Cannabis, from A to Z

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/10/2018 (2834 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Do you know your ABCs — of cannabis?

We recognize that not everyone has partaken in pot or listens to Snoop Dogg. And so, ahead of legalization on Oct. 17, we’ve compiled an A-to-Z glossary of basic (and not-so-basic) cannabis-related terms. A Weed Alphabet, if you will. Think “doobie, doobie, doobie starts with D,” although to be very clear, this particular alphabet is not for children.

A is for Asparagus (But Not Those Kind Of Asparagus!)

Listen: there are a lot of slang terms for cannabis — more than 1,200, in fact. While weed, pot and marijuana are probably the most recognizable, there’s also a whole vegetable-related subcategory that includes ‘asparagus,’ ‘broccoli’ and, if you don’t actually partake, ‘the devil’s lettuce.’ A Facebook troll for Manitoba-specific slang came up empty, save for one person who helpfully suggested “Burton’s arugula.”

B is for Bowl

This is the part of a pipe or bong that holds the cannabis.

C is for CBD

CBD, or cannabidiol, is a cannabinoid — a chemical compound produced by the cannabis plant. Cannabinoids interact with different cannabinoid receptors in the human nervous system. CBD is a non-intoxicating compound, meaning it will not produce a high, but is said to have therapeutic benefits, which is why it’s having a bit of a moment in the wellness scene.

D is for Doobie

Mostly antiquated slang for a hand-rolled cannabis cigarette. The term was used by hippies in the 1970s, now it’s mostly used by narcs. Weed slang is kind of like social media: promptly abandoned once uncool adults start using it. D is also for ‘dank krippy,’ a slang term that sounds like it was coined by the federal government because it was.

E is for Edible

Most people automatically think of “special brownies” when they hear this term, but edibles — food or drink containing cannabis — can come in many forms. Read the label carefully and be mindful of how much you’re eating; while the effect takes a little longer to kick in, cannabis consumed this way tends to be stronger. Canadian adults can legally make their own edibles after Oct. 17, but they won’t be for sale until sometime in 2019.

F is for Flower

Cannabis plants are male, female, or both. Female plants produce flowers (a.k.a. buds), and the most potent flowers come from unfertilized female plants called sinsemilla.

G is for Gateway

Generations of junior high school kids were taught that weed is a “gateway drug,” or a drug that would set one on a path to harder drug use. However, researchers have concluded that there’s a lack of hard evidence to support this hypothesis. Some modern studies suggest that cannabis could act as an anti-gateway drug, to help ease opioid withdrawal, but this hasn’t been proven.

H is for Hemp

By now, you’ve learned that not all parts of the cannabis plant are intoxicating. Though the packaging might bear a telltale leaf, your hemp body butter won’t get you high. Nor will those hemp hearts you sprinkle on your salad. Hemp is a variety of cannabis and can be refined into a host of products, including food, beauty products and textiles.

I is for Indica

Along with cannabis sativa, cannabis indica is the other dominant variety of cannabis. They differ in appearance — sativa is tall and thin while indica is short and bushy — and are said to produce different highs, but research suggests that may not be the case.

J is for Joint

Or jay. Or spliff. Or fatty (depending on its, girth). These are all words for cannabis cigarettes. A blunt, however, is a hollowed-out cigar filled with cannabis.

K is for Kush

Now, let us (lettuce?) venture into the world of strains. Cannabis growers breed plants for certain traits, and name them accordingly. Kush is a term often applied to cannabis indica. (Kush is also the name of a Winnipeg graffiti artist, in case you were wondering what all those ‘Kush for mayor’ signs are all about.)

L is for Legalization

Canadian adults can legally smoke ‘em if they’ve got ‘em as of Oct. 17, 2018 — provided they follow all their respective provincial rules and regulations, that is.

M is for Munchies

There is truth in the well-worn stereotype: cannabis, famously, is an appetite stimulator, which you probably know if you’ve ever, like, seen a movie. No one craves broccoli after blazing some broccoli, though. The munchies are all about the salt, sugar and fat.

N is for Nug

A nug, or nugget, is a piece of the cannabis bud that have been dried and cured. Some use the word “nug” to describe high-quality cannabis. #nuglife

O is for Oil

Cannabis oils are extracted from cannabis plants. CBD oil is said to help treat everything from anxiety to sleep problems to inflammation.

P is for Paraphernalia

Think bongs, pipes, one-hitters (a small pipe), vaporizers, rolling papers, grinders, “stash” boxes, or anything else you might find at your local head shop. Head shops have existed in a legal grey area, which is why many claim their products are for “tobacco use only” — Bob Marley iconography notwithstanding.

Q is for… actually, there is no Q.

R is for Roach

Now we’re getting, er, granular. A ‘roach’ is the butt of a joint, too small to smoke without a roach clip (see also: Paraphernalia). Several roaches can be rolled into a joint. Roaches are said to be stronger because they are more concentrated.

S is for Stoner

Slang for someone who gets stoned, or high, usually with regularity. Some cannabis activists have argued that the term is pejorative, tantamount to calling someone who imbibes in alcohol a “drunkard.” To that end, S is also for ‘Stereotype.’ Or ‘Spicoli.’

T is for THC

An abbreviation for tetrahydrocannabinol, this is main psychoactive compound in cannabis — or, the cannabinoid that gets you high.

U is for Underage

After legalization, you must be 19 years old to use cannabis in Manitoba. People under 19 who get busted with cannabis will face a $672 fine. Supplying cannabis to an underage person is a $2,542 fine.

V is for Vape

Vaping is an alternative to smoking cannabis and, much like e-cigarettes, is increasing in popularity. What’s the difference? Basically, vaping heats the chemicals in cannabis without combusting them, producing vapour as opposed to smoke. While this is an emerging area of research, vaping is said to be less harmful than smoking.

W is for Weed

Weed is arguably the most popular term for cannabis right now, which, as a Slate article posits, might be generational: “In the 1990s, a new generation of users wanted to distance themselves from their parents’ dope or pot.” Meanwhile, many have suggested we should ditch using the term marijuana due to its racist roots, arguing American prohibitionists used the term to villify Mexican immigrants.

X is for ‘X marks the spot’

Although cannabis will be legal come Oct. 17, where you can consume it legally is a different story. Manitobans will not be able to smoke or vape cannabis in public spaces, including sidewalks, parking lots, parks, playgrounds, beaches and pools, outdoor fields or sports venues, educational facilities and patios or decks attached to restaurants. So, your property. You can smoke weed in and on your property.

Y is for “Your life can change in an instant.”

This is the tagline for the federal government’s Don’t Drive High campaign. Per Manitoba Public Insurance: “all drivers