It all depends on how 'dank/wettish' the weed is. If it's dank has some slight moisture to it, it has to be rolled up loose or it won't burn right, and you can't draw smoke.

If the weed is dry or dryish, then I roll it up tighter the drier the weed is.

Now, 85% of the time, I cannot roll due to my hands being uncapable to due to a medical condition, so sometimes I have to use a joint roller. Controlling how tight or how big it is can be difficult with a roller, but if you want a fair sized joint about the size of cigg, then it can do that very nicely.

I always use a filter in the end. I don't like that term filter with it as it's just a piece of rolled yup cardboard in the mouthpiece, and it doesn't filter anything at all. I usually refer to that piece as a roach or a handle.

The only reason I use a cardboard roach in the end, is so I have something to hold onto to, to smoke the entire joint. I always hated keeping the little butt ends of joints as they stink like hell, pain in the ass and tedious to remove little chunks of weed from sticky, smelly paper, and I find it much easier to just smoke the last 3 rips than keeping a little butt.