Common Cannabis Terms

The cannabis industry speaks a language of it’s own. Here are some common terms you may come across.

Note: This list is not comprehensive and may be updated.

• Blunt
  • A blunt is similar to a joint, but is wrapped with cigar paper.
  • “I got the cigar papers for a blunt tonight.”
• Bong
  • A large pipe with water at the bottom used to smoke cannabis flower.
  • The bowl containing the cannabis is lit and the user inhales through the opening of the neck at the top. Smoke comes through the bowl, over the water and up the neck. The bowl is removed to “pull” or “clear” the smoke from the neck.
  • “Let’s pack a bong!”

• Bowl
  • A small smoking pipe made from wood, plastic, ceramic, or glass
  • Part of a pipe used to hold the cannabis.
  • The essentintial compenent for smoking flower.
  • “Pack a bowl real quick.”

• Bubbler
  • Hand-held water pipe similar to a bong.
  • “Let me hit that bub.”
• Bud
  • The flower of the cannabis plant. Also called nugs
  • Trichomes contain the psychoactive compounds like cannabinoids and terpenes that can get you high or give medical benefits.
  • Buds must be dried and cured before it can be smoked or vaporized.
  • Only female cannabis plants can produce buds.
  • “Check out the fat bud on this plant.”
• Butter
  • Butter that is infused with cannabis. Typically low quality bud, shake, leaves, heated with the oil to release THC.
  • “I made cookies with some cana-butter last night… unreal.”
• Cannabis
  • weed, marijuana, reefer, mary jane, ganja
  • Reefer may also refer to a specific rolled joint with additional cannabis extract
  • “I read this great blog on Cannabis Creative!”

• CBD
  • Short for cannabidiol, CBD is a non-psychoactive compound from the cannabis plant
  • Commonly used in medical applications for pain, anxiety and seizures.
  • Can be smoked in flower form or extracted for oils, edibles, topical applications and vapes.
  • “My dog takes CBD treats for anxiety and it’s made a huge difference.”
• Dab
  • a concentrated form of cannabis. Shatter or wax.
  • “Y’all wanna dab?”
• Decarboxylation
  • The chemical reaction responsible for activating the cannabinoids in cannabis.
  • Decarbing occurs naturally when the cannabis is heated through smoking or vaping
  • Decarboxylation must be forced when making an infusion for edibles, typically at a low temperature for a short time in the oven.
  • “I forgot to decarb my bud before I made oil last night- big mistake.”
• Downstem
  • A glass piece that connects the bowl and the body of a bong.
  • “This bong is useless since I broke the downstem.”
• Edibles
  • Consumable cannabis in food. Typically made with infused oil or butter, edibles are commonly baked goods but can be made from any foods.
  • “Let’s eat some edibles and watch a movie.”
• Fan Leaves
  • The iconic large 7 pointed leaves of the hemp plant
  • Fan leaves are a good source of fiber and vitamins, and can be washed and consumed raw or cooked. Try them blended in a smoothie or tossed in with pasta.
  • “Have you ever tried fan leaves? They taste like spinach!”
• Flower
  • The nugs or bud of a cannabis plant
  • Petalless
  • “Nah I prefer to smoke flower.”

• Glass blunt
  • Small glass containers with a mouthpiece, metal spiral and rubber bottom used to pack and smoke ground cannabis.
  • “This glass blunt rips!”

• Grinder
  • Three part metal apparatus that turns flower into ground bud. The first section crushes the bud, the second section captures it and the third section captures the keef.
  • “I packed my grinder before I left.”

• Hash
  • Cannabis concentrate inhaled or smoked
  • Made from the pressed resin glands of the cannabis flower
  • Also known as hashish
  • “Wanna smoke hash?”
• Hemp
  • Cannabis sativa plant varieties that contain low concentrations of THC.
  • Industrial hemp is used for fibers and clothing, as well as skin products, diet supplements.
  • “Hemp was mass-produced in Ancient Egyptian times.”
• Hit a dab
  • Inhaling the cannabis concentrate through a specific heating method, such as a rig
  • “I coughed for two minutes straight after I hit a dab.

• Indica
  • A term often used to describe a cannabis product with sedating, relaxing, and heavy physical effects.
  • “I got an indica-heavy blend to smoke tonight.”
• Infused
  • To heat or cook cannabis into a consumable form, such as oil or butter
  • “We have two infusions at dinner tonight, the potatoes and the butter.”
• Joint
  • A joint is a specific way of smoking ground weed, wrapped in rolling papers and lit from one end.
  • “Let’s smoke a joint before dinner.”

• Keef
  • An accumulation of the trichomes (resin glands) sifted from the ground cannabis flower.
  • The most potent part of the plant
    • AKA, the good stuff
  • Raw hash
  • “Nothing gives you more keef than a new grinder and some dank bud.”
• Oil
  • Oil that is infused with cannabis. Typically low quality bud, shake, leaves, heated with the oil to release THC.
  • “I slow cooked this oil for 5 hours”

• Papers
  • Thin wraps to hold ground cannabis for joints
  • Sometimes abbreviates to papes in my household
  • “You got the papes?”

• Pen
  • Handheld electronic pen used to smoke dabs, waxes, and concentrates without a full-size rig.
  • “Hey, can I hit your pen?”
• Rig
  • Specific pipe with a nail or skillet, heat to temperatures that evaporate the concentrate and produce smoke.
  • “Check out this new rig I got!”

• Sativa
  • A term often used to describe a cannabis product with uplifting, cerebral, and energetic effects.
  • “We’re looking for a sativia-heavy blend.”
• Shake
  • Cannabis flower naturally broken down through handling.
  • Can be used to roll a joint without a grinder.
  • “I got an ounce of shake dumb cheap.”
• Steam roller
  • A small, dry hand pipe designed to quickly clear hits with little effort.
  • “Since I live alone, I bought a little steam roller.”
• Stoned
  • Intoxication under the effects of cannabis.
  • “The first time I got stoned, I took a four-hour nap.”
• Swisher
  • The wrapping paper of a cigar when used to make a blunt.
  • “You got swishers?”
• THC
  • Short for tetrahydrocannabinol
  • The primary chemical compound responsible for cannabis’ euphoric effects.
  • From Leafly: THC is a cannabinoid, which are compounds produced by the cannabis plant that bind uniquely to receptors in the body called endocannabinoid receptors. A majority of cannabis varieties are THC-dominant, meaning THC is the most abundant cannabinoid. Many factors contribute to the potency of cannabis, generally a higher THC percentage correlates with a more intense high.
  • “How much THC do these edibles have?”
• Vaporization
  • Based on the principle of the hookah, cannabis is heated hot enough to release their active compounds, but not to the point of burning. Vapor is drawn up through a mouth piece.
  • A (relatively) safe alternative to smoking.
  • “I got a Volcano so I could smoke less, but vape more.”