Spliff vs. Joint: How Are They Different?

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Are “spliff” and “joint” the same thing? Even experienced cannabis consumers might think that these terms are interchangeable. Here’s what everyone needs to know about joints and spliffs and how they’re different.

Smoking a Spliff vs Smoking a Joint: The Difference

If you’ve been around a lit joint a few times in your life, it’s highly likely you’ve heard those enjoying it use a variety of terms for it. It’s also probable that you’ve heard someone refer to a joint as a “spliff”. 

But when can you really call a joint a spliff? Here’s the difference between joints vs spliffs.

What is a Joint?

Joints are a popular way to smoke weed – so much so that taking a hit of a joint is often the way most people try cannabis for the first time. “Joint” refers to weed rolled into a small, thin paper. 

A joint is rolled cannabis without any additives. Joints, which look like cigarettes, are a way to consume cannabis by lighting the end and smoking it. They are easy to roll and convenient for passing around.

Joints are known by many other names. Some everyday slang for joints includes stick, doobie, puffer, fatty, pinner, and many more. 

Terms like fatty and pinner often refer to the size or circumference of the rolled joint. Other slang terms like doobie are less obvious, but it’s believed by some that the word comes from Shaggy’s dopey dog pal, Scooby Doo.

What is a Spliff?

Unlike a joint that features solely weed, a spliff can include some extra additives. Both joints and spliffs use rolling papers. Though they look similar to joints, spliffs are something different.

The term spliff refers to “splitting the difference” between cannabis and other materials. Spliffs commonly contain a blend of weed and tobacco. A typical joint will be rolled flower or hash mixed with ground tobacco. 

Spliffs are good for those who smoke both tobacco and cannabis, as rolling a spliff can help save on cannabis product – making them slightly more cost-efficient than regular joints. The downside is that you’re also inhaling the harmful chemicals found in tobacco cigarettes.

Rolling a spliff with two hands. The rolling paper is filled with ground weed and tobacco for ease of smoking. Two hands carefully hold the spliff on each end.

Getting High With Spliffs and Joints: Which is Better?

Pound for pound, a regular joint will win in a contest of potency. Since spliffs contain a partial amount of tobacco supplementing weed, they will include less psychoactive or therapeutic properties than a joint of the same size.

That said, weed with higher potency in smaller quantities can be just as effective.

For those concerned about health and keeping it natural, adding tobacco from store-bought cigarettes might not be the way to go. Cigarettes purchased from regular convenience stores typically contain over 7,000 chemicals, with at least 250 of them being harmful to the body. 

Where to Buy Joints and Weed Online

Whether you prefer joints with just weed or adding a little something extra, you can get everything you need online. From flower to papers and accessories, here’s what you need to enjoy a joint or spliff at home.

Flower

If you want to roll at a joint at home, the first thing you need is some quality flower. Your desired experience will dictate the type of cannabis product or flower you should choose. Whether it’s indica-dominant, sativa-dominant, hybrids, or organic craft cannabis brands, here are a few flowers worth trying.

Rolling papers

Rolling papers are thin, rectangular papers used to roll joints. They are usually made out of an organic, slow-burning material such as rice straw, flax, or hemp. Most online dispensaries offer a range of rolling paper options. However, they are also usually readily available at any gas station or convenience store.

Rolling tray

Various household objects be used as a rolling surface. However, it’s always nice to have a specific rolling tray that you can use for making your joints. A specific tray or surface for rolling is important so that any excess bud or shake can be saved and returned to the container for future use.

Filters

Filter tips are used in rolled joints. Also known as a crutch, the filter tip is added to improve the overall experience of smoking a joint or spliff. The filter, added to the end of the joint, serves to keep the mouthpiece open, keeps it straight, and adds support to the thin paper.

Pre-rolled joints

Pre-rolls are a convenient and increasingly popular pick for cannabis users shopping online. Pre-rolled joints are a ready-to-smoke way to enjoy any strain of weed. Dispensaries carry pre-rolled joints in different strains.

 

More Ways to Smoke Cannabis

Besides spliffs and joints, there are plenty of other interesting and fun ways to experience smoking cannabis. Here are a few different ways to smoke weed.

