Joint

A joint is a cigarette filled with marijuana or hashish. One can either straight smoke or mix with tobacco or nicotine-free tobacco substitutes. Furthermore, other psychoactive substances such as heroin, cocaine, or opium are used with a joint. It is the most widespread method of consumption of marijuana or hashish.

Term origin

The word joint is French and derives from the verb joindre, which means “to connect.” However, you can find the origin in Latin, which means something like “to have been connected.” Through the formation of the noun, it then means the connected one.

From 1877 the term was used in American slang to refer to an opium den. Later, in 1935, hypodermic needles were referred to as those used to inject heroin and other drugs. The current meaning of marijuana cigarettes was first used in 1938.

Structure and content

The joint is typically funnel-shaped and slightly thicker at the smoldering end. At the thin end, there is often a mouthpiece in the form of a cardboard tube called a filter or tip in smoking jargon. One uses it for the stability and grip of the joint. The length of the filter also has the function of cooling the smoke. So-called tip tubes, which can be enriched with activated carbon, also serve the purpose. The activated charcoal is said to filter out harmful ingredients while allowing the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) responsible for the intoxicating effect to pass through.

Effect

How high the active substance content of the THC responsible for the intoxicating effect varies greatly and depends on the quantity, quality, and variety of cannabis used. The amount of marijuana or hash in a joint usually ranges from a tenth of a gram to several grams.

Joint versions

There are several ways you can roll a joint. As a rule, you turn the cigarette paper around the contents with the sticky side up. Other known variants are the following:

inside out
It is also known as the Dutch style. In this variation, the paper is laid with the adhesive strip facing down. After screwing in, one moistens the piece on the sticky side and removes the protruding part.

The tulip
This species is a short, extremely thick, and ball-like joint resembling a tulip, hence the name.

The Windmill
The windmill is a cluster of several (regular) joints, typically at least four or even more, smoked simultaneously in one large tip.

The mustache or helicopter
In this variant, you attach two or three joints to a tip containing a hole in the middle.

The diamond
The diamond joint splits two in the middle and converges on either side. You lit it only at one point, but it forms two embers during the smoking process.

The stick
A stick, also known as a sticky, agent, or spy, means a joint in the form of a regular, self-rolled cigarette; from short cigarette paper – often a short, small joint.

The blunt
Another variant of the joint is blunt, which is a cigar filled with marijuana.

Weblinks