Pre-Rolled in Gold: Gold Rolling Papers

Ah, gold. What is it about gold that has sent us to dig underground or spend hours sifting through pebbles in a freezing Alaskan riverbed just to gather a few soft, shiny rocks.

It’s captured our attention for as long as there have been humans and worked its way into the very root of our culture.

Hard enough to make teeth out of, but soft enough to make a mark when you bite it.

There’s gold bars, gold rings, gold bracelets, gold teeth, gold medals, gold plating, gold leaf, gold standards, Golden Slumbers, the Golden Rule, Golden Tickets, Golden Grahams and the president even has a golden toilet (because he loves a good metaphor, I guess)...

So why not gold rolling papers? Surely 24k gold rolling papers are a great way to splurge and add a little luxury to your smoke session, right?

Well maybe not. Because while gold rolling papers are made of edible gold, burning and inhaling that gold is not the best idea and could be dangerous.

Let’s break it down.

What are Gold Rolling Papers Made Of? Can You Smoke Gold?

The first questions most of us have when hearing about or seeing gold rolling papers usually go something like this: What are gold rolling papers made of? Ok, but is it REAL gold in gold papers?

Wait, can you smoke gold?

The simple answer is that yes, you can smoke gold. But the real answer is that it might not be safe and you might not want to. But let’s start at the basics.

So what are gold rolling papers made of? Believe it or not, yes, it probably is real gold. Legit producers of gold rolling papers, such as Shine papers, use 24k edible gold leaf, like the stuff you see on wedding cakes. However, you can’t roll up with just gold.

Instead, they coat ultra-thin rolling papers with the gold leaf to create something of a sandwich - gold on the outside, paper on the inside – that stays shiny but rolls and smokes like rolling paper.

Varying Forms of Gold Rolling Paper

Gold rolling paper can be used for anything that regular rolling paper is used for. Along with sheets to roll your own joints, there are gold pre-rolled cones available for those who like to pack their own pre-rolls.

There are also thicker, hemp wrap blunt style sheets, as well as a handful of luxury cannagar products that have been encased in gold like a Bond Girl, including the legendary $10,000, 15-inch long “El Dorado” Gold Cannagar sold in Seattle and one that sold in Las Vegas for $11,000, both back in 2018.

Goodness, the makers of the El Dorado even make a $50,000 full ounce cannabis cigar wrapped in 24k gold leaf and 98% THCa diamonds on the outside. A bit over the top but no judgements!

How Much Do Gold Rolling Papers Cost?

Gold rolling papers are a luxury item and are going to cost more. Like we said, it’s real gold so they aren’t cheap. A single gold pre-rolled cone can run you $14. A 2-pack of sheets nears $20. A 12-pack goes closer to $60. A blunt wrap (packaged in a glass tube for maximum impact) gets even pricier.

And we mentioned the $10k+ Cannagar, right?

But it’s gold. So these are probably for a special occasion anyway.

So Are Gold Rolling Papers Safe?

Here’s where it gets tricky. While all of this gold is edible gold that’s perfectly safe to eat, there’s not actually much research on what happens when you combust and smoke it. However, there is some research on heavy metals and pigments that may be relevant.

There only seems to be one paper on inhaling gold nanoparticles, conducted on rats in Korea in 2011. It noted minor inflammation in the lungs, but noted no other adverse effects. However, it should be noted that the study did not involve burning the gold before forcing the rats to inhale it.

Additionally, some gold papers – in particular the cheaper ones – might have other pigments or metals mixed in. A recent paper by Lake Superior State University, however, looked at the dangers of inhaling the pigments and inks found on printed rolling papers, discovering that many of the inks used to print are made with high levels of unsafe heavy metals.

Plus, gold is literally a heavy metal. While not one of the ones that states require cannabis be tested for, heavy metals are, in general, unsafe to smoke.

Brands That Sell Gold Rollling Papers

The most popular gold rolling paper brand is Shine Papers, which offers single gold sheets in multiple sizes (as well as 2-packs and 6-packs) as well as an all-gold pre-rolled cone in two sizes. The company also offers a “white” cone that is mostly white paper with a gold leaf design and “Tiger Stripes” cones of black and gold. They also have 24k 3-packs of gold wraps. Shine has also done limited-edition collabs with the Wu Tang Clan and Tyga.

Feelgood Flavors also offers a handful of gold rolling paper products, including a 2-pack of king size sheets and a 2-pack of gold leaf pre-rolled cones.

The 40 Grand brand offers its own gold rolling papers in king size and 1 ¼ size as well as king size and 1 ¼ size gold paper pre-rolled cones.

Linx also has a branded 2-pack of 1 ¼ gold rolling papers made with a hemp base.

Finally, the King Palm brand has its own line of gold pre-rolled tubes, but unlike the other brands, it uses cordia leaves (which raise their own concerns even without the gold) as its base instead of paper. King Palm also adds a vanilla cream flavor to its gold tubes.

Final Thoughts on Gold Rolling Papers

So there you have it. Gold rolling papers are a cool way to add some shine to any session, but be careful: they may not be as safe as they seem. Gold is a heavy metal, after all, and the science surrounding the safety of smoking it is sketchy at best. .

So if you do choose to smoke a golden pre-roll, don’t make it a regular thing..

Until next time, Stay Golden, Pre-Roll Boy!