Use a joint filter is always a great idea: not only does it improve the ventilation flow, but it also helps to keep the joint together and make it easier to smoke, especially if you want to share the experience with friends by passing it from hand to hand. There are many types of filters, some of which can be purchased in the shops of smoking accessories, others that can be made simply at home. Let's see together what filters are needed for joints, why use them and how to make them.

Why use a barrel filter?

First of all, let's explain why it's always a good idea to use a filter when smoking cannabis. The main reason is the practicality: when you roll a joint with a filter, this helps to make the whole thing more compact, preventing it from crumbling between your fingers or getting twisted; if you smoke with other people, a joint without a filter could become a little unpleasant towards the bottom, especially if someone drools a little too much; furthermore, the filter openings allow air to circulate, making the easier shots. Last but not least, we add that thanks to the filter it is possible to enjoy your joint in its entirety, without wasting the last puffs for fear of burning your fingers.

But what happens if i smoke the filter? Basically, nothing: you'll smell a little bit of burning and you'll know the joint is finished by putting it out in time. The filter helps you avoid burning your fingertips or clothes by distraction, preventing sparks from falling when your joint is already a butt.

how to make a paper filter

To make a paper filter, or Moroccan cane filter, which is the most common type, just get a piece of cardboard. You can find cardboard filters on sale that are already cut and just need to be folded, but you can also use the classic rolled-up bus ticket. What size should the cane filter be with the DIY Cards? The ideal is to cut out a rectangle of about 2x4 cm.

Here are some filters rods shapes tutorial to easily create the most classic and original filter types:

• Classic filter

The classic filter, also called aw, is simple to make. On one side of the cardboard, make a couple of accordion folds, so that a sort of “w” comes out. Then start rolling the cardboard so that your “letter” ends up incorporated into the circle.

• Filter as

How to make a cane filter as? The as filter is obtained by folding the end of the cardboard creating a “u” shape. Once done, you need to fold the same end in the other direction. This double “u” will create an “s” shape. Then just roll the piece of cardboard creating a cylinder around the “s”.

• Heart filters

The heart filter is made with the help of a paper clip or another rigid and thin tool. First you will have to fold one end of the cardboard and press it on the curvature to obtain the classic "humps" of the heart. For this reason, the use of a metal tool is very useful. Once you have made your paper heart, just roll it inside the remaining paper to create the filter.

• Spiral filters

Spiral filters are very simple to make: just fold the cardboard as if it were a yoga mat, simply rolling it up on itself.One trick to make it more stable is to roll it in both directions before using it.

• Cannabis Leaf Filter

To make this particular filter you will need to make seven folds: three of increasing size, a longer central one and three of decreasing size. Then you roll the remaining cardboard around the shape, which will look like a mini-cannabis leaf.

Filters for special rods

It is not necessary that the filters for the joints must be made of rolled cardboard. For example, there are the glass filters, which being specifically designed for cannabis guarantee better consumption. In fact, paper filters, as cheap and cute as they are, do not filter the harmful substances in tobacco. Instead, glass filters are the choice of choice for the conscious smoker: practical, elegant, reusable, offer exceptional protection to both the lungs and fingers, avoiding accidental burns. In addition to glass filters, there are also activated carbon filters, which serve a similar function but might reduce the taste of your joint a bit.

What to use instead of a filter for smoking? There are also creative people who decide to enjoy their joints with very particular filters, for example… with the fusilli. A small fusilli cut in half can act as a filter instead of glass or cardboard. Again, it does not provide the same protection for the lungs as glass, but it is still practical.