For those who partake in the puff puff pass may be aware of the recent news involving a lawsuit against the company HBI, the distributor for the rolling paper company RAW. The competing company known as Republic Brands took HBI to court for the brand’s dishonesty regarding the entire background of their rolling papers. These claims have been marketed on their packaging and have become a significant part of the brand. Including the claims about their papers being made in Acloy, Spain. RAW has also made statements about Alcoy being the “birthplace” of rolling papers, they are now ordered to remove from this in all forms of communication. Other claims related to the contents of the rolling paper, RAW is also prohibited from marketing their papers as organic hemp.

The cannabis community obviously became very concerned as this legendary brand has been essential for seshes and has promoted itself by being the first rolling paper company. There was a lot of discussion surrounding the context of the lawsuit, even at some points it was rumored that the RAW rolling papers tested positive for including heavy metals. Stoners everywhere are questioning if it is still safe to smoke with the RAW rolling. HBI issued a statement to reassure consumers that there is nothing harmful in their products and that the papers are made in Spain with unbleached, organic hemp from South France.

There are some who may not care as much about what they smoke but others are allowed to have skepticism after hearing the HBI case. In my personal opinion, I believe there is an easy solution. Although it may be a little pricier than buying rolling papers, having a glass piece (pipe, one-hitter, “water-pipe”) is a healthier alternative and is also cost-effective. With a glass piece, the user is reassured that they are not inhaling any harmful substances other than the smoke from the herb. These tools are also reusable, unlike papers that need to be restocked every so often. This can be a one-time purchase, and also an item that is very personal to the consumer. I’d also like to argue that using a piece saves a cannabis user’s herb as a joint requires almost a gram whereas there are bowls that allow for very tiny amounts of cannabis.

After HBI’s loss in this lawsuit, those who use rolling papers may raise concerns about safety, driving people to avoid rolling papers entirely. Although smoking a joint is not the cleanest way of inhaling, I do not believe this should be ruled out entirely. These practices are important to cannabis users as they are a part of the sesh culture. I believe that smoking from joints and blunts is most effective during a group session and the process of rolling is something that should be appreciated as an art form. These sessions are lengthy and allow for the meaningful conversations that stoners yearn for. For those who do smoke frequently, it may healthier to question the contents of what you are inhaling and make adjustments so that you can still enjoy without any concerns. At the end of the day, anything is better than a water bottle, soda can, or gum wrapper.