The Birth of a Legend: Unraveling the Fascinating History of the Blunt

Ah, the blunt. For some of us, a blunt is how we got started smoking weed. For others, it appeared later in life. Whether they were pristinely rolled by a masterful stoner or hastily cobbled together and covered in saliva by some guy in an alleyway, blunts have become a favorite for many as an easy way to get high that helps you conserve the most of your flower. I’m here to talk to you about the origin of the blunt and take you on a journey chronicling how we smoke our weed. 

But first, what is a blunt? For those who don’t know, a blunt is usually a cheap cigarillo that’s hollowed out, filled with weed, and rolled back up. Two things make blunts appeal to people. First, they burn much more slowly than joints. This means they’re much better at conserving weed and are better for bigger groups. The paper you use to roll them is also just a tobacco leaf, which means you’re getting an added kick to your smoke sesh. Blunt wraps come in all different kinds of flavors. Personally, blunts are my favorite way to smoke weed. The slow burn makes the cyph feel like a more communal experience, and you really get to enjoy hanging out and smoking. Nothing beats sitting around on a nice summer night sharing a blunt with friends. But let’s get down to how we came to know the modern blunt.

The history of blunts actually goes all the way back to the 19th century, when locals in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and other parts of the Caribbean started rolling their marijuana in tobacco leaves. No one knows why this practice took hold, but most believe it was because the rough seas around the Caribbean limited the supply of rolling papers. Since these islands had a surplus of top-tier tobacco, they decided to start rolling in tobacco leaves instead. Around that time, American companies started making cigarillos, or thin cigars. Most of these companies, like White Owl or Dutch Masters, are still popular today. Like cigars, these were tobacco products rolled in dried tobacco leaves with one end sealed (hence the term “blunt”). 

Throughout the mid-70s and 80s, after several waves of immigration from the Caribbean to the New York area, blunts became a popular alternative to joints as New York started cracking down on the sale and use of marijuana. The blunt’s flavoring gives it an aroma distinct from that of a joint and makes it more discreet. After all, much of what is being burned is tobacco anyway, and from the outside a blunt just looks like a cigar.

In the 90s, blunts became more prevalent in hip-hop culture, as rappers like Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, and A Tribe Called Quest started making music about them. They also started to make their way into movies like How High, where Redman and Method Man smoke a blunt using magical weed that was grown using their deceased friend’s ashes as fertilizer (yeah, seriously). 

Nowadays, blunts are a popular way to get high with friends and ideal for a larger group of people. They usually take more work in the beginning and can be harder to get started than joints. But if you haven’t tried one already, go out and give it a taste!