The paper you roll with changes how a joint burns and tastes. Wood pulp is thickest and easiest to roll but burns fast. Rice is thinnest and cleanest but trickier. Hemp is the best all-rounder — good grip, slow even burn, mild taste. For size, 1¼ is the everyday default. Add a tip (crutch) at the mouth end and your joint holds its shape and keeps bits out of your mouth.
The wall of rolling papers behind the counter is weirdly intimidating for something so small. Rice, hemp, organic, ultra-thin, king slim, "natural," flavored — what actually matters? This guide cuts it down to the few decisions that change your smoke.
Material: this is the big one
What a paper is made of decides how fast it burns, how much it tastes, and how easy it is to roll. Here's the whole field:
| Material | Burn | Taste | Roll difficulty | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood pulp | Fastest | Slight papery | Easiest | Beginners, classic feel |
| Rice | Slowest, cleanest | Almost none | Hardest (thin, low grip) | Purists who want zero flavor |
| Hemp | Medium, steady | Mild earthy | Easy (good grip) | Best all-around choice |
| Flax / cellulose | Slow, clean | Flavorless | Medium | Slow burners; cellulose is the clear "see-through" novelty paper |
| Esparto grass | Burns hot, more ash | Can taste it | Medium | Mostly older/budget papers — generally skip |
If you just want one answer: an unbleached hemp paper in 1¼. It rolls easily, burns slow and even, and lets the flower's flavor through. It's the closest thing to a no-wrong-answer choice.
Bleached vs. unbleached
Bright white papers are chemically bleached; tan/brown "natural" papers are unbleached and skip that step. Purists prefer unbleached for fewer additives and a more natural taste. Worth knowing: unbleached doesn't automatically burn slower — that's about the material and thickness, not the color.
Size: match it to the session
Papers come in a handful of standard sizes. The length is what changes most:
| Size | Rough length | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Single wide | ~68–70 mm | Quick solo smoke; smallest |
| 1¼ ("one-and-a-quarter") | ~76–78 mm | The popular default; 1–3 people |
| 1½ | ~76–78 mm, but wider | A fatter joint; less common |
| King size / King slim | ~100–110 mm | Bigger joints, groups of 3–4 (slim = same length, narrower) |
New to rolling? Start with 1¼. It's the size most guides and most people assume by default.
Beyond flat papers
Cones
Pre-rolled, pre-shaped paper with a wide tip and a crutch already built in. You just fill and pack — no rolling skill required. Cones are the easiest on-ramp if rolling intimidates you, and they burn consistently. Ready to roll one by hand? Our step-by-step joint guide walks you through it. (Or skip the whole project — our pre-roll menu is done for you and lab-tested.)
Blunt wraps
Thicker wraps, traditionally made from tobacco leaf (though hemp blunt wraps are now common). They burn slower than papers and hold more flower. Tobacco wraps add their own flavor and a nicotine buzz; hemp wraps skip the tobacco.
Tips, filters & crutches
A crutch (a.k.a. tip or filter) is a little rolled piece of card at the mouth end. It earns its keep: it keeps bits of flower out of your mouth ("scooby snacks"), holds the joint's shape, smooths the airflow, and lets you smoke closer to the end without torching your fingertips. Note it's not the foam-style filter on a cigarette — a paper crutch doesn't filter out much, it mostly improves the structure and draw.
Brands worth knowing
- RAW — the market leader. Natural unbleached papers with a slow, even burn and a huge ecosystem of cones, tips, and trays.
- Elements — ultra-thin rice papers with watermark lines for an even burn and very little ash.
- OCB — French brand known for thin flax papers with a clean, slow burn and a premium feel.
- Zig-Zag — the heritage name; classic flax slow-burners and organic hemp, widely available, popular cones.
- Vibes — comes in rice, hemp, and ultra-thin; the rice version is praised for better grip than most rice papers.
- Juicy Jay — flavored hemp papers (mango, watermelon, etc.) if novelty flavor is your thing.
Papers are cheap, but a fresh, slightly tacky paper rolls far better than a dried-out one. Keep them in their pack, out of heat and direct sun, and they'll behave. The same goes for your flower — an airtight container keeps it from drying out and crumbling.
Papers, pre-rolls, and everything to go with them
Sunflower stocks rolling papers, cones, grinders, and ready-to-go pre-rolls — plus the flower to fill them. Browse the menu and grab it all in one stop on Metropolitan Ave.