Rolling Paper Materials Guide: Hemp vs Rice vs Wood Pulp

Most rolling papers are made from one of four materials: hemp, rice, wood pulp or flax. Hemp papers are usually a little thicker and easier to handle, rice papers are the thinnest and leave the least ash, and wood pulp papers sit in between. Unbleached (brown) papers skip the whitening step that gives white papers their colour.

Here's how they compare, plus the bits nobody explains: gum strips, watermarks and paper weight.

• Comparison table
• Hemp
• Rice
• Wood pulp
• Flax & bamboo
• Palm leaf
• Bleached vs unbleached
• Gum
• FAQ

At a glance

Hemp papers

Hemp is the most popular material for "natural" papers. It's a little thicker and grippier than rice, which makes it forgiving if you're still learning. RAW's Organic Hemp papers are made from unbleached certified organic hemp, according to the brand. Many "classic" papers, including RAW Classic, are a blend of fibres rather than pure hemp.

Rice papers

Rice papers are the thinnest you can get. Elements, the best-known rice brand, says its papers are pure rice with no pulp or hemp. In Gear Patrol's side-by-side testing, rice paper left the least ash of any paper they tried. The trade-off: thin rice papers are less forgiving to roll, especially with damp fingers.

Wood pulp papers

Wood pulp is the traditional paper material and the easiest to colour and print on, so most pink, purple and patterned papers are wood pulp. Blazy Susan's pink papers, for example, are listed as 14.5 gsm wood pulp, and Cloudz says its papers are natural wood pulp.

Flax and bamboo

Flax is the classic European paper fibre: OCB Premium, for example, is listed as flax at 14 gsm. OCB also makes a bamboo paper. Both roll and burn evenly, somewhere between hemp and rice.

Palm leaf wraps

Not technically paper at all. King Palm rolls are made from natural Cordia leaf with no glue, according to the brand, and come pre-rolled. They're thicker and burn slower than papers. More in palm leaf wraps vs hemp wraps vs papers.

Bleached vs unbleached

White papers have been through a whitening process. Unbleached papers skip it, which is why they're light brown. RAW, for example, says its papers contain no chemical whiteners. Brands like Flying Papers and Blazy Susan sell the same paper in both a white and a brown version, so you can try both side by side.

Gum strips, watermarks and paper weight

• Acacia gum (gum arabic): the most common natural gum, used by RAW, OCB, ROOR and Vibes' Cubano cone.
• Sugar gum: Elements' choice. Gear Patrol found it burned at about the same speed as the paper, while acacia gum burned slightly slower.
• Watermarks: some papers have a pressed pattern, like RAW's criss-cross watermark, which the brand says helps the paper burn evenly.
• gsm (grams per square metre): paper weight. Lower gsm = thinner paper. Most premium papers are around 12–15 gsm.

FAQ

What is the thinnest type of rolling paper?

Rice papers are generally the thinnest, followed by ultra-thin wood pulp lines like RAW Black and Vibes Ultra Thin.

Are brown papers better than white papers?

Brown papers are unbleached, white papers are whitened. Which you prefer is mostly down to taste and feel, so it's worth trying both.

What is the gum on rolling papers made of?

Usually acacia gum (also called gum arabic), a natural tree gum. Some brands, like Elements, use a sugar-based gum instead.

Want the brand-by-brand breakdown? Head to the accessories directory or the size guide.

Last updated: 27 October 2026. Sources: brand websites and listings, Wikipedia (RAW) and Gear Patrol's rolling paper test.