Do people still smoke spliffs? (Wait, what is a spliff exactly?)

Cannabis culture is gradually evolving, and along the way some new things are being forgotten. In the days of prohibition, the need to hide from victimization helped protect and preserve many cannabis practices. The advent of legalization has since seen some of the conventional practices swapped out for more urban methods. An example of this is that smoking spliffs is slowly becoming a thing of the past. Don’t be surprised to find that many cannabis users don’t know what a spliff is. Follow us as we talk more about what a spliff is, why people use it, and if there’s still a place for it in cannabis culture today.

Simply put, a spliff is a special blend of tobacco and marijuana properly rolled into a joint. This unique blend has long been part of cannabis culture. This has led to its being incorporated into various types of songs, films, and artwork used to promote stoner culture. Easy Skanking, the famous song by music icon Bob Marley comes to mind as it started with “Excuse me while I light my joint”.

The advent of new methods of enjoying cannabis such as vaping and edibles has reduced the popularity of spliffs among stoners. Fans of the conventional kind still rave about the unique blend. The particular high emanating from this blend of marijuana and tobacco can only be described as majestic. The presence of tobacco means that the mind-numbing effects of cannabis are modulated to clear the head, much like caffeine. Users enjoy a relaxed yet alert state thanks to the synergy between nicotine and cannabinoids. This effect is what many users look for when rolling up a spliff, and it doesn’t disappoint.

In the days of Prohibition, it made sense to smoke spliffs when access to cannabis was very scarce. Likewise, adding marijuana buds to a tobacco joint helps make a more robust and consistent joint. Those who indulge in the art of the joint will appreciate the effect of dirty resin and tobacco leaves in a well-made blunt. For those who already love each product individually, it’s easy to combine the two into a spliff. Currently, a good population of the world smokes tobacco. That means spliffs still have room to survive in this current world.

You may be surprised to learn that the waning practice of smoking spliffs is largely an American culture. A 2014 Global Drug Survey recently showed that 50 percent of weed smokers in Australia are known to mix tobacco with their weed. Europeans are also getting involved with no sign of slowing down. 94 percent of Italian marijuana smokers regularly add tobacco to their joints. The Finns also have spliffs as a popular cannabis culture, with two out of three weed smokers enjoying a spliff along with their weed.

It is noticeable that several factors have hampered the development of spliffs as a cannabis culture in some areas. Location and history stand out as the two outstanding factors. Europeans are known for getting their weed mostly in the form of hash blocks. This has led to many European smokers from Spain to Sweden indulging in hash more than flowers. While hash was fairly popular because it was more potent and concentrated than tobacco, it was still difficult to light up in a joint. Because of this, adding tobacco became a necessity for Europeans and it easily became a tradition that is dated.

While Europeans have tradition to thank for preserving spliff culture, Americans have not been so blessed. Access to cannabis in the Americas was primarily through cannabis flowers grown locally and imported from neighboring countries. Farmers in California and flowers imported from Canada and Mexico served the majority in the country. With that, there was no primary need to infuse tobacco with marijuana. This made smoking spliffs a choice rather than a necessity, as was the case with Europeans. Hence the popularity of spliffs among Europeans over Americans.

Another factor that has reduced the popularity of spliffs among Americans is the drastic reduction in cigarette smoking in the US. A 2015 CDC study shows that a quarter of people in Europe aged 15 and over smoke tobacco on a daily basis. In comparison, the number of cannabis smokers in the US has declined from 21 percent in 2005 to 16 percent in 2016. The sharpest decrease was observed among smokers aged between 18 and 24 years. The fewer cigarette lovers there are in a population, the fewer who will be willing to add it to a weed joint.

The presence of different strains of marijuana with different effects has also fueled the waning popularity of spliffs. Most of these strains have specific effects and strengths, which has reduced the need for users to mix tobacco with weed. With more legal states and prices not what they used to be, the problem of weed shortages is not a problem for American smokers. Therefore, for most, there is no need to remix it with tobacco. It is now easy to see why the problem of the dwindling number of spliff smokers in America is more of a traditional problem.

So, are people still smoking spliffs? Yes, they do. However, the number in America is declining sharply. Spliffs are a great way to enjoy cannabis, and it’s wise for American smokers to indulge in them as well. Nonetheless, for those who are not naturally keen on tobacco or have never used it before, the advice is to stick with weed. It’s better and safer that way. Hopefully more young cannabis smokers will step into this strong pillar of cannabis culture and help preserve it.

MORE ABOUT SPLIFFS, READ THIS…

WHAT IS A SPLIFF AND HOW TO ROLL ONE? CLICK HERE!

OR..

CANNABIS MIXOLOGIST – HERBS TO MIX WITH WEED BUT NOT TOBACCO!