The first company to create rolling paper was Pay-Pe, founded in Spain in 1703. The known history of Tobacco Rolling Paper can be traced back to Alexandro Rizzlet de Cramptone Lacroix, an ancestor of the Lacroix family who founded and managed the RizLa+ Rolling Papers Company over the centuries. The story goes that in 1532, Lacroix in France exchanged a bottle of champagne for a rolling paper brought from Spain by French soldiers. Then he copied the paper (as the French still do today). The rolling paper was invented in Spain, not France. The Spanish already traded tobacco to the new world long before the French were.
In 1660 the Lacroix family began producing paper. In 1736 he obtained a factory and founded the Lacroix Rolling Paper Company. His first major contract was none other than that of Napoleon. Napoleon gave him a license to make paper. His soldiers rolled up tobacco using the pages of the book. In 1865, the company changed the formula of the smoking paper to Rice Paper, changing the name to “RizLa+” Because "Croix" means "cross" in French.
The Lacroix family continued to reap significant profits from the venture over the centuries, earning enough fortune to build an impressive family mansion by 1891. His products were distributed throughout Europe and America by 1900, and in 1942 he successfully patented a method for applying glue to the edges of the paper, becoming a market leader.
The Lacroix family owned the company until 1978 when it was sold to Fernand Penblanc.
In general, the structure of rolling papers has remained the same for centuries. Different companies use different combinations of pulp, hemp, rice, and flax. The use of rice in rolling paper dates back to at least 1865. Some companies may use esparto, or "needle grass," that grows in northwestern Africa and southern Spain. But the material is not popular, as it may be more carcinogenic.
JOB brand paper has some reputation. In 1838, the company hired Paul Harvey to paint the brand's paintings reminiscent of Alphonse Mucha's popular Art Nouveau style. Rolling paper's popularity, in general, rose around 1883, when another innovation in the Lacroix family, the cigarette rolling machine, was invented. Their original design is still used in rolling machines today. Soon after, Rolling Paper under the ZigZag brand introduced the "interleaving" method, a very popular way to wrap rolling paper.
In 1906, RizLa+ introduced the first flavored peppers (menthol and strawberry). Rolling Papers innovation is still ongoing, and in a way, it's a microcosm of popular culture. Magnetically Closing Element Paper Grouting Cigarette Pouch; Bugler's papers were widely smoked in prison for some time, and Raw's papers reflect a general preference for organic ingredients. Their papers are vegetarian and are sold additive-free.
Not All Rolling Papers Are Created Equal.
Today, rolling papers are available in a variety of materials, weights, and sizes to suit individual smoking preferences. Some prefer the taste of rice paper, others prefer wood or flax. Some prefer thick, hard paper, while others prefer very thin, transparent burns. Some papers are like thick glue strips and some don't have adhesive strips. It all comes down to personal preference.
