Spliff

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For other uses, see Spliff (disambiguation).

Image:Spliff rolling machine papers pen.triddle.jpg Image:Unrolled joint.jpg

A Spliff is, originally, a Jamaican term for a large cone-shaped smoking device carved of wood and packed full of ganja (possibly mixed with tobacco leaf (fronta) or pieces, as per one's taste). Eventually rolling papers replaced the solid cone. Outside of Jamaica, the word may have diverse meanings.

Spliff is slang for a cigarette rolled with cannabis, sometimes including tobacco. Spliffs come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and are also commonly referred to as joints (in America especially), although joint refers to a cigarette made with cannabis alone (no tobacco). They are sometimes called zoots, doobies, or (often sarcastically) referred to with their old slang name of reefers, especially by people who have seen the classic moral panic film Reefer Madness. While "reefer" and "joint" are almost certainly American terms, "spliff" is a term that originated in Jamaica. In the United Kingdom, the phrase "skinning up" is commonly used to describe the creation of a cannabis or cannabis/tobacco combination cigarette.

If kingsize papers are not available, a large spliff is made by joining three cigarette papers, so that the long sticky side of paper (a) is attached to the non-sticky side of paper (b). Paper (c) is then stuck to either of the ends of the combined papers (a + b). The large surface area (papers a + b + c) is now set for the introduction of the cannabis (and possibly tobacco). It is usual to add tobacco if the cannabis product is in its resinous (hashish) or oil-based form, or to add bulk and make it more easily and uniformly combustible. If the cannabis is in its leaf and flower form it may be considered less desirable to use tobacco, though this is largely a matter of personal taste. Once the correct mix is achieved, the spliff is carefully rolled, and stuck together with a twist in the paper at the end where paper (c) was attached, sealing the spliff. Sometimes a rolled up strip of cardboard known as a "crutch", "roach", or "filter" is inserted into the open end to prevent the contents slipping back into the mouth of the smoker, to eliminate the need for a roach clip, and to provide better flow. The crutch, then, is analogous to the filter tip found on most commercial tobacco cigarettes. Upon completion, the spliff is then lit and smoked.

Not all spliffs are made of multiple rolling papers. Many smokers have been known to instead make "mini-spliffs" or "one-papes" from a single sheet of rolling paper.

There is a large sub-culture interested in preparing spliffs of different shapes and sizes, from the classic Camberwell carrot to more esoteric constructions that have a degree of engineering to them such as the Dutch Tulip. A certain Mexican technique, for example, produces a fairly conical spliff.

There are striking differences in spliffs prepared in various parts of the world. In the U.S., where flowered marijuana is most common, spliffs are generally made without tobacco and crutches, usually with small rolling papers. In Europe, where hashish is more popular, spliffs are often rolled with tobacco and crutches, and larger rolling papers generally are used.

There is a lot of debate over whether or not to use tobacco. Many anti-tobacco smokers see tobacco as unnecessary and harmful to smoke. People who use tobacco claim it helps the joint burn, though a well rolled spliff will burn just fine. Tobacco significantly reduces the temperature at which a spliff burns, the most harmful factor in smoking-related illness. Tobacco can also be used to provide a buffer between the roach and cannabis, as it is otherwise difficult to smoke all the cannabis without it either becoming too hot or smoking some of the crutch.

A certain style of rolling called "The Spanish Crutch" uses a half inch cigarette as the crutch.

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