RAW (rolling papers)

RAW is an American brand of rolling papers created in 2005 by Josh Kesselman. The rolling papers are made from hemp and considered to be the world's first "vegan" rolling papers. They are designed to be used for smoking tobacco and marijuana. [1][2] RAW filters and hand-rolling machines are also available.

Package of RAW 1 1/4 size classic rolling papers.

History

In 1993, after selling all of his possessions, Josh Kesselman was able to start a small smoke shop named Knuckleheads in Gainesville, Florida which imported specialty rolling papers from Europe and sold smoking paraphernalia. In 1996, Kesselman accidentally sold a bong to a woman whose father worked for the US government. Kesselman was raided and placed under house arrest.[3] Later that year, Kesselman moved to Arizona to start a smoke shop supply and distribution company called HBI.

By 1997, the business was expanding. Kesselman met the owner of an old rolling paper factory in Spain's Alcoy region who looked to create and sell new products. Kesselman joined and later developed two brands, Juicy Jay's, which were flavored papers, and Elements, which is similar to rice papers.[3]

In 2004, Kesselman made a $1 million investment to a supplier of natural, unprocessed and unbleached hemp fiber, which could be marketed as "vegan" papers. The concept was successful and RAW became the first company to offer "vegan" papers.[3] In 2005, RAW started mass production.

RAW is currently among the most popular rolling papers. Wiz Khalifa dedicated a song to the brand, titled "Raw."[4] Mary Schumacher of The Fresh Toast recommended RAW rolling papers to people who smoke cannabis.[5]

Package of RAW

See also

References
  1. Marks, Ben (2013-05-29). "The Unfiltered History of Rolling Papers, Plus Tommy Chong's Big Fat Jamaican Vacation". Collectors Weekly. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  2. Clark, Becca (2018-06-18). "15 Raw Rolling Papers for the Perfect Joint (2018)". Heavy.com. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  3. Yakowicz, Will (2018-04-19). "Entrepreneur Josh Kesselman Built an Empire Selling 'Vegan' Rolling Papers". Inc.com. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  4. Mooney, Harrison (22 November 2018). "12 days of cannabis: A guide to the perfect Christmas stash box". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  5. Schumacher, Mary (2018-05-09). "What's The Difference Between Spliffs, Joints And Blunts?". The Fresh Toast. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
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