RAW

What Is RAW and Why Did Josh Kesselman Build a $100M Rolling Paper Brand From Scratch?

RAW's origin story is more specific than most brands admit to. Josh Kesselman's fascination with rolling papers started at age five when his father performed a magic trick with Spanish rice-style papers — lighting one, throwing it in the air and watching it vanish. That moment stuck. By the early 1990s, Kesselman was running a smoke shop in Gainesville, Florida and noticing that every rolling paper on the market was bleached, filled with chalk and additives, and tasted like chemicals rather than whatever was being smoked. In 1993, he smoked an additive-free cigarette and understood what he needed to build.

He sold everything he owned. Built HBI International in 1997. Invested $1 million in natural, unbleached hemp fibre by 2004. RAW launched in 2005 and the market responded immediately — not because the packaging was clever but because the paper was genuinely different. Today RAW does $100M+ in US annual wholesale sales, has over 300 million organic views on Meta in a single month, is name-checked in Wiz Khalifa's song "Raw," and in 2025 Kesselman acquired High Times. The brand is manufactured in Alcoy, Spain — a town with centuries of paper-making tradition — and the Gripper Grinder is made in the USA by workers with special needs. RAW Giving has funded water wells in Ethiopia and orphanages in Indonesia. This is not a brand that happened accidentally.

RAW Classic, Organic Hemp and Black — What Makes Each Paper Line Different?

RAW makes three primary paper lines and every buyer eventually picks a favourite. The differences are real, not marketing: each line uses different source material and produces a different experience.

RAW Classic is the original — unbleached plant fibres (a blend of hemp and other natural fibres), the brown colour that became RAW's visual signature, and the criss-cross watermark that fights runs and keeps the burn even. The everyday default for most RAW users. Natural acacia gum line, no chalk, no bleach, no additives. Translucent enough to see through. Available at ProCannabis in 1¼ (50 leaves) and King Size Slim (32 leaves) at $3 per booklet, and in 20-pack cones in multiple sizes.

RAW Organic Hemp takes the Classic formula further: pure organic hemp fibres only, certified organic, nothing else. The burn is slightly cleaner than Classic because the source material is single-origin hemp rather than blended plant fibres. For buyers who specifically want to know the paper contains only organic hemp — no other plant fibres, no conventional farming inputs. Available at ProCannabis in 1¼ and King Size Slim, with and without tips.

RAW Black is the ultra-thin line — the same natural materials as Classic but pressed to near-transparency, producing a paper so light it barely contributes to the smoke. Black requires more rolling skill than Classic or Organic because the paper tears more easily and does not forgive sloppy technique. The reward is the closest experience to smoking the material itself that a rolling paper can produce — the paper almost disappears. Available at ProCannabis in 1¼ and King Size Slim.

Additional variants at ProCannabis: RAW Classic Black (dark Classic), RAW Camo (limited print), RAW Lyrical Lemonade and RAW Ethereal Gold (collaboration editions in King Size). Browse the full range of rolling papers at ProCannabis for RAW and every other paper brand alongside it.

RAW Cones in Five Sizes — Which Format Is Right for Solo Sessions vs Sharing?

RAW pre-rolled cones are the same paper as the flat sheets — Classic, Organic Hemp and Black — shaped into a cone with a built-in tip and ready to fill. No rolling skill required: grind your flower, load the cone, tamp it down, twist the top. The cone handles the tuck and seal that makes flat papers difficult for most people. Twenty cones per pack at ProCannabis for $7. Five sizes cover every use case:

• Single (70/24): 70mm body, the smallest format. One person, one fast session. Good for sampling a new strain without committing to a full-length smoke.
• 1¼ (84mm): The everyday size, equivalent to a 1¼ flat paper. Comfortable personal-use joint, works for most sessions without feeling excessive.
• 98 Special (98mm): Slim mid-length with a controlled, slow burn. The in-between format for buyers who find 1¼ slightly short and King Size slightly long.
• Lean (110mm): 110mm body with a long 40mm tip for a cooler pull. The tip length keeps heat away from your fingers and cools the smoke before it reaches you.
• King Size (110mm): The sharing format. Room for more flower, longer session, best for two or more people or extended solo use.

All five sizes use the same watermarked, natural acacia gum paper as RAW's flat sheets. The cone format does not change the burn quality — it changes who can roll it (anyone) and how long it takes (seconds). Browse hemp wraps at ProCannabis for all-hemp wrapping alternatives to rolling papers alongside RAW cones.

Why Are RAW Papers Made in Alcoy, Spain and What Does That Mean for Consistency?

Alcoy is a city in the Valencia region of Spain with a paper-making history stretching back to the 13th century. It is not a coincidence that RAW chose to manufacture there — Alcoy is where the finest rolling papers in the world have been made for hundreds of years, and the craft knowledge embedded in that manufacturing tradition is not something a factory built from scratch elsewhere can replicate. The workers in Alcoy who produce RAW papers have generational expertise in thin-paper production. The specific machinery, the calibration for paper weight and porosity, the humidity control required for consistent rolling paper — these are refined over decades of specialised manufacturing, not generic paper production.

What this means for the buyer: RAW paper consistency is not just a quality control claim — it is a manufacturing infrastructure argument. When a RAW paper from one booklet burns the same as a RAW paper from a booklet bought six months later in a different country, that is the result of consistent source material, consistent manufacturing conditions and consistent Alcoy expertise, not luck or QC sampling. The criss-cross watermark that prevents runs is applied during manufacturing, not printed on — it is part of the paper's structure. These are not technical details that apply to cheaper papers. The Gripper Grinder is the one RAW product made in the USA — specifically by workers with special needs, which is part of Kesselman's social impact commitment across the brand.

What Other Products Does RAW Make Beyond the Papers and Cones at ProCannabis?

RAW's product catalog extends well beyond the papers and cones that made the brand famous. ProCannabis carries the 1¼ papers, King Size Slim papers, five-size cones and the Gripper Grinder. The full RAW range at rawlife247.com and retail partners includes:

• RAW Tips: Perforated cardboard filter tips in multiple widths — wide, slim and pre-rolled. The tips that go into the cone's base or get rolled into a flat paper joint to keep flower from pulling through and provide a stable mouthpiece.
• RAW Rolling Trays: Metal trays in small, medium and large, with the RAW logo and a raised edge to contain everything during rolling. The standard rolling surface for anyone who rolls frequently.
• RAW Phatty Papers: Released 2024. Extra-large format capable of holding up to 4 grams — inspired by the Rass Phatty paper Kesselman sold in the 1990s. For consumers who want something significantly larger than a standard king size.
• RAW Connoisseur: Papers and tips bundled together in one booklet — for rollers who want the paper and crutch in the same package without carrying both separately.
• Collaboration Editions: RAW regularly releases limited edition papers in partnership with artists, musicians and cultural figures. Lyrical Lemonade and Ethereal Gold editions are currently at ProCannabis.
• Grinders, Cases and Branded Accessories: The full RAW accessories ecosystem covers everything from paper holders to smell-proof pouches to branded lighters. Available at rawlife247.com.

Browse the full range of dry herb vaporizers at ProCannabis for hardware that pairs with RAW papers and cones for dry herb vaporizing alongside traditional rolling formats.