Rizla (), commercially styled Rizla+., is a French brand of rolling papers and other related paraphernalia in which tobacco, or marijuana, or a mixture, is rolled to make handmade joints and cigarettes. The company was sold in 1997 to Imperial Tobacco. The name "Rizla" came in 1886 (riz being the French word for "rice" and La+ an abbreviation of Lacroix, "the cross"). Rizla rolling papers are available in a range of thicknesses, indicated by the colour of the packaging, and sizes. History Creation Pierre Lacroix was inspired to begin the production of rolling papers when, in the year 1532, he traded some paper for a bottle of fine champagne and realized their potential market. The company breaks out In 1660, having perfected the first paper specifically designed for rolling, the Lacroix family began production. Despite the early success, it was not until 76 years later in 1736 that the family acquired their own paper-mill, purchased by François Lacroix, founder of the Lacroix Rolling Paper company. In 1796 Napoleon granted the Lacroix company a licence to produce rolling papers for his troops. However, The Economist magazine has questioned the Napoleon story, reporting that "A museum in Angoulème, the Lacroix ancestral seat, calls this historical “fantasy” and says that until 1860 the family manufactured paper but not for cigarettes." In 1865, a change was made to the formula—the tissue previously used in the papers was replaced with paper made from rice. It is this change to rice paper that caused the name "RizLa+" to emerge: a combination of the French word riz , meaning "rice", with La and a cross, representing the Lacroix family name, which literally means "The Cross". 20th century and beyond Rizla produced some of the first flavoured papers in 1906, with the release of menthol and strawberry. The first Rizla Blue fine-weight rolling papers were produced in 1910, with thinner paper and a more pronounced tobacco flavour. RizLa also released one of the first rolling machines. In 1942, the Rizla brand revolutionized the world of rolling papers when the Lacroix brothers acquired a patent for applying gum to the edge of rolling papers. This new feature solidified Rizla's position as a leader in the rolling paper industry, placing them at the top of the market. In 1977, thirty-three years after the brand name change, Rizla released the first of their King Size rolling papers. The standard sized papers