RAW Cones vs Rolling Papers

If you’ve been in the cannabis world for more than a minute, then you’ve probably smoked your fair share of joints. But have you ever rolled your own, or stopped to think about the material you use for rolling? Believe it or not, the material you use to wrap your weed has a strong influence on your smoking session. From ease of rolling to burn rate, what you choose for your j-bones can have a big impact. In this post we’ll break down the pros and cons of rolling papers and pre-rolled cones so you can make the best decision for your smoking needs. 

Rolling Papers

Tried and true, rolling papers are the quintessential stoner accessory. Special papers used to wrap dry herbs into joints, there are several different materials used to create rolling papers including wood pulp, hemp, and rice paper. 

What you use to roll joints has an impact on how quickly or slowly your joint will burn and how quickly you can roll them up. This is important because the last thing you want is to waste your weed. There’s nothing fun about watching your stash burn up between puffs. The best rolling papers are ones that will be easy to roll into a joint and slow to burn. Here are some benefits and drawbacks of rolling papers.

Pros of Rolling Papers

Cheap aka Cost-Effective

One of the best things about rolling papers is that they’re inexpensive and readily available. Rolling papers are less expensive than pre-roll cones because you do the work yourself, making them a cost-effective way to roll a joint. This is important if you’re new to the rolling game, as you may waste some papers as you attempt to roll the perfect joint or just a joint that doesn’t fall apart. 

Easy to Find 

Convenience is another factor that gives rolling papers a leg up on pre-rolled cones. Rolling papers are easy to find. You can purchase rolling papers in most smoke shops and some convenience stores which is perfect when you’re in a pinch. Pre-rolls aren’t as commonly available at convenience stores and you’ll probably have to hit up a smoke shop to find them.

Customizable

When you’re rolling joints using papers instead of cones, you’re the one in control of the size of what you’re smoking. Unlike pre-rolled cones which are a certain length and width, with rolling papers you can decide how much you want to put into your handiwork. Additionally, there is a multitude of different media for rolling papers—wood, hemp, and rice papers are among the most common. 

Cons of Rolling Papers

Not Beginner-Friendly 

If you’ve ever tried to roll your own joints, you undoubtedly struggled with those first few. Rolling joints with papers can be challenging, more so if you’re attempting to roll a joint while you’re already high.

As mentioned, the most common materials for rolling papers are wood pulps, hemp, and rice papers. Wood pulp and hemp papers are the thickest and most beginner-friendly, but also burn the fastest—something to consider if you’re new to the game. Rice papers are the thinnest papers and burn the slowest, making them more suitable for expert level rollers. So, if you’re a rolling noob, then you’ll be best served with a thicker paper that will burn faster. 

Time Consuming

Rolling a joint with rolling papers can be time consuming. The act of uniformly rolling up your weed with a flimsy paper makes this an activity that shouldn’t be done on the fly. Rolling just one joint can take up a decent amount of time that could be used smoking. Nevermind if you want to roll more than one joint—you might be rolling for hours!

Pre-Rolled Cones

If a root canal sounds like more fun than wrangling your weed into a joint with rolling papers, then pre-rolled cones will be a good option for you. As the name suggests, these are cones made from rolling papers that are already rolled to make things easy for you. 

Pros of Pre-Rolled Cones

Good for Beginners

Convenience is the biggest benefit of pre-rolled cones. Since these cones are ready to use, all you have to do is grind up your flower and fill the cone. These are perfect for beginners or for someone who wants to smoke a joint but doesn’t want to spend hours of frustration learning a new skill. These cones will be uniform in size and ready to smoke as soon as they’re filled.

Time Efficient

If you’re looking to roll a big batch of joints at once, then pre-rolls are an efficient way to get it done. Each pre-roll takes just a couple minutes to fill versus the struggle of rolling papers. 

Novelty Item

Pre-rolls can also be a novelty item. What’s so novel about a pre-rolled cone? How about a 12” or 24” j-bone? Yup! Pre-rolled cones come in different sizes so if you’re looking to smoke an absurdly long joint, pre-rolls are calling your name.

Cons of Pre-Rolled Cones

Uniform Size and Shape

Uniform sizing is a benefit of cones but can also be a drawback if you want to be able to customize your joint. Pre-rolls aren’t the best option if you want to roll a big fatty or a long and skinny j-bone. 

Expensive

Like anything in life, convenience has a price and pre-rolled cones are not excluded. Since pre-rolls are manufactured, they’re more expensive because the work has already been done for you. If you don’t mind spending a bit more money so that you don’t have to roll a joint yourself, then pre-rolls may be best for you.

Crushable

Unlike rolling papers that are flat and packaged the same, pre-rolled cones are conical in shape. Their packaging protects them from being crushed while handling, but that doesn’t mean that they’re uncrushable. If your pre-rolls are out of the tube, they can be easily crushed and destroyed. 

So there you have it, the benefits of both rolling papers and pre-rolls. The good news is that you don’t have to choose one over the other—many stoners keep both in their arsenal because you never know which mood will strike.