CannaBasics: Cannabis Terms and Lingo

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]I[/dropcap]n every fandom, hobby and lifestyle, there are commonly used words that just don’t make sense to outsiders. Feeling a little out of the loop when it comes to cannabis lingo? Here’s a list of some of the most popular, well-known terms used in the cannabis community!

Autoflowering: Varieties of cannabis that automatically grow buds and don’t need light cycles. 

Bong: Any kind of filtration device that allows the smoking of cannabis, traditionally seen as a glass apparatus.

Budder: Known for its thick, sticky consistency (similar to that of peanut butter). Halfway between wax and crumble, budder is made by whipping sap or shatter until it is broken down into budder.

Budtender: A title referring to people who sell cannabis in dispensaries. These individuals are often described as well informed about the cannabis they sell, and they can often help recommend strains to recreational consumers or medical patients based on the effect or effects they desire to experience.

Butane Hash Oil/BHO: A process that presses butane into cannabis trimmings, resulting in a liquid mixture of both butane and cannabis. After the butane is evaporated, a waxy or sticky cannabis extract remains.

C02 Extraction: Also known as supercritical fluid extraction, C02 extraction is considered the most effective method for maintaining terpene levels and preventing cannabinoids from being deactivated, and it doesn’t leave behind trace levels of heavy metals.

Cannabidiol/CBD: One of 113 known cannabinoids, which is often used to treat medical patients with a variety of medical conditions. Unlike THC, CBD produces no psychoactive effects and won’t get you “high.”

Cannabinoid: Various chemical compounds contained in cannabis flowers, which are linked to traits that help medical patients treat a variety of conditions (ex. insomnia, anxiety and nausea).

Cannabis: The scientific word for plants of the Cannabaceae family. This includes Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica and Cannabis ruderalis. Also referred to as marijuana, weed, pot, ganja, cheeba, etc.

Churro: The art of rolling a joint, which is coated with a concentrate and then dusted with kief on the outside.

Concentrates: Cannabis strains are put through concentration methods, which result in oil, wax, shatter, budder, etc.

Cotton Mouth: The dry mouth effect that comes from cannabis.

Crumble: A dry form of concentrate that resembles crunchy brown sugar in appearance and consistency.

Dab/Dabbing: The action of consuming a cannabis concentrate.

Dime/Dimebag: A bag containing $10 worth of cannabis. Amounts vary.

Drug Czar: Often coined to refer to leaders in cannabis regulation in California. Lori Ajax of the Bureau of Cannabis Control, or Cat Packer of the Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation, have been called this title.

Edibles: Food, drink or pill products (which also extends to items that go under the tongue, or sprays) that are infused with cannabis.

Eighth: An eighth-ounce of cannabis.

Emperor Wears No Clothes: A book written by famous cannabis advocate and author Jack Herer, which was first published in 1985.

Feminized: Varieties of cannabis that almost always grow as female (producing buds).

Flower: A general term used to describe the harvestable “flower” of a cannabis plant. Also called a bud, or a nug.

Gateway Drug: A term that refers to a substance that leads to the sale or consumption or harsher, more dangerous drugs. Often incorrectly used to describe cannabis.

Grinder: A tool that is used to grind up cannabis flower in order to make it more easily smoked in a joint.

Hash: Hash is made by applying varying amounts of pressure and sometimes heat to kief or sifted trichomes.

Hemp: A variation of the cannabis plant that does not produce psychoactive flowers, but is versatile and useful. In history it has been known to be used in making rope, clothing and food. In today’s society, it has been used to create special hemp concrete and other creative materials.The cannabinoid CBD is often derived from hemp, which makes it federally  legal.

Hybrid: A descriptive term to describe a cannabis strain or flower that has both indica and sativa properties.

Indica: A descriptive term to describe a cannabis strain or flower that has a high percentage of indica properties, which often results in strong relaxation effects and even induces sleep.

Isolate: An isolate is a stabilized pure crystalline that looks clear or is an off-white powder or crystals. For cannabis, THC, CBD, THCv etc. can be isolated using a complex process.

Joint: The art of rolling cannabis in a form of paper to be smoked. Variations of a joint include blunts or spliffs, and slang terms are known as fatty or doobie. The remnant of a joint is called a roach.

Kief: The resin glands of cannabis flower, which appear powdery.

Lid: The amount of cannabis that fits onto a mayonnaise jar lid (approximately 21 grams).

Medical Cannabis: A general term referring to certain strains of cannabis that offer unique abilities to treat certain medical conditions.  

Munchies: A common effect of cannabis that leads consumers to want to eat various foods.

Oil: Oil or sap is the smoothest and thinnest form of concentrate. It is also affectionately referred to as “errl,” which is common slang for oil.

Phenotype: A word that describes how to successfully identify a plant’s inherent traits.

Psychoactive: The effect of a substance such as cannabis, which causes a chemical change in the brain upon consumption.

Reefer Madness: An American film released in 1936 which portrayed cannabis as a harmful drug.

Sativa: A descriptive term to describe a cannabis strain or flower that has a high percentage of sativa properties, which often results in uplifting feelings, a boost to energy and mood, creativity and motivation.

Schedule I: The United States’ grade for “dangerous” substances that have no medical qualities. It currently lists heroin, LSD, cannabis, ecstasy, methaqualone and peyote as Schedule I substances.

Seed-to-Sale: A term that describes the tracking software that many recreational cannabis states are using to keep track of cannabis sales. This includes all information about where a cannabis harvest was cultivated, and who harvested it, to where it ended up as a product that a consumer purchased.

Sensimilla: A strong, highly concentrated type of cannabis, which contains no seeds.

Shatter: Shatter is a stable form of concentrate that is identifiable by its translucency and glass-like properties.

Strain: The name or identification of a cannabis flower, which has been harvested for consumption.

Sublingual: A product that is intended to be placed under the tongue to rapidly dissolve.

Terpene: A general term that refers to the scent or flavor of a plant, or agricultural produce (ex. Lavender contains a terpene called linalool, which often characterizes a floral or earthy scent.)

Tetrahydrocannabinol/THC: The scientific name for the psychoactive property that is contained in many cannabis strains.

Tincture: Unlike cannabis-based oils, tinctures are alcohol-based. Tinctures are typically consumed medicinally and are administered sublingually.

Transdermal: A product that can be applied to the skin, rather than being consumed. In the cannabis community, this can refer to infused lotions as well as specially crafted patches.

Trichome: When looked at closely, cannabis flowers contain trichomes. These trichomes are viewed as tiny “outgrowths,” “appendages” or hair-like structures that stick out of the flower, which are often sticky to the touch.

Trim: The leftover leaves of a cannabis plant once it has been harvested.

Wax: One of the most popular forms of concentrates is also the stickiest. Most dabbers begin with wax and work their way up to shatter and more expensive forms of concentrate.