The smoke puffs from a joint have a thicker body and spreads further out than cigarettes. Why is that?
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Joints don’t use the particulate filters that cigarettes have, since this type of filter also removes THC.
They either use no filters at all (just a rolleed cardboard tube for structural support) or an activated charcoal tip, which absorbs some of the gunk, but doesn’t act as a particulate filter, like a cigarette one does
Marijuana has a lot of viscous, oily elements that make it burn thick. Tobacco is a lot drier and also almost always filtered
Marijuana has a lot of viscous, oily elements that make it burn thick. Tobacco is a lot drier and also almost always filtered
Joints don’t use the particulate filters that cigarettes have, since this type of filter also removes THC.
They either use no filters at all (just a rolleed cardboard tube for structural support) or an activated charcoal tip, which absorbs some of the gunk, but doesn’t act as a particulate filter, like a cigarette one does
There’s a multitude of reasons, the first thing to understand is that smoke is suspended solids and liquids in the air, almost all gases produced are colorless. The largest reason that marijuana has a large amount of cannabinoids (20%-30%) and terpenes (~1%-5%) and these are rather viscous and oily and are vaporized when it’s burned. This is what is primarily in the cloud of smoke.
Tobacco has very small amounts of terpenes and no oily/viscous cannabinoids, (and it has ~1%-3% nicotine), so when it’s burned there are very few vaporized compounds. Instead the cellulose leaf is burned giving (mostly) CO2 and water, both of which are colorless. Additionally tobacco cigarettes are usually filtered, although unfiltered cigars don’t produce much thicker smoke.
So, when marijuana is burned roughly 21%-33% of it is vaporized and is visible, whereas when tobacco is burned the only visible parts are the vaporized nicotine, and any incomplete combustion byproducts (I.e tar) (which is typically filtered.
There’s a multitude of reasons, the first thing to understand is that smoke is suspended solids and liquids in the air, almost all gases produced are colorless. The largest reason that marijuana has a large amount of cannabinoids (20%-30%) and terpenes (~1%-5%) and these are rather viscous and oily and are vaporized when it’s burned. This is what is primarily in the cloud of smoke.
Tobacco has very small amounts of terpenes and no oily/viscous cannabinoids, (and it has ~1%-3% nicotine), so when it’s burned there are very few vaporized compounds. Instead the cellulose leaf is burned giving (mostly) CO2 and water, both of which are colorless. Additionally tobacco cigarettes are usually filtered, although unfiltered cigars don’t produce much thicker smoke.
So, when marijuana is burned roughly 21%-33% of it is vaporized and is visible, whereas when tobacco is burned the only visible parts are the vaporized nicotine, and any incomplete combustion byproducts (I.e tar) (which is typically filtered.
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People have talked a bit about the colors caused by the oils, but I’d like to address the “why does it hang in the air and look so dense” part.
Cigarette tobacco is very dry when it’s smoked. Very, very dry. Marijuana still has a lot of moisture in it when it’s smoked, much of it in the form of oils but also a bit more actual water than cigarettes. It’s much closer in water content to pipe tobacco or cigars. If you watch someone smoking a pipe or a cigar, you’ll notice a cloud very similar to marijuana.
Additionally, marijuana burns at a lower temperature than tobacco (deliberately so to release the active chemicals without completely vaporizing them) which means that the water in the plant turns more to steam instead of fully vaporizing. This also contributes to (not the sole cause, but part of it) the well known “weed cough” and its unique wet sound. That cough is in response to not just the heat and smoke, but also the water vapor that’s been inhaled.
The cooler burning temperature also means that the smoke isn’t as hot, so it doesn’t rise as rapidly in the room air, which is why it seems to hang around eye level sometimes.
People have talked a bit about the colors caused by the oils, but I’d like to address the “why does it hang in the air and look so dense” part.
Cigarette tobacco is very dry when it’s smoked. Very, very dry. Marijuana still has a lot of moisture in it when it’s smoked, much of it in the form of oils but also a bit more actual water than cigarettes. It’s much closer in water content to pipe tobacco or cigars. If you watch someone smoking a pipe or a cigar, you’ll notice a cloud very similar to marijuana.
Additionally, marijuana burns at a lower temperature than tobacco (deliberately so to release the active chemicals without completely vaporizing them) which means that the water in the plant turns more to steam instead of fully vaporizing. This also contributes to (not the sole cause, but part of it) the well known “weed cough” and its unique wet sound. That cough is in response to not just the heat and smoke, but also the water vapor that’s been inhaled.
The cooler burning temperature also means that the smoke isn’t as hot, so it doesn’t rise as rapidly in the room air, which is why it seems to hang around eye level sometimes.
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