BluntsAfrican-American man holding the end of a joint with three fingers passing it to a Caucasian man who is grabbing onto it with index finger and thumb.

Closely related to joints and spliffs are blunts. Blunts are weed rolled using an empty cigarette or cigar paper. These papers are traditionally made from tobacco leaves, but you’ll often see “blunts” rolled with regular cannabis rolling papers, as well.

When it comes to comparing a blunt vs joints, they are similar other than the historical connotations connected to blunts. Blunts may also contain tobacco, like spliffs, and have a different experience given the tobacco leaves used for rolling.

Pipes

Weed pipes, also known as “spoons” because of their shape, are a common and convenient way to smoke weed. Pipes are usually made out of glass, but you can also find pipes made of wood, metal, and ceramic. 

Cannabis is smoked through a pipe by packing the “bowl” end with your flower, lighting it, and drawing it through the chamber into the mouthpiece.

Bongs

Re-popularized by counter-culture movements of the 1970s, bongs are a fun, albeit relatively inconvenient method for smoking weed. The device is packed with cannabis flower, similar to a weed pipe. Consumers can then light the weed and inhale through the mouthpiece.

Vapes

Vape pens are another popular method for smoking cannabis. The convenient device is about the size of a pen, making it a popular option for stoners. Vapes work by heating the flower to about 160 to 220 degrees Celsius. This activates the cannabinoids in the product so you can inhale the vapour. 

Vape pens are available in a variety of strains and flavours, with someone for everyone.

Spliffs and Joints FAQ

Still want to know more about smoking spliffs, joints, and blunts? Here are some commonly asked questions about the difference between joints and spliffs.

How much nicotine is in a blunt?

Blunts made using cigar wrappers contain around 1.2 to 6.0 mg of nicotine. This means that blunts rolled in cigar papers will contain a relative amount of nicotine, even if no tobacco is added to the joint.

What does tobacco do to your body?

Smoking tobacco has a wide range of negative effects on the human body. Ingesting the long list of harmful chemicals found in tobacco can lead to a variety of health conditions and diseases. Smoking tobacco is known to lead to conditions such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung disease, diabetes, and more.

What is a sploof?

When smoking weed, you might not want the distinct cannabis smell wafting through the house. That’s where sploofs can come in handy. 

Traditionally, these odour-reducing devices are pieced together by covering a toiler paper roll in a dryer sheet and smoking your joint or spliff through the cylinder’s opening. The sheet filters the scent to a certain degree, keeping your sesh discreet.

Why is it called a blunt?

In contrast to thin joints made with rolling papers, blunts typically take a wider, thicker format when rolled in cigar papers. However, this isn’t actually where they got the name “blunt”.

The term blunt comes from the Philadelphia brand of cigars, Phillies Blunt cigars. These cigars were commonly available as an inexpensive option for cigar smokers and those wishing to use the papers to roll cannabis.

The Difference Between Joint and Spliff

While some stoners continue to use the terms joint and spliff interchangeably, you now know the difference! Aren’t you the cannabis connoisseur

While you might still hear all the terms for rolled weed used, it’s useful knowledge the know the difference between a joint and a spliff – as well as the difference between a joint and a blunt. Now, the only question is, which one will you choose?

Sources:

https://www.leafly.ca/news/lifestyle/whats-your-favorite-slang-word-for-a-joint 

https://weedmaps.com/learn/products-and-how-to-consume/spliff-vs-joint 

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/tobacco/cessation-fact-sheet 

https://www.leafly.ca/learn/consume/smoke/how-to-pack-and-smoke-bowl-cannabis 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376871616309048#:~:text=We%20quantified%20the%20nicotine%20content,cigars%20used%20for%20blunt%20smoking.&text=Total%20nicotine%20content%20in%20the,to%206.0%20mg%20per%20cigar.&text=Users%20of%20blunts%20may%20be,the%20addictive%20component%20of%20tobacco

https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/health_effects/index.htm#:~:text=Smoking%20causes%20cancer%2C%20heart%20disease,immune%20system%2C%20including%20rheumatoid%20arthritis

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blunt_(cannabis)#:~:text=The%20practice%20originated%20in%20cities,depending%20on%20suitability%20and%20availability

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