A joint is cannabis rolled in paper. A spliff mixes cannabis with tobacco. A blunt is cannabis rolled in a thicker, cigar-style wrap. That much most people agree on, but the definitions blur at the edges: two of Canada's public cannabis retailers do not even describe a blunt the same way.[1][2] Here is what each term means, where the sources differ, and why the tobacco in spliffs and many blunts is the part that matters.
Key Takeaways
- Joint: ground cannabis in rolling paper, usually with a filter at one end.[1]
- Spliff: cannabis and tobacco together. Researchers group spliffs and blunts as products that "combine marijuana and tobacco".[3]
- Blunt: cannabis in a thicker, cigar-like wrap. The Ontario Cannabis Store says that wrap is often hemp; BC Cannabis Stores describes a tobacco or cigar leaf.[1][2]
- Tobacco is the difference that matters. Health Canada says smoking burnt cannabis, especially combined with tobacco, can result in respiratory problems.[4]
- You won't find a legal cannabis-and-tobacco product in Canada: selling a mixture of cannabis and nicotine is prohibited.[5]
Pre-rolls and blunts at Canadian online dispensaries
On this page
Joint, spliff and blunt at a glance
| Joint | Spliff | Blunt | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is inside | Cannabis | Cannabis and tobacco | Cannabis |
| Wrap | Rolling paper[1] | Varies | Thicker, cigar-like wrap[1] |
| Contains tobacco? | Usually not, though BC Cannabis Stores notes a joint may or may not be blended with tobacco[2] | Yes[3] | Depends on the wrap: hemp wraps no, tobacco leaf wraps yes[1][2] |
| Sold legally in Canada? | Yes, as pre-rolls[2] | No: cannabis cannot be sold mixed with nicotine[5] | Only without nicotine[5] |
What is a joint?
The Ontario Cannabis Store defines a pre-roll, commonly called a joint, as a thin rectangle of paper filled with finely ground dried flower, and notes that most pre-rolls include a filter at one end so the cannabis is not inhaled.[1] BC Cannabis Stores calls that filter a crutch, another word for the tip or filter of a joint, and notes rolling papers can be made from wood pulp, rice or hemp.[2]
A pre-roll is simply a joint someone else has rolled: BC Cannabis Stores describes it as a joint assembled and rolled by a licensed producer.[2] Our pre-rolls page lists them from online dispensaries, and pre-roll deals in Canada compares their prices.
What is a spliff?
A spliff is a joint with tobacco mixed in. A 2017 systematic review of 45 studies on the subject groups "blunts and spliffs/mulled cigarettes" as products that combine marijuana and tobacco for use at the same time, in the same product.[3]
The words are used loosely. BC Cannabis Stores' glossary notes a joint "may or may not be blended with tobacco", and says joints rolled with tobacco leaves are called blunts, or spliffs in Europe.[2] In everyday use, though, the tobacco is what makes a spliff a spliff.
What is a blunt?
This is where Canada's public retailers differ. The Ontario Cannabis Store describes a blunt as cannabis flower rolled in a thicker, cigar-like wrap, often made of hemp.[1] BC Cannabis Stores describes it as dried flower milled and rolled in a tobacco or cigar leaf.[2]
Both agree on the thicker wrap. The difference is what the wrap is made of, and that decides whether a blunt contains tobacco. In the research literature, blunts are counted alongside spliffs as tobacco co-use products, and were the subject of most of the studies in the 2017 review.[3]
Why the tobacco matters
Canada's lower-risk cannabis use guidelines say evidence suggests that smoking burnt cannabis, especially combined with tobacco, can result in respiratory problems. They advise choosing safer methods than smoking, and, if you do smoke, avoiding deep inhalation and breath-holding.[4]
Tobacco also adds nicotine. The 2017 review notes that combining marijuana and tobacco presents significant potential for nicotine exposure, and found co-use associated with several indicators of problematic use, including dependence on nicotine and marijuana. Its authors are careful to add that most of the evidence comes from observational studies, and that more research is needed on the long-term health effects.[3]
Joints, spliffs and blunts in Canada
Under the Cannabis Regulations, it is prohibited to sell a mixture containing cannabis and nicotine, and nicotine is not permitted in cannabis extracts.[5] So a legal retailer can sell you a joint, and a blunt in a nicotine-free wrap, but not a ready-made spliff.
FAQ
What is the difference between a joint and a spliff?
What is the difference between a joint and a blunt?
Do blunts have tobacco in them?
Is a spliff worse for you than a joint?
Can you buy spliffs legally in Canada?
Is a pre-roll the same as a joint?
References
- Ontario Cannabis Store. Glossary of Terms (pre-roll, blunt, rolling papers). ocs.ca
- BC Cannabis Stores. Cannapedia: cannabis glossary of terms (joint, blunt, pre-roll, crutch). bccannabisstores.com
- Schauer, G. L., Rosenberry, Z. R., and Peters, E. N. (2017). Marijuana and tobacco co-administration in blunts, spliffs, and mulled cigarettes: A systematic literature review. Addictive Behaviors, 64, 200-211. doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2016.09.001
- Health Canada. Canada's lower-risk cannabis use guidelines. canada.ca
- Health Canada. Guide on composition requirements for cannabis products. canada.ca
For adults 19+. General information, not medical advice. Smoking any substance carries health risks.
