Rolling paper, flower containers and pre-rolled packs on display at the Garden State Dispensary in Woodbridge on Wednesday, June 15, 2022John Jones | For NJ Advance Medi

Joints, jays, doobies, spliffs and “whiteboys.” These are all familiar names used to describe loose-ground cannabis flower sealed up in a sheet of rolling paper.

We all know that smoking is bad for you — no matter what you are smoking or smoking out of — but if you find yourself curious enough to try rolling and sparking some weed, the choice of rolling papers seems to be a never ending list of options.

In this installment by your favorite cannabis consumer reporter, I’ll cover the basics you should know about sheets.

The ritual of smoking is deeply personal. A smoker’s choice of rolling papers can curate their experience. While there are plenty of choices in pre-rolled joints of many sizes, grinding the dried flowers and personally rolling a joint can be a meditative experience. For stoners (a nickname for heavy smokers), it can be an essential part of fully enjoying their consumption experience.

Thickness, length, material, flavor and style all play factors in a smoker’s choice of sheets. Frequent smokers know that the key to a pleasant experience is a thin sheet that will burn evenly and slowly, producing the least amount of ash and requiring less relighting.

The most popular rolling papers are one-and-a-quarter-inch long, the perfect size for personal doobies.

Some additional names you may see on the cardboard packs of rolling sheets to define theri size are single-wide, double-wide, king, and king slim.

For those that prefer to have an extended smoking session or may be sharing with a friend or two, king-size sheets are a better option. These begin at an inch and a half but can be as long as a meter for social gatherings or consumable weed art pieces.

In addition to length, consumers also have options when it comes to thickness. Thickness matters — when you’re a beginner at rolling your own spliffs, thicker sheets are easier to handle without ripping.

Also, when smoking a joint, it’s important to remember that you are consuming the weed and the sheet itself. Some frequent smokers prefer to have a thinner sheet to cut back on consuming extra material.

I ordered these ultraslim (the thinnest kind) king-size hemp sheets by the Raw Brand in bulk from Amazon, but these are slippery and need good rolling technique to avoid tears and holes.

Some rolling sheet brands like Raw have a variety of weed accessories to help with the rolling process, including joint rolling machines of varying sizes for different lengths of papers. Raw is the most popular brand because it is cheap and can be found in almost any smoke or cigar shop.

The first company known to commercially produce paper specifically for smoking was the Lacroix Rolling Paper company formed in 1660. Before this, European settlers were using newspapers to roll and smoke tobacco and many soldiers were known for traveling with homemade sheets.

For over 100 years now rolling papers have been available in multiple materials. They could be pressed, cut and dried like regular paper from wood pulp, rice, flax, bamboo, hemp or other plant fibers. These are either bleached to make them whiter in color or left unbleached.

In our current times there has been an uptick in the creation of novelty sheets made from 24K gold, rose petals, and other more exotic plant cellulose.

Plant fibers like flax, rice, and hemp are known for imparting as little additional flavor and smoke as possible with the cleanest burn.

Zig-Zag brand released a new line of pre-rolled cones made from rose petals.

Some people are purists and choose papers based on how likely they are to interfere with the natural aroma and flavor of the cannabis itself. Others can prefer to be trendy and stylish, opting for sheets with fruit or candy flavors added for fun. This can mean you’re inhaling those flavor additives as well, so be sure to choose brands that use only natural ingredients.

Recently, the Zig-Zag brand released their new terpene cones and rose cones made from rose petals (sheets that have been pre-fashioned into ready-to-stuff cylinders). Terpene cones come in different profiles meant to complement and enhance the aroma of the cannabis within.

Raw, Zig-Zag, and many other rolling paper brands have developed product lines that transcend their weed reputations and have become lifestyle brands. Car floor mats, hoodies, sandals, duffel bags and even ugly Christmas sweaters allow weed enthusiasts of all preferred forms of consumption to identify openly with cannabis culture.

Some brands focus on style with beautifully printed sheets including artful designs. Some can be camouflage, animal print, or even fashioned to look like real hundred dollar bills.

Papers + Ink and Scratch Nails collaborated on a line of printed sheets and matching nail wraps.

The brand Papers & Ink offers patterned rolling papers and partnered with Scratch Nails to produce matching nail wraps for consumers that want to take their style up a notch.

Have a question about consuming weed? Ask me anything.

RELATED STORIES ABOUT LEGAL WEED IN N.J.:

Where can I buy legal weed in N.J.?

Sativa, indica, hybrid? Our guide to choosing the right strain of weed for you.

What do weed and cinnamon have in common? Way more than you think.

Cannabis 101: Why grinders are useful before smoking weed.

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Gabby Warren is NJ.com’s Cannabis Life reporter. She’ll be covering all things weed retail, commerce and culture. Send your weed consumer questions to gwarren@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @divix3nation.

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