What are Hybrid Hemp Blunt Wraps?

Pre-rolled blunts are one of the most untapped growth opportunities in the cannabis industry right now. Consumers love them – ranking blunts as the third most preferred consumption method according to New Frontier Data – margins are strong, and the segment is wide open for brands willing to step.

But to produce a quality pre-rolled blunt at scale, you need a wrap that can hold up to the demands of commercial production while delivering the slow burn and rich smoking experience blunt fans expect. And traditional blunt wraps can be tricky to keep around because they're so moisture sensitive.

That is where hybrid hemp wrap comes in.

Whether you are new to blunt production or looking to upgrade from a classic hemp wrap that has been giving your team headaches during production, we'll break down everything you need to know about hybrid hemp wrap: what is a hybrid hemp wrap, how are hybrid hemp wraps made, how do hybrid hemp wraps compare to other paper and wrap options, and how to incorporate hybrid hemp wrap blunts into your pre-roll line?

What is Hybrid Hemp Wrap?

Hybrid hemp wrap is a next-generation blunt wrap material developed specifically for cannabis pre-roll blunts. It is made with a higher concentration of hemp fiber than a classic hemp wrap and uses a manufacturing process that blends elements of both hemp paper production and traditional hemp wrap production.

The result is a wrap that burns slow and smooth like a classic hemp wrap, has the same subtle earthy flavor that complements but never overpowers flower and is tobacco-free and THC-free, but is significantly more durable, pliable, and far less moisture sensitive than a standard hemp wrap.

Custom Cones USA developed the hybrid hemp wrap specifically to address the biggest frustration pre-roll producers face when working with classic hemp: it dries out, cracks and can cause unnecessary slowdowns and rework on the production floor.

Hybrid hemp wrap solves those problems without compromising the smoking experience your customers are seeking.

How is Hybrid Hemp Wrap Made?

To understand what makes hybrid hemp wrap different, it helps to understand how the three main hemp wrap and paper options in the pre-roll industry are made.

Standard hemp rolling papers are primarily made from the long fibers found in the stalks of hemp plants. Those fibers are processed into a pulp, drained, pressed, dried and cut into thin sheets. At around 13.5 gsm (grams per square meter, the standard measure of paper thickness), rolling papers are light, clean and fast-burning.

Classic hemp wrap takes a completely different approach than that of rolling paper. Instead of using just the fibers of the plant, the entire hemp plant is ground into a coarse biomass powder. That ground material is mixed with natural binding ingredients, pressed into sheets, and slowly dried and cured, and because the whole plant is used, including the leaves, classic hemp wrap retains the flavonoids and terpenes that give it that distinctive earthy flavor.

At 60 to 70 gsm, it is significantly thicker than rolling paper and burns much slower, to the delight of blunt loyalists. The tradeoff is that classic hemp wrap gets its structural strength primarily from the hydrogen bonds between water molecules, and when those bonds evaporate as the wrap dries out, the wrap becomes brittle and prone to cracking, which is one of the reasons we often recommend having a humidor as part of your production facility. Hybrid hemp wrap sits at the crossroads of hemp paper and wrap.

Made with a much higher percentage of hemp fiber (around 75%) and a lower overall moisture content, hybrid hemp wrap does not rely on water bonds for its structural integrity the way classic hemp wrap does. It comes in at approximately 50 gsm, making it thicker than rolling paper but lighter than classic hemp wrap, and its fiber-based structure keeps it pliable and durable even as moisture levels change during shipping and storage. No humidor is required. No rehydration is necessary before you start production. Just open the case of hybrid hemp wrap cones or tubes and get to packing.

Why to Choose Hybrid Hemp Wraps Over Natural Leaf Wraps?

Palm leaves, cordia and tendu leaf, banana leaves and rose petals all have aesthetic appeal, and natural leaf wraps have built a real following in the premium blunt market, so we understand the allure to consumers. But after extensive internal testing, Custom Cones USA no longer carries palm leaf or other natural leaf blunt products, and the simple reason is they fail to consistently meet our testing standards.

Natural leaf products routinely fail testing for heavy metals, pesticides and microbials due in part by heavy metals in the soil these crops grow in. Pesticides are either applied directly to the crops or drift from neighboring farms, and the microbial issues come from the high moisture content and biomass density of the leaves during processing and storage.

In fact, in 2022, the top producer of palm leaf wraps in the country faced a recall after the Colorado Medical Enforcement Division found unsafe mold and yeast levels in their products, which came one year after a California lab discovered pesticides in several of the same company's products.

Custom Cones USA tests every product we carry for heavy metals, pesticides and microbials to California Phase III and Health Canada standards that go above and beyond what the industry requires. Natural leaf wraps have been unable to consistently pass that testing, which is why they are no longer part of our product line.

Hybrid hemp wrap and classic hemp wrap both pass our testing consistently, which means your customers are getting a clean product every time.

Standard Hybrid Hemp Wrap Offerings from Custom Cones USA

Our hybrid hemp wrap cones and tubes are available in a range of sizes and formats designed to fit seamlessly into existing pre-roll production setups.

Our hybrid hemp wraps are available in brown, dark brown, pink and green, and the color difference comes from the addition of food-grade dye. There is no flavor difference between colors, and none of our hybrid hemp wrap products contain artificial flavoring, additives or soy-based inks.

The choice between brown, dark brown, pink and green comes down entirely to what your brand and your customers respond to. Brown and dark brown will appeal to consumers who want their pre-rolled blunts to look and feel like a traditional tobacco blunt, while green and pink hybrid wraps stand out on crowded dispensary shelves.

In terms of sizes, paper-tip hybrid hemp wrap cones are available in 84mm (half gram), 98mm (three-quarter gram), and 109mm (one-gram), all with standard 26mm paper filter tips. These are the same standard sizes used for classic refined white, natural brown and organic hemp paper pre-roll cones, which means they are compatible with most standard cone filling machines including the King Kone and Fill N' Fold.

For producers looking for tube-format blunts, hybrid hemp wrap tubes are available in 109mm with 11mm diameter spiral filter tips and hold approximately two grams of flower. These are available with a range of premium filter tip options that open up significant opportunities for product differentiation and margin improvement.

Hybrid Hemp Wrap Blunt Cones with Premium Filter Tips

Custom Cones USA offers hybrid hemp wrap blunt cones with wood, glass and ceramic tips in both 90mm and 109mm sizes, giving producers a way to bring a connoisseur-level smoking experience to a standard cone format that runs on existing filling machines without any conversion kits or additional equipment. Wood tipped cones pair the slow, earthy burn of hybrid hemp with a familiar natural birch flat-mouth tip that cools the smoke and blocks particles better than a standard paper filter.

Glass tipped cones add the natural cooling properties of glass for bigger, smoother hits and an unmistakably luxury feel on the lips. And for brands positioning at the top of the market, ceramic tipped hybrid hemp cones cool smoke more effectively than any other filter material, with the added weight and feel of ceramic signaling a luxury product.

And just like all Custom Cones USA blunt products, they can be fully customized with cigar bands featuring your logo, colors and messaging so your brand is front and center.

Hybrid Hemp Wrap Blunt Tubes with Luxury Filter Tips

Filter tips are one of the most effective ways to elevate a blunt product from a commodity to a premium offering, and the price difference in your packaging cost is often far smaller than the price premium you can charge at retail.

Hybrid hemp blunt tubes with glass filter tips are available in cylinder, flat mouth, bullet and cone shapes, in both clear and black glass. Glass tipped hybrid hemp wrap blunt tubes are available with both 9mm and 11mm diameter options, with the 11mm holding up to two grams of flower compared to one gram for 9mm tubes.

Wood filter tips bring that natural feel that blunt consumers respond to strongly. Standard natural wood tips are available in cylindrical form with a dual paper spiral built in to further block particles and catch resin. For producers looking to add a point of differentiation, flavored wood tips are also available in sweetened and vanilla options.

The flavor from an infused wood tip stays on the lips without ever interfering with the terpene profile of the flower inside, which makes them an elegant way to add a new dimension to your blunt without applying artificial flavoring to the wrap itself.

Ceramic filter tips represent the highest tier of the pre-roll filter market, and Custom Cones USA carries ceramic filter-tipped hybrid hemp wrap blunt tubes in both flat mouth and cylindrical styles. These products carry the highest price point in the blunt category and appeal directly to the connoisseur consumer segment.

All hybrid hemp wrap blunt tubes can also be finished with silicone caps rather than a Dutch crown fold and are a fast and clean alternative to folding the open end of a hemp wrap, reduce production time, signal a premium product to consumers and help ensure a more even burn at first light.

Adding Hybrid Hemp Wrap to Your Pre-Roll Line

The pre-rolled blunt category is underserved relative to consumer demand. Blunts are the third most popular consumption method among cannabis consumers according to New Frontier Data, yet they represent less than 5% of pre-roll sales according to Headset's tracking data, a gap that represents real opportunity for brands willing to enter the blunt space.

Hybrid hemp wrap blunt cones are machine compatible and use the same standard sizes as your existing pre-roll cones and tubes, which means your entry point into the blunt category can be as simple as adding SKUs to your current production run.

If you are ready to explore hybrid hemp wrap options for your pre-roll line, the Pre-Roll Experts at Custom Cones USA are here to help. We carry hybrid hemp wrap cones and tubes in stock and can help you pair them with the right filter tips, branding and packaging solutions for your specific production setup.