10 Rolling Paper Alternatives for Quick, Go-to Smoking

For even the casual consumer, few things compare to lighting up a joint of your favorite strain. However, sometimes you want to try something new and find alternative ways to get your fix.

More often than not, that includes switching to a pipe, bong, vape pen, etc. But say you wanted to keep it simple and roll one up, but you are out of papers. Not to worry: there are a surprising number of alternative rolling papers for your next makeshift joint.

Alternative Rolling ‘Papers’

Fun fact: traditional, factory-standard rolling papers come from a ‘wood pulp’-based paper while some of the newer, cleaner and more eco-friendly papers are made from rice, flax, or hemp (no surprise there). But if those are out of stock and a dispensary run is out of the question, you have a multitude of options to get creative with and try for your replacement roll.

Corn Husks

The inedible and infamous shell of your former corn is a pretty unexpected alternative to rolling paper to the untrained eye. However, corn husks are thin and papery but are still easy to stuff, roll up and withstand some pretty high temperatures.

You might get a more dense smoke with a corn husk because of the slightly thicker material than rolling papers, but it is just as safe as the latter with a very subtle corn flavor in each hit. The best part about this option? If this fails, you can still make tamales.

Cigarette Blunt

Possibly the most obvious replacement is rolling an old-school blunt or hollowing out a cigarette. This is by far the closest you will get to the real thing (same paper, virtually the same size, etc.), the only difference is obviously the leftover tobacco inside the paper.

It is possible to hollow out a cigarette just like a blunt to where the tobacco smell or taste is not a huge hindrance, but the traces of the tobacco and its toxins are still there.

Scritta Paper

In case you are unfamiliar with the term, scritta is the paper used in the Bible. For obvious reasons, it is best to use a blank page without any ink, and you do not have to use this if you worry about going to ”The Bad Place” as a consequence.

The taste is not generally favorable anyway, so that might also have you looking into other alternatives. Scritta is not the worst paper option at all and is very easy to roll, but we can really only recommend using it in the most dire of circumstances.

Non-Aluminum Gum Wrappers

Remember back in grade school when you had a stick of gum (aka contraband) and tried to peel the aluminum foil off the paper in one piece?

No? Then you probably had friends.

Nevertheless, a gum wrapper is a nearly perfect option for an alternative rolling paper. Once you peel off the foil, you are left with a perfect little pre-portioned paper (which is a lot of P words) that is nearly identical to what you will find at the dispensary.

Not to mention the best part: Gum flavor!

Smoke Without Rolling

For a more obvious alternative, what are the options to smoke without having to roll at all? Fortunately, there are more than enough options to fit into one blog post, but these are among the easiest if you are looking around the house for a backup.

Bongs

The Bong is a timeless classic and a simple fix needing only a couple of household items if you do not have the real thing. No grinding, pre portioning or rolling required, just throw a bit of your flower in the bowl and heat it up.

They may be bigger and heavier than your joints but they are just as easy to pass while giving the smoke a slight cooling sensation, giving a smoother hit without as much heat.

Fruit Pipes

If you are short on supplies with no shortage of creativity, it is time to get crafty. Fruit pipes are the edible alternative to both papers and when your glass pipe or bong is out of the picture.

Many fruits or vegetables can be made into your next pipe, but an apple is among the easiest. If you have a medium to large apple on deck, simply twist off the stem to make the ‘bowl’ and all that is left is to poke a hole at an angle through the top of the apple and one more on the side.

The same basic principle can be applied to bell peppers, bananas, melons, and even Starburst. Whichever you choose, you are on your way to a delicious smoke session with minimal effort.

Hookah

Vaping will also be a great way to smoke without rolling, but if you planned ahead and bought a hookah kit due to lounges being shut down, you know what to do. Even if you do not have a hookah laying around, it is easy to make one at home without having to roll a perfect joint.

Most makeshift hookah can be made using only an empty soda bottle and some metal tubing. Once you have the essentials, fashion a flask for your weed and cut a few small holes: one through the bottle cap for the pipe and one on the side of the bottle for the hose and mouthpiece.

This may be a bit trickier than making a bong or a fruit pipe, but the reward is still a craft project you can use to get high, which is the best kind.

Pre Rolls

If you are not the best at, or just do not feel like, rolling a joint, what better way is there than to have someone do it for you? An anticlimactic but perfect alternative to rolling joints is right at your fingertips in ordering a pre-roll.

Infused

A pre-roll with a little something extra for a fun trip. Infused rolls will have something hash or wax added to it just to give it that extra hit (literally).

Generally the more expensive pre-roll option but if you are looking for something more from your preferred strain or just want to elevate your high in one joint, this is the option for you.

Non-Infused

The absolute bare-bones, factory standard solution to your rolling woes: the straightforward, non-infused joint of whatever strain you have come to know and love. Nothing extra, nothing to surprise you when you take a hit, just your favorite strain ready whenever you are.

As many options as you have to get your fix, nothing truly beats the timeless original, already rolled and ready to spark.