How Old Do You Have to Be to Buy Rolling Papers?

You must be this tall to ride the roller coaster and this old to see the R-rated movie, and in the world of smoking accessories, there are also restrictions in place for purchasing the likes of rolling papers and hemp wraps.

Papers and wraps are readily available at gas stations and convenience stores, as well as age-gated retailers like dispensaries and smoke shops. Dispensaries and smoke shops have strict 21 and older age requirements to enter, effectively establishing the minimum age for purchasing rolling papers and wraps from these retailers at 21.

But what about shops like gas stations, convenience stores or even online retailers where presenting an ID is not required to peruse the establishment's wares – does the same 21-year threshold apply? Can anyone pick up a booklet of DaySavers rolling papers off the shelf since they don't contain tobacco or cannabis, or do smoking-related products that are tobacco-, nicotine- and THC-free also fall under that ruling?

Let's take a quick look at how old you have to be to buy rolling papers and hemp wraps here in the good ol' U.S. of A.

Do You Have to Be 21 to Buy Rolling Papers?

In 2019, Congress and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, through the Tobacco 21 law (T21), amended federal restrictions on the sale of tobacco products from 18 to 21 years, including cigarettes, e-cigarettes and the sale of covered tobacco products, which, you guessed it, includes papers and wraps.

This means the answer to our query of how old one must be to buy rolling paper is, in fact, 21 years of age.

The law states that rolling papers intended or marketed for use with cigarettes or roll-your-own tobacco are considered tobacco products, or components of tobacco products to be more specific, and may not be sold to anyone under 21.

Regardless of whether they contain tobacco, federal restrictions extend to purchases of rolling papers and hemp wraps from both in-person and online retailers nationwide. Since they are designed for smoking, they fall under the same rules as tobacco and cannabis products and are a no-go for anyone under 21.

The law also requires retailers to verify the age of any customer who appears under the age of 30 using photo ID, so have that identification handy.

And while the T21 law may be a bit ambiguous surrounding rolling papers, as they technically aren't a tobacco product being primarily made from wood pulp, states like Washington have defined "covered tobacco products" further than the national T21 law.

Washington's RCW 26.28.080 law states: "A person who sells or give, or permits to be sold or given, to any person under the age of twenty-one years any cigar, cigarette, cigarette paper or wrapper, tobacco in any form, or a vapor product is guilty of a gross misdemeanor."

So tobacco filled or not, rolling paper sales to persons under the age of 21 is a no-no

What About Pre-Rolled Cones and Tubes

Yep, you guessed it again, the law also prohibits the sale of pre-rolled cones and blunts for the simple fact that their intended use is for smoking.

Retailers involved in the sale of papers or wraps to a minor are subject to penalties, with increasingly sever consequences for repeat offenders. Retailers in violation can have their license to sell tobacco products temporarily or permanently suspended, and fines can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars.

So, if you plan on making your way to your local gas station or convenience store to pick up a booklet of papers, make sure to bring your 21+ ID, you're going to need it. And if you're hitting a smoke shop or dispensary, you'll for sure need a 21+ ID just to get through the door.

In the end, the goals of these laws are to protect the health of our youth, so those DaySavers papers, cones and blunts will have to wait until after the 21-run fam.