Cannabis? Weed? Marijauna? Ganja? There are multiple ways to call these half-addictive half-medical plants. Guess what? You’ll be surprised if you realize that there are more than 1,200 different ways that people used to call the giggly green herbs depending on the geographical location and age groups and the number keeps growing!
Welcome to the Cannabis Terminology 101 where I join you guys into the language world of cannabis and explore where each name comes from together with its meaning.
Key Takeaways
- There are over 1,200 different words to call cannabis and the numbers are gradually growing.
- Cannabis can be called differently among different locations and age groups.
- Cannabis comes from the Latin word and the Greek word, while marijuana comes from a Mexican Spanish word.
- The slang for cannabis in the article was categorized into 5 categories: general nicknames, slang based on languages, weight sold, consumption methods, and cultural terms.
- Some of the Thai terms for cannabis use among teenagers are nuea (เนื้อ), pun (ปุ๊น), and sai khiao (สายเขียว).
Cannabis Nicknames in General
First, let’s talk about the most commonly used word for the psychedelic plant which is often mentioned on this website, cannabis. “Cannabis” is a Latin word, that also comes from the earlier Greek word “κάνναβις” (kánnavis) meaning hemp or cannabis.
We talked about cannabis already and now it’s time for “marijuana”, another famous word in the industry. The origin of the word “marijuana” comes from a Mexican Spanish word, however, its exact origin remains unknown. It may also have roots in the Mexican military’s slang for a brothel location, “Maria y Juana” where cannabis-filled cigarettes could be purchased and consumed during the 19th century.
You may recognize some of these terms which are the most commonly used in the streets today:
| Weed | Hash |
| Pot | Herb |
| Grass | Chronic |
| Dope |
Cannabis Slangs Based on Languages
As mentioned, each word referring to cannabis can come from many different regions. The list below will explain some of the vocabulary for “cannabis”.
Aunt Mary – A pun on marijuana, the same as Mary Jane, Mary Warner, Mary Weaver, and Mary and Johnny. (Or British for cannabis.)
Da Kine – A Hawaiian surf slang for “forgetting precise name”.
Dona Juanita – “Lady Jane” in Spanish, refers to marijuana.
Ganja — A word derived from the Hindi language for the hemp plant.
Marijuana — The Spanish word for the plant. (Legal weed markets in the U.S. tend to avoid this word due to its association with the illegal drug trade and use the word “cannabis” instead.)
Muggle — Nothing is associated with Harry Potter but people in the 1920s normally called marijuana smokers a “muggle-head”.
Pot — Coming from a Spanish word for the cannabis leaves, “Potiguaya”.
Slang Terms of Cannabis by Weight Sold
Here is some slang used to describe the weight of cannabis:
Dub – 2 grams of cannabis
Pillow – Usually a pound of cannabis (The bag of weed that is as huge as a pillow.)
QP – Stands for “Quarter Pound”
Quad – A quarter ounce or 7 grams
Zip – Ounce of cannabis that is often stored in ziplock bags
Cannabis Nicknames Based on Consumption Methods
Different ways can be used to call methods of consuming cannabis. Here are some methods used within the cannabis dictionary:
Blunt – The cigars that replaced tobacco with marijuana and can hold cannabis more than joints. They can also use tobacco leaf wrappers to roll the cannabis. The name ‘Blunt’ came from the cigar brand, Phillies Blunt.
Cone – Sometimes known as “weed cones” or “cones of weed”, they are usually rolling papers made from natural materials such as hemp and rice paper, pre-rolled into a cone shape. They are designed to fill the ground cannabis inside and after twisting the top to seal it shut, then it’s ready for a smoking session.
Doobie – Refers to marijuana cigarette
Dutch – Dutch is blunt rolled with Dutch Master’s brand wraps. Sometimes, it refers to a joint.
Eddies – A short form to call cannabis edibles.
Fattie – A way to call large and thick blunts or joints.
Geeb – A gravity bong.
Joint – A marijuana cigarette rolled with a rolling paper.
Spliff – A cannabis cigarette containing both cannabis and tobacco.
Swisher – A blunt rolled with a wrap called Swisher Sweets.
Wood – A blunt rolled with a Backwoods wrap.
Cultural Terms for Cannabis
Words like cannabis and marijuana are pretty universal, although, did you know that people from different cultures have their own lingos for the green plants? Let me show you some of them.
Jamaican Slang
- Keya
- Jamaican gold
- Funk
- Grabba
African Slang
- Dagga
- African broccoli
- African bush
Spanish Slang
- Maria
- Coliflor tostao
- Porro
- Juanita
Caribbean Slang
- Ganja
- Tampy
- Collie
Hawaiian Slang
- Pakalolo
- Hawaii hot box
- Hawaiian gold
- Pineapple express
*Bonus*
Thai Slang
Here are some Thai slangs related to cannabis used among the new generations:
- Nuea (เนื้อ) – Pronounced “nuua”. Literally means “meat or beef”, it is the most common slang term for cannabis.
- Pun (ปุ๊น) – Pronounced “poon”. Meaning the action of smoking weed.
- Green Herb (กรีนเฮิร์บ) – This one is pretty easy, it comes from an English word for cannabis and has the same pronunciation as English.
- Sai Khiao (สายเขียว) – Pronounced “sâi-kîao”. A word for cannabis lovers. “Khiao” is what Thai people call the color green derived from the green color of the cannabis leaves.
- Gancha (กัญชา) – Pronounced “gun-chaa”. A word similar to “Ganja” referring to cannabis plants.
Conclusion
The vocabulary for happy green plants like cannabis is growing among people all around the world because of the increasing of users. The article explains the roots of the names “cannabis” and ‘marijuana’ as well as covers slang in at least 3 categories such as each way to call cannabis consuming method, slang for the weight of cannabis selling, and slang in various cultures. Lastly, ended with Thai slang that the younger generations in Thailand used to call cannabis such as gancha, nuea, and sai khiao, so you don’t miss out on the slang used here in the Land of Smile.
