How to Make a Filter for a Joint

Written and Fact Checked by: S. Zulfiqar

Knowing how to make a filter for a joint makes smoking a lot easier and more fun. This article will guide you in the simplest of ways so that you are aware of how to make your joint filter.

The joint filter is known by a lot of names. It’s sometimes referred to as a crutch or, simply, a filter tip. It’s one of the best ways to make the whole process of smoking joints easy and a lot more fun. It serves as a mouthpiece and has plenty of other purposes and benefits. It defines one end of your joint, which is from where you will inhale. It keeps out the bits of the green plants from getting outside your mouth and gives you a smoother experience. It also helps in keeping your lips safe and prevents them from burning while you’re getting high.

However, you will find some people that prefer rolling joints without using any filters. We respect the methods that people use but honestly, that is not such a good idea. Of course, it depends on the personal preferences of the individual, but there are proven benefits of using the filters that are already mentioned above.

 

So what do we need to make our filters at home? 

The answer is simple. All you need is stiff paper. It should be something that’s thicker than our standard printing papers but at the same time, it should be something too hard or thick like the cereal box.

Finding something that’s both hard but not too hard can be tricky but don’t worry. We have a list of things that you can find around your house, without too much hassle. Here’s what you should look for:

• Try to find an index card resting anywhere in your drawers.
• See for some usual magazine subscription cards on your table.
• You can also use the back flap of your checkbook.
• If you are unable to find any of the above, simply go for a business card but make sure it’s not too thick.
• And if it’s just not your day and you can’t find anything else, just go for cardboard. It generally works.

Even if you’re out of random business cards or unable to find any, you can always go for crutches that are available in the market. There are plenty of brands that sell pre-cut crutches that are made with fiber paper. They also work well as they hold their shape and stay the same as you’re smoking.

No matter what you decide to use, make sure that it’s free from bleach and other chemicals. The paper should be all-natural and safe for use. It’s important to remember that when you are smoking, you will be breathing through that paper and if it’s not made from safe materials, it’s a good idea not to use something like that.

There are a handful of ways to roll your filter. It’s a choice that will entirely be on you or your friends with whom you’re planning a session. So the first way is the easiest of them all. And since it’s the easiest, it’s the most widely used one as well. It’s when the paper is rolled into a cylinder-like filter. From the head-on view, it looks like a spiral. It’s convenient hence popular but it has its drawbacks. The biggest con that this rolling method has is that it doesn’t stop all the small pieces from getting into your mouth. The opening or space inside the filter is big enough for the tiny particles of the plant. And while you inhale, they tend to get inside your mouth and that can sometimes be disappointing and frustrating the rest of the time. The other weakness of it is that it’s not designed to be strongly inbuilt. This means that it tends to lose its shape when it’s slightly pinched or gets wet especially if we have wet-lipped friends. But yes, it works and yes, there are other/better ways.

The better way of making another type of filter is almost the same procedure. All you have to do is to give the paper some extra fold before you give it the final roll. Although this method will take you a bit of practice, once you have given it a few tries you’ll master the art before you even know it.

 

Here is how it’s going to be. Grab your paper and start by making a few folds. But before you start folding, be sure of how wide you want your filter to be. When you’re clear about it, start folding and make the fold in such a way that they are not too wide. Because the fold will determine how your final filter will be. If the fold is too wide, you will end up with a wide filter and if they are too narrow, you’ll have a pretty small filter.

While you are making your folds, be sure that you are not creasing the paper too much. It’s important to keep that in mind because when you will be making the final wrap, it won’t be ideal.

So how many folds should you make is totally up to you? Again, it’s recommended not to give it too many folds so that you have to make efforts to inhale and the folds shouldn’t be too less than the small bits that can get through the filter and get into your mouth. It should be somewhere in between.

After you are done making your folds, we hope that you have left some paper left that’s meant to cover the entire folds, giving it the final filter appearance. If you have too much paper left, rip it off using a pair of scissors.

Now, when you have made the final wrap-around-the-folds and you’re thinking that the filter is willing to expand, you don’t have to worry. That’s exactly how it should be. That will fit well inside the joint, giving it a nice and tight gripping feel.

And that is how to make a filter a joint. Not too hard, right?

Interesting reads: How to Grow Weed, The Lost Art of Wake and Bake, Weed Vape Guide

Referencess

• Hindocha C, Freeman T, and Curran HV. Anatomy of a Joint: Comparing Self-Reported and Actual Dose of Cannabis and Tobacco in a Joint, and How These Are Influenced by Controlled Acute Administration. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res. 2017 Aug 1;2(1):217-223. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5628568/