Welcome to the ultimate weed slang guide, created to help you get familiar with all things related to cannabis. In the close-knit world of marijuana consumers, code words and inside jokes abound: if you’re new to the herb, a lot of these references might fly right over your head. The good news is, here at Ganjapreneur we are compiling an open source dictionary of every cannabis-related slang term and phrase in the world, and our list is constantly growing. From regional monikers to pop-culture phenomena, we provide a quick and easy reference to help you comprehend any and all dialects of herbal vernacular. If you know of a term that we missed, please let us know!
Cannabis Terminology 101
Marijuana, weed, ganja, grass, dope, dro, etc.: there is no shortage of names for everyone’s favorite plant. The prevalence of these different names may be due in part to the prohibition of cannabis in the U.S. and around the world, which was often a politically-motivated and racially-targeted decision to outlaw behaviors that were common among populations that the government wanted to control. Once it became illegal, people would have needed to obscure their references to cannabis in order to hide the fact that they consumed / grew / sold it, and these names would need to evolve over time as they became well-known by the authorities.
Another potential reason for why there are so many different words for “marijuana” is that smoking weed often leads to talking about weed, which often leads to coming up with unique nicknames and descriptions for how the weed makes you feel… in other words, it’s like a self-replicating fractal, man.
Weed Slang Categories
Weed Measurements
Whether you’re selling or buying, knowing the lingo for different quantities of cannabis is essential if you want to participate in the underground (or “traditional”) market. From a dub to a zip and beyond, we’ve summed up the most common denominations of cannabis you’re likely to encounter on your dealer’s coffee table.
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Synonyms for Weed
Mary Jane has many aliases, and much like Carmen San Diego, trying to find her when you’re traveling the world can be difficult if you don’t speak the local language. Luckily, we’ve compiled some of the most (and least) common nicknames that cannabis goes by. Some are regional, some are classical, but all of them mean the same thing.
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Stoner Terms & Phrases
The “stoner” stereotype has been aggressively pushed in mainstream media for decades, both by proponents and detractors of cannabis. In reality, the effects of cannabis use vary from person to person, but that fact didn’t stop legions of stonified slang terms and references from getting couch-locked in mainstream culture.
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Dispensary
Dispensaries traditionally distribute medication and other medical supplies to anyone with a prescription. Cannabis dispensaries are quite similar, although they specifically dispense medical cannabis. While people use the term interchangeably with recreational cannabis storefronts, there’s been a push toward differentiating between the two types of cannabis stores.
Testing
Since legalization testing labs have become more prominent in the cannabis industry. Testing is important for understanding what is in flower, edibles, and concentrates. A testing lab will use high-level chemistry like mass spectrometry and gas chromatography to pinpoint how much THC, CBD, terpenes, and other desirables are in the products. Labs will also test for undesirables like mold and pesticides. Each state requires different tests for legally sold cannabis products in order for them to be considered compliant by state law.
i502 (WA)
Washington Initiative 502, also known as i502, was the ballot initiative to legalize the sale and consumption of cannabis products in the state of Washington. It appeared on the November 2012 ballot and was approved by popular vote soon after. i502 also mandates a tax on cannabis products while using the revenue for substance abuse prevention and education. It is similar to Amendment 64 in Colorado, its inclusion on the ballot resulted in some of the highest voter turnouts in the nation.
Prop 215 (CA)
A California proposition passed in 1996, allowing for the licensed legal sale and possession of cannabis for medical purposes. With the abundance of benefits from CBD specifically, medical cannabis has become a major method of sustaining health. While cannabis is still federally illegal, the state of California is one of an increasing number that makes cannabis available for medical use.
Browse all terms:
Below you will find our entire catalogue of weed slang definitions. 15 terms are displayed on each page: use the pagination links to browse more definitions in alphabetical order.
Reefer
Roach
Rosin Tech
Safety Meeting
Sandwich Bag
Sativa
Sawbuck
Schwag
Screen
Sensimilla
Shatter
Shotgunning
Submit Weed Slang
Do you know of a weed slang term that we missed? Please submit it below, and if we’ll consider adding it to our dictionary. Note: we don’t allow terms that are hateful, sexual, or gross.