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.
Popular in this category:
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.
Popular in this category:
Kind
The best marijuana you can find. Kind is marijuana that has been carefully grown to be extremely potent and give you an intense, one-of-a-kind high (get it?). Growing practices are getting more specified and cannabis growers are paying more attention to their practice in order to make the best weed possible. Kind usually costs more, but is worth it in the end because you don’t have to smoke as much and the high is much more intense.
Killer Bud
Weed can’t kill you, but sometimes it’s so good you have to hyperbolize it! The term “killer bud” refers to any particularly potent cannabis that can surprise even a veteran stoner with its effectiveness. Killer bud is usually on the top shelf at dispensaries.
Kaya
A Jamaican slang term for cannabis that was originally popularized by reggae legend Bob Marley. Marley frequently referred to cannabis as Kaya in his music and even released an album of the same name. The etymology of the term is unknown, but it seems to be related to the Caribbean English word “kayakiit,” which is a medicinal herb.
K.G.B.
Super-potent weed. KGB is an acronym for “Killer Green Buds.” May also refer to the acronym of the KGB (Komitet gosudarstvennoy bezopasnosti), a law-enforcement agency of the Soviet Union.
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.
Popular in this category:
Crossfaded
When a person is high and drunk at the same time they are said to be “crossfaded.” The depressant nature of alcohol combined with the psychoactive effects of THC is so different that they lead many people to feel strange as their brain tries to combine the two unique sensations. As fun as this may be, it’s important to never take it too far unless you want to regret it in the morning, oftentimes crossfades end in vomiting. Always intoxicate responsibly!
Clam baking
Hot boxing, or clam baking, is the act of smoking cannabis in a small, enclosed space. This fills the space with smoke, resulting (in theory) in each breath getting you a little higher. Popular hotbox locations include cars or bathrooms, but more ambitious smokers may aim to hot box larger rooms.
Florist
Some growers and distributors like to refer to themselves as florists–an obvious tongue-in-cheek reference to their work with plants. Despite this usage, actual florists who work with cannabis do exist! They craft beautiful bouquets for weddings and other events that feature nugs of cannabis nestled artfully among their fellow flowers. While the reaction is mixed to this innovative idea, it’s safe to say that cannabis can be elevated to more than just a consumable.
Chiefing
Hogging the weed in a group smoke session or taking huge rips. This term comes from the idea of a Native American chief smoking in large, deep hits off their pipe. It’s usually used to poke fun at someone who’s taking a bit too long to take their hit, or seems to think they’re more important and deserve more weed than everyone else–which is silly, of course!
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.
Earwax
Eighth
Endo
Endocannabinoid system
Extract
Fatty
Fire
Flower
G
Ganja
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.