When browsing our online store, you will see a variety of smokeable products. Cannabis terminology can confuse new consumers. Terms like joint, pre-roll, and spliff are often used interchangeably. However, each method provides a distinct experience.
Whether you roll your own flower or want a ready-to-use option, understanding these differences helps you make informed choices for your online order. As a brand, MARYJAE prioritizes objective education. Let us break down the mechanical differences, trace the history of each format, and answer common questions from our digital community.
The Joint
A joint consists of ground cannabis flower rolled inside rolling paper. These papers are manufactured from hemp fibers, rice, or unbleached wood pulp. These papers burn with minimal ash, allowing the user to taste the flower without competing flavors.
Rolling a joint is a manual process. It requires grinding whole flower, arranging a filter tip (often called a crutch) for airflow, and tucking the paper into a cylinder or cone. The appeal of a joint is its purity. You consume only the flower you selected, free from additives. At MARYJAE, we stock accessories & rolling machines for users who prefer the process of rolling their own joints.
- Pros: Highlights cannabis flavor, allows control over size, and contains zero additives.
- Cons: Requires rolling practice, requires separate accessories (grinder, papers, tips), and can burn unevenly if packed incorrectly.
The Pre-roll
A pre-roll is a joint that has been ground, packed, filtered, and sealed before purchase. When you order pre-rolls from our online store, you bypass the need for grinders and rolling trays entirely.
In the past, pre-rolls often contained lower-grade shake. Today, industry manufacturing standards have changed. When you order pre-rolls from MARYJAE, they contain indoor-grown flower packed into paper cones. The online market also offers infused pre-rolls. These contain cannabis extracts like live resin and are dusted with kief. Pre-rolls are built for immediate convenience right out of the packaging.
- Pros: Ready to use immediately, machine-packed for an even burn, and available in infused varieties.
- Cons: Removes user control over grind size and packing density, and the ground flower dries out faster than whole buds once the container is unsealed.
The Spliff
A spliff combines cannabis with tobacco. The ratio of cannabis to tobacco depends on the user, though many use a half-and-half split. Spliffs are rolled using the same rolling papers and paper crutches as traditional joints.
The tobacco changes the physical dynamics of the smoke. Tobacco introduces a head rush that alters the session. Furthermore, tobacco burns at a higher, steadier temperature, creating a cherry that rarely extinguishes on its own. For users in humid climates or those with highly resinous buds, adding tobacco provides a reliable burn.
While the spliff remains a standard part of international smoking habits, MARYJAE does not recommend consuming tobacco. Our online store focuses strictly on pure hemp/cannabis products. We encourage consumers to experience the flavor of hemp-derived products without tobacco. Mixing tobacco into a roll alters the profile of the flower and introduces a substance we prefer to exclude from the session.
- Pros: Burns consistently, stretches the cannabis supply across multiple sessions, and provides a tobacco buzz.
- Cons: Alters the natural flavor of the flower, introduces tobacco, and is unappealing to users seeking a pure cannabis experience.
History of the Joint, Pre-roll, & Spliff
Cannabis consumption spans thousands of years, but these distinct rolling styles evolved through global trade and shifting legal landscapes over the past two centuries.
History of the Joint
The first documented use of a rolled cannabis cigarette appears in Mexico in 1856. Researchers at the University of Guadalajara noted that laborers blended cannabis with tobacco in cigarette wrappers. By the early 1900s, this practice evolved into pure cannabis cigarettes, which crossed the border into the United States.
Jazz musicians in New Orleans, Kansas City, and Chicago adopted the joint. During the decades of prohibition, joints gained popularity because they were small, concealable, and disposable. By the 1960s, the joint became an international symbol of the counterculture movement.
History of the Spliff
The word "spliff" originates from Jamaican patois. Originally, the term described a large, pure cannabis joint. As Caribbean immigrants moved to the United Kingdom and Europe in the mid-20th century, the definition changed. European cannabis primarily arrived from Morocco, Lebanon, and Afghanistan as compressed hashish.
Solid hashish does not burn evenly inside rolling paper. Consumers learned to crumble the hash and blend it with loose rolling tobacco. Over time, European consumers adopted the Jamaican term "spliff" for this hybrid smoke. Today, the majority of consumers in Europe and Australia continue to roll spliffs instead of pure joints.
History of the Pre-roll
The pre-roll emerged alongside legal cannabis markets and e-commerce. Historically, rolling was a do-it-yourself task because pre-rolled joints dried out without commercial packaging. As regulated markets expanded in the 2010s, manufacturers developed automated cone-filling machinery.
They also introduced nitrogen-sealed, child-resistant tubes to preserve freshness during shipping. Initially sold as budget items, pre-rolls transitioned into a primary product category. Modern shoppers purchase multi-packs, strain-specific singles, and precision-infused cones.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our customer support team receives questions from shoppers every week. Here are clear answers to the most common inquiries regarding joints, pre-rolls, and spliffs.
Which option is best for a beginner ordering online?
We recommend a standard, non-infused pre-roll. Learning to roll a joint requires mechanical practice. Poorly rolled papers often burn down one side, a structural problem known as canoeing. A pre-roll arrives mechanically packed with an even density. This ensures a smooth draw. Take a single puff, set it down, and wait before taking another.
Do spliffs burn differently than pure joints?
Yes, spliffs burn differently. Tobacco has a dry texture that ignites quickly and holds a burn at a higher temperature than green plant material. A spliff will stay lit in an ashtray for several minutes. Pure cannabis flower contains plant oils, resins, and moisture. A pure joint burns slower and cooler. It will self-extinguish if you do not draw from it for a minute or two.
Are pre-rolls ordered online lower quality than buying whole flower?
No, provided you purchase from transparent brands. Historically, some producers used leftover plant material for pre-rolls. Today, brands like MARYJAE produce pre-rolls using the same indoor-grown flower found in our whole-bud jars. Shoppers can review the product descriptions and certificates of analysis on our website to verify the contents of their order.
How long does a pre-roll stay fresh in its packaging?
When kept inside its original airtight tube, an unopened pre-roll stays fresh for months. However, ground plant material has more exposed surface area than an intact bud. It loses moisture and volatile compounds faster once unsealed. For optimal flavor, use your pre-rolls within two weeks of breaking the seal. Store them in a dark cabinet away from direct heat.
What about blunts? Where do they fit into the comparison?
A blunt is a separate category. While a joint uses thin paper, a blunt uses a natural tobacco leaf wrapper, a reconstituted tobacco cigar wrap, or a tobacco-free hemp wrap. Blunts hold more flower than a standard joint and burn slower. In a spliff, tobacco is mixed inside the paper with the cannabis. In a blunt, the tobacco serves as the wrapper itself.
How do I choose the right rolling paper for a joint?
Rolling papers come in different materials and sizes. Hemp papers offer a medium burn rate and are easy to roll, making them suitable for beginners. Rice papers are thinner and burn slower, producing less ash, but they can be slippery to handle. Unbleached wood pulp papers provide a thicker texture that is very easy to grip. Standard sizes include 1 1/4 size for solo sessions and King Size for larger amounts of flower.
Order Pre-rolls online with MARYJAE
Whether you prefer rolling your own joints, the European spliff format, or the convenience of a pre-roll delivered to your door, each method has distinct characteristics. Cannabis consumption involves exploring different formats to see what fits your routine.
Browse the MARYJAE digital catalog to find flower, rolling accessories, and pre-rolls. If you have questions while building your online order, our digital support team is available to help guide your selections.
