Spliff vs Joint: What's the Difference?

In order to become a marijuana connoisseur, one must have the lingo down. It’s not enough to enjoy smoking cannabis – you have to immerse yourself in cannabis culture. 

Throughout pop culture and amongst our friends groups, we most often hear slang terms for “joint” like – “blunt”, “doobie”, “roach”, “jay”, etc. The creative terms are endless. But, have you ever heard of a “spliff”? 

Joints and spliffs often get confused for the same thing, so we’re here to help clarify the difference between a spliff and joint for you. You don’t want to get caught using these terms interchangeably, do you? Read on to brush up on your cannabis knowledge. And if you’re new to cannabis – that’s OK too!

What is a Spliff? 

Whereas a joint contains only cannabis, a spliff contains a mixture of cannabis and tobacco. And spliffs are not to get confused with “blunts”, which also contain tobacco, but less. In fact, blunts are rolled and wrapped in paper that already contain tobacco and look more like cigars or thicker cigarettes.

So, what’s a spliff? Spliffs are also distinguishable from joints and blunts because they usually have “crutches”, a mouthpiece at the tip of the roll, usually made from thick paper. Because spliffs are usually stronger and contain more than joints and blunts (remember – the higher tobacco content mixed with cannabis), the crutch acts as a filter to prevent any burnt plant particles from getting into your mouth.

There’s no exact science to the ratio of cannabis to tobacco inside of a spliff. It’s really the smoker’s choice. Just like finding the right marijuana strain takes some time, so does the perfect spliff recipe.

(PS – it’s at this point that we must also share that a spliff and “sploof” are not the same thing. It’s not our fault – we didn’t make up the vocabulary!)

What is a Joint?

Now, on to the more commonly-known and used, joint. Joints only contain cannabis, rolled up in a thin smoking paper. Joints can have crutches, or filters, too, so you’re not caught burning the tips of your fingers.

Joints are usually slimmer in size, but can pack as much of a punch as you want, with your preferred choice of strain.

Spliff vs Joint

Alright, it’s time to test your spliff vs joint knowledge. Here are some quick true or false questions for you to answer, to see if you really know the difference between a spliff and a joint (and a blunt, for true competitors):

1. Spliffs are like joints, but rolled in tobacco paper. True or false?

2. You’ll usually find crutches or filters on spliffs, but not joints. True or false?

3. Though commonly thought as the same thing, joints and blunts are actually different from one another. True or false?

4. The best way to distinguish a blunt is by its larger size. True or false?

5. Spliffs contain a specific ratio of cannabis to tobacco. True or false?

6. Spliffs are used to mask the odor of cannabis smoke. True or false?

7. Blunts are rolled in paper containing tobacco. True or false?

8. You’ll get more high smoking a joint than a spliff. True or false?

9. Blunts and spliffs will give you a more jittery high because of their tobacco content. True or false?

10. Blunts, spliffs, and joints are all different names for the same thing. True or false?

Answers: False, False, True, True, False, False, True, False, True, False

Which Is Right for You – A Joint, Spliff, or Blunt?

How did you do? Are you on your way to impressing your friends with your cannabis knowledge? You may have already known the key differences between a spliff and a joint but there are a lot of subtle differences that’ll take your cannabis knowledge to the next level.

No matter which smoking medium you choose, a spliff vs joint (or even a blunt), it’s important to choose the right one for you. 

The tobacco/cannabis combination of a blunt or spliff may or may not be your favorite smoke or flavor profile, and you may or may not enjoy the buzzier high that comes with the addition of tobacco in a spliff vs a joint. 

On the other hand, you might be more of a traditionalist and opt for the rolled joint containing your favorite cannabis strain. 

One thing we know for sure is that if you are smoking cannabis from a spliff, joint, or blunt, you’ll want to be mindful of the smoke smell that will linger during and after a smoke session. At Cannabolish, we have the best weed smell eliminating products, from our Cannabis Odor Removing Lavender Candles, to our Cannabis Odor Removing Wintergreen Gels, and Sprays.For the cannabis lover in your life (or for a treat yourself moment), check out our 2021 Cannabis Holiday Gift Guide.