Wash Your Backwoods
I don’t know what it is, but the past few years Backwoods cigars seem to have grown in popularity amongst the cannabis consumer. I remember being younger in Chicago and only a select few of my friends smoked backwoods, mainly because of their difficulty to roll. If you are a regular consumer of Backwoods, or any type of tobacco leaf wrapped cigar, you know that these do not get split down the middle and emptied of the tobacco inside. Instead they get unraveled almost in the same manner they were rolled just in reverse. You need to find the seam towards the mouthpiece of the cigar, peel it and unravel it very carefully so as to not make any tears or holes. Once unraveled, it’s filled with flower, then rolled back up again. I have met a lot of people who enjoy these types of wraps, and when I ask them if they “washed” it, I usually get the normal response of "yes" or "no"... but then there’s also this look of complete confusion from some people who have no idea what I mean.
What I mean when I ask someone if they washed their Backwood, I do not mean to literally wash with soap and water. What washing means is to basically rinse all the excess chemicals and glues that they use when producing these cigars. These cigars are not very well taken care of or hand rolled by professional cigar rollers. They are produced in a large factory setting with processed tobacco materials, and in order to get the leaves to stick and prevent unraveling, different types of cigar glues are used. I’m not sure exactly what these glues contain, but when consuming any flower, minimizing what goes into the roll will only make for a more natural, pleasant flavor and a less harsh smoke. So, once all the steps of finding the seam, unraveling the cigar and emptying the interior tobacco from the exterior leaf, it’s time to “wash” the wrap.
When washing, I have seen people put their wraps in boiling water, although I feel that hot water can also wash off all the flavoring, but that’s only important if you like the different flavors of Backwoods. This method is also more time consuming. What I usually do myself is just use the nearest sink, and get the water as hot as I can. Once the water is hot, I hold the leaf in my hand and simply place it under the running water while flipping the leaf over and over, and rubbing off any pieces of interior tobacco that may still be stuck to the leaf. Let the water carefully run over it, and do not put your sink on full blast. Since the leaf will be wet from the rinse, you need to dry it before you will be able to roll it.
To dry your leaf after the rinse, all that is needed is some paper towel and a rolling pin, or something cylindrical that can be used like a rolling pin. I usually use about 4 paper towels and a rolling pin. If I am not at home or do not have a rolling pin, I find that a couple good alternatives that most people have around are wine bottles or stainless steel water bottles. I always have a can of butane on me, so anything similar to that should also work. I place 2 paper towels down and lay the wet leaf flat on the dry paper towels. I then place my other 2 paper towels on top of the wet leaf, and start using my rolling pin or butane can to push down and roll over the paper towels simultaneously, like a steamroller used in construction.
Now, I know this may sound like a lot to roll a blunt, but you’re almost done. All that is left to do is pull the napkins apart, and remove your leaf from the napkins. If you still had any doubt this process was beneficial, that doubt will be removed when you see what was transferred from the leaf to the napkins. Once you remove the leaf, you will see dark wet spots that look a brown color with a yellow tint that is probably excess tar, nicotine and blunt glue (I really can’t say). All I know is that I’m glad it doesn’t end up in my lungs, and it really does make for a more smoother enjoyable experience. I actually was never a fan of Backwoods when my friends back home would roll them because they were too harsh and had an unpleasant flavor to me, so if this also the reason for you not liking to roll cannabis in tobacco, I suggest you try this method of washing your 'Woods.
Some people don’t like 'Woods and that’s fine, some people like them but don’t wash them, and that is also fine. Personally, I like them when they are washed, and I notice a major difference in the way my lungs and throat feel after smoking a blunt or two when they are washed versus when they are not. I am not here to tell you how to smoke. I just want you to try this out if you never have, especially if your reason for not enjoying a good ole 'Wood is harshness and flavor. If that's the case, this washing method will definitely help you.
Feel free to DM me on IG @tookkie_terpenestein, ask me questions, share your methods, thoughts, and experiences and be on the lookout – next month I might just teach you how to roll a donut. Have a Happy 420 everyone, Peace!
Carefully unroll cigar, separating the leaf from the tobacco.
Rinse under hot water, gently rubbing the leaf to wash clean.
Pat dry with a paper towel, then using a roller, press to dry.
Allow to air dry until the appropriate moisture level is achieved.
Roll up some fresh flower and enjoy!