A beginner's guide to the language of legal cannabis

Herbalist staff

Airplane, alfalfa, alligator cigarettes, Amsterdam's finest, ashes, asparagus, Aunt Mary — and that's just the "A"s. Linguists estimate there are over 1,200 slang terms for cannabis and its consumption in contemporary use, some more dignified than others. Now that marijuana is legal in Massachusetts (plus nine states and the District of Columbia), dealers and consumers can back off on the euphemisms and embrace a simpler, more straight-forward cannabis vocabulary.

Read on for an overview of the most common terms in the legal marijuana business.

Access point

An authorized pickup location for medical marijuana.

BHO (butane hash oil)

A thick, sticky oil with high THC levels, created by mixing plant-form marijuana with a solvent, usually butane.

Blunt

Marijuana wrapped in a hollowed-out cigar or cigarillo paper, for a longer burn time than a typical joint.

Bong

A large pipe with a water reservoir used to cool and clean marijuana smoke while inhaling.

Bowl

The receptacle at the end of a pipe into which marijuana is packed.

Bubbler

A handheld pipe with a water component for cooling smoke, as in a bong.

Bud

The flower component of the marijuana plant, which is harvested for recreational and medicinal purposes as it contains the highest concentration of active cannabinoids.

Budder

A solid cannabis concentrate with a softer texture than wax.

Budtender

A counter attendant at a cannabis shop or dispensary who can advise and make product suggestions, much like a bartender.

Cannabinoids

The chemical compounds in cannabis responsible for its many medicinal and recreational properties. The two most prevalent cannabinoids in cannabis are THC and CBD, although at least 85 cannabinoids are known to exist.

Cannabis

A genus of flowering plants that includes Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica, the species harvested to produce recreational and medical marijuana.

CBD (cannabidiol)

The second most highly concentrated cannabinoid in marijuana, thought to be responsible for many of its medicinal properties.

CO2 oil

A cannabis concentrate produced using Supercritical CO2, a liquid form of carbon dioxide.

Concentrate

Any product created by extracting key oils from marijuana plants. Concentrates can come in varying forms including oils, waxes and resins.

Cone

A type of joint with a pronounced conical shape, often using a filter to prevent the contents from falling out.

Crystals

Common term for trichomes.

Dab

A slang term for a dose of cannabis concentrate placed on a hot surface and then inhaled.

Dank

A slang term for especially high quality, strongly scented cannabis.

Diffuser

A tube added to a water pipe to increase airflow, amplifying the cooling and cleaning effect of the water.

Dispensary

Any location where cannabis can be legally purchased, for medicinal or recreational use.

Edible

A food or drink product infused with cannabis extract.

Endo

Cannabis grown indoors, often hydroponically. Also called “indo.”

Fatty

Slang term for an especially large marijuana cigarette.

Flower

The hairy, sticky structures on a female cannabis plant that serve as part of the plant’s reproductive system.

Fresh frozen

Plant matter cryogenically frozen immediately after harvest.

Ganja

Slang term for the flower of the marijuana plant.

Glass

Catch-all term for devices including bongs, pipes and bubblers, which are often (but not always) made of glass.

Grinder

A device used to break apart cannabis, making it easier to roll or pack for consumption.

Hash/hashish

A powdered and pressed product created by filtering potent trichomes from the rest of the marijuana plant through a sieve or water extraction method. Hash oil is a similar product made using a chemical solvent or pressure.

Heirloom

An imported strain of cannabis grown in a new geographic location.

Hemp

Term referring to a cannabis plant with trace amounts to no THC content, or the fibrous material produced with it. Unlike marijuana, hemp does not have psychoactive properties and is not considered an illegal drug.

Hybrid

A plant created by combining two or more different cannabis strains.

Hydroponics

A gardening technique that preplaces soil with water and nutrient solutions.

Indica

Cannabis indica, one of the two major species of cannabis.

Kief

Trichomes that have been separated from the rest of the marijuana flower, often for the purpose of hashish production.

Kush

A popular strain of indica originating in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Live resin

An extraction method that processes plants that are harvested within 48 hours of picking, to preserve freshness and flavor.

Marijuana

A cannabis plant, or its dried flowers, which contain cannabinoids with both medicinal and psychoactive properties.

Pot

Slang term for marijuana.

Pre-roll

A pre-rolled cannabis cigarette, or joint.

Ruderalis

Cannabis ruderalis, a low-THC species of cannabis, grown primarily as a source of CBD.

Sativa

Cannabis sativa, the second of the two major species of the cannabis plant used in marijuana production.

Shatter

Alternate term for BHO.

Spliff

A marijuana cigarette rolled with tobacco.

Strain

A particular line of plant with distinct genetic traits.

Terpenes

Chemical compounds responsible for the smell and flavor of a particular marijuana flower.

THC (tetrahydrocannabinol)

The most abundant cannabinoid in the marijuana plant, and the one responsible for its psychoactive effects.

Tincture

A liquid cannabis extract, often consumed by placing under the tongue with a dropper.

Topical

A cannabis-infused product designed to be applied to and absorbed through the skin, such as a lotion.

Trichome

The sticky resin production glands of the cannabis plant, often called crystals, which produce the cannabinoids responsible for marijuana’s medicinal and psychoactive effects.

Vaporizer

A device that heats marijuana-infused oils or flowers to produce cannabinoid-rich vapor, which is then inhaled.

Wax

A solid form of cannabis concentrate.

Weed

Slang term for marijuana.

Sources:

Colorado Pot Guide Marijuana Glossary coloradopotguide.com/marijuana-glossary

Leafly Glossary of Cannabis Terms leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/glossary-of-cannabis-terms

Canna Insider Glossary cannainsider.com/reviews/glossary