Blunt or Joint: Which Is Better to Smoke?

In the world of cannabis, there are as many slang terms for the methods of smoking marijuana as there are regional nicknames of soda. Two of the most common forms of smoking marijuana take the form of the blunt or joint and are often considered synonyms.

It is easy to understand how a novice to smoking cannabis would think that, and generally there's no harm done in mixing the terms up when talking about them casually. In reality, while similar, there are a few key differences between the two that can drastically alter one's experience while smoking.

Now you may be wondering, are blunts or joints better? Read on for a quick lesson in the properties and pros and cons of both to decide for yourself.

The Properties of the Blunt

A blunt is a form of smokable with a deep connection to cigars and smoking discretely. The name derives from a famous American cigar brand, Phillies Blunt, and the role cigars played for pot smokers in large cities on the East coast of the United States.

A blunt is made by unrolling a cigar, removing the tobacco and replacing it with marijuana, and rerolling the paper. When lit both the residual tobacco on and inside the paper is ingested as well as the marijuana.

The Properties of the Joint

When people refer to smoking pot, as opposed to vaping it, chances are they will use the term "joint" to describe marijuana wrapped in paper. It's a popular term and will often serve as a catchall, but is its own standalone method of smoking.

The most basic joint is a small piece of thin edible paper, such as rice paper, wrapped around marijuana and sometimes has a stabilizing "crutch" on one end. Unlike blunts, where you can reverse the unwrapping process to roll it up by memory, joints are a little finicky to roll. Thankfully, there are plenty of tips and tricks to roll a thin joint for beginners.

Blunt or Joint?

Now that you have a bit of knowledge about both methods of smoking pot, take a look at the pros and cons of each to help figure out what works for you.

Blunt Pros:

• A larger paper allows for more marijuana meaning it can serve more people or last longer for a single person
• Cigar paper is ordinary-looking and has a pungent tobacco odor
• Ingested tobacco can be energizing and complement the mellow THC

Blunt Cons:

• Thanks to the presence of nicotine within tobacco, blunts can be addictive
• The toxic chemicals used in cigarettes and cigars that remain in and on cigar paper are inhaled as well

Joint Pros:

• Small and can fit just about anywhere
• Nothing harmful is inhaled
• Nonaddictive

Joint Cons:

• While small, joints aren't very discreet with their signature plain white appearance
• The unmistakable skunky odor isn't hidden or covered up
• Can be difficult to assemble

A Manner of Preference

There isn't a correct answer to the question of are blunts or joints better; in the end, it comes down to what a person is looking for when they smoke pot.

Those who are nervous about using paper from a tobacco product can rest easy knowing exactly what is inside their hand-rolled joint. Others who already smoke tobacco or smoke pot on such rare occasions that they will not develop a dependence can enjoy the energy provided by tobacco.

Whether it is a blunt or joint, with enough research and careful consideration, you can find the perfect method for you.