RAW Papers

History and origins

In our opinion, the story surrounding RAW Papers is worthy of a film. It has all the emotions a good story needs. It all began with a rice paper and a magic trick that Josh Kesselman's father showed him when he was 5 years old. From that moment on, Josh fell in love with rolling papers and was fascinated by the whole subject. In 1993, the RAW founder opened a small smoke shop in Gainesville, Florida with just 500 dollars. Over the years, his business grew increasingly successful, and he already owned six smoke shops. But in 1996, he suffered a severe setback. Josh sold a young lady a bong. Nothing unusual in principle, but unfortunately, her father worked for the US government. A major raid took place, and Josh had to close all his shops and was under house arrest for a while.

None of this stopped the RAW Papers founder, however, and he moved to Arizona that same year to open a delivery and distribution smoke shop called HBI. This time, however, without bongs in the range. In 1997, the company was already expanding again when Josh met the owner of an old rolling paper factory in Alcoy, Spain. He was looking for a partner to bring new products to market. Josh joined this project and developed two brands that are still very well-known today: Juicy Jay's and Elements.

But Josh wanted more. He wanted to develop a natural, vegan-based rolling paper that was completely free of chemicals and additives. Such a thing didn't exist at the time. So, in 2004, he invested a million dollars in a supplier of natural, unprocessed, and unbleached hemp fibers. The investment was risky, but it grew in success over time. In 2005, RAW finally began mass production. Today, RAW papers are among the most popular rolling papers on the entire market.

RAW Papers

Today, these fine rolling papers are still produced and manufactured in the Alcoy region of Spain. No genetically modified organisms are used in their production. Wind energy is fed into the production process to promote sustainability. All RAW papers are gluten-free, vegan, and free from chlorine, bleach, or other chemicals. Their special criss-cross watermark ensures an even and smooth burn. The natural acacia gum is sustainably harvested and comes from the Ethiopia/Senegal region. The acacia resin is harvested by tapping the trees, similar to maple syrup, then filtered, pasteurized, and only then applied to the rolling papers.

As you can see, RAW Papers are truly something special. If you want to learn more about RAW and its founder Josh Kesselman, Check out this interesting interview with him.

Buy RAW Papers & Co. in the Donaulife Headshop