs.
Price compare
A pre-roll costs $5 to $15 for 0.5 g to 1 g of flower. Loose flower costs less per gram, and a booklet of papers costs $2 to $5. One booklet covers many joints.
Store rules
Recreational shops check ID for age 21 and up in most legal states. Medical shops admit patients at 18 in some states. Papers are not cannabis, so they do not count toward a state THC purchase limit. Some shops take cash. Some take debit cards. Check the sign or ask at the counter.
Storage
Keep paper in the booklet. Air and damp make sheets curl and burn hot. Store flower in a sealed jar with a humidity pack. Grind what you plan to smoke.
Health facts
Smoked cannabis reaches the brain in minutes. THC effects peak at about 30 minutes. Cannabis smoke holds many of the same toxins and carcinogens as tobacco smoke. The FDA has not approved marijuana as a safe and effective drug for any indication.