What Is a Spliff? How to Roll One, and Why Europe Mixes Hash With Tobacco

How do you roll a spliff?

A spliff is a joint that mixes tobacco and weed, rolled in regular rolling papers. To make one, you grind your weed, mix it with loose tobacco in whatever ratio you like, then roll, seal and light it just like any joint. Spliffs are the default in some smoking cultures, especially in Europe, and the tobacco-to-weed ratio varies a lot from person to person.

To roll a spliff, first break your weed down into small pieces with a grinder, then mix it with tobacco in your preferred ratio. Some people go heavy on the weed for a stronger high, while others keep it light to take the intensity down a notch.

Once your tobacco and weed mix is ready, load it into the rolling paper and roll it into a cigarette shape. Then seal it and light it up like any other joint.

What happens if you smoke a cigarette after a joint?

Smoking a cigarette after a joint can have several effects, and how it plays out depends on the person and how much they smoked. Here are some possible scenarios and things to keep in mind:

1. A stronger high: Some people feel the cannabis high get more intense after a cigarette. That's because tobacco contains nicotine, which acts on the nervous system and may amplify the effects of the THC in weed.
2. Mixed effects: The combined effects of tobacco and cannabis hit everyone differently. Some people feel relaxed or euphoric, while others feel anxious or uncomfortable.
3. Health risks: Smoking cigarettes and smoking weed can both hurt your health, especially your lungs and respiratory system. Combining them can stack up those risks and can be especially rough on people with existing respiratory conditions.
4. Addiction: Mixing tobacco and cannabis can raise your risk of getting hooked on tobacco because of the nicotine in cigarettes.

Which is more addictive, tobacco or weed?

Addiction is complicated and affects people differently, and dependence on tobacco or cannabis can vary depending on the person and how they use. Generally speaking, though, the nicotine in tobacco is considered more addictive than cannabis.

Nicotine is a highly addictive chemical found in tobacco products like cigarettes. It acts on the central nervous system and can create serious physical and psychological dependence. People who smoke tobacco regularly often develop a strong nicotine addiction and can go through withdrawal if they try to quit.

Cannabis, which contains the psychoactive compound THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), can also be habit-forming, but it's generally considered less addictive than nicotine. Not everyone who uses cannabis develops a problem, but some people do experience psychological or physical dependence. Factors that feed into cannabis dependence include how often and how much you use, your genetics and your environment.

Why Europeans roll spliffs: hash, tobacco and history

During the cannabis revival of the 1960s and '70s, smokers in Europe smoked almost nothing but hash. Most of the time, they mixed the hash with tobacco or emptied out cigarettes and refilled them with the hash mix. Since hardly anyone was aware of the dangers of nicotine and tobacco back then, this was totally normal. Most cannabis smokers in the U.S., on the other hand, had access to flower, so they could roll pure weed joints without needing to mix anything in.

Combustion is harmful no matter what plant you're smoking. The truth is that there are tons of ways to consume cannabis that don't involve inhaling smoke.

Smoking a weed-and-tobacco mix isn't just worse for your health than smoking cannabis alone; it also muddies efforts to measure how cannabis affects health. The legalization debate often centers on the dangers of "smoking," because most European studies on cannabis look at people smoking cannabis and tobacco together rather than cannabis alone.

Smoking tobacco can lead to a long list of diseases. One of the most common among tobacco smokers is COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), a debilitating, progressive lung disease that can't be reversed. People with severe COPD can end up bedridden and relying on oxygen tanks to breathe.

The effects of smoking pure cannabis are very different from those of a weed-and-tobacco mix. Some patients say the combo of nicotine and cannabis brings pain relief and relaxation, but they very often report fatigue, chest pain, coughing and throat irritation as unwanted side effects.

Mixing weed with tobacco has a lot more to do with culture and geography than with lifestyle. It's a habit passed down from one generation of smokers to the next, and even though there's more cannabis flower available than ever, in Europe people still smoke a ton of weed-and-tobacco or hash-and-tobacco spliffs.

On the other hand, if you love cannabis and you're going to smoke it, it'd be a shame to bury its powerful, distinctive flavors and aromas under tobacco. And if you don't smoke cigarettes, adding something toxic and harmful to your weed makes zero sense.

If you want to mix your weed with another herb and skip the harmful effects of tobacco, here are some healthier options to choose from.

• Chamomile: may help digestion and boost relaxation.
• Echinacea: often said to help with pain and inflammation and to support the endocannabinoid system.
• Eucalyptus: brings a sharp, menthol-like flavor and can feel like it opens up your lungs.
• Basil: may help with stress and lower cortisol levels.
• Hops: a cousin of cannabis that shares the terpene myrcene; may boost relaxation.
• Lavender: adds a lovely flavor and contains the terpene linalool, which may promote relaxation.
• Mint: adds a fresh flavor and may help clear your airways.
• Mugwort: tastes a bit like sage and is said to promote rest, creativity and lucid dreams.
• Rose: a few petals add a delicate floral aroma and flavor.
• Rosemary: contains the terpene beta-caryophyllene, which may help with inflammation and stress.
• Sage: may help you relax, aid digestion and boost appetite; a little goes a long way.
• Yerba mate: the South American tea leaf doesn't change the flavor or add any extra effect, but it's a nice alternative to tobacco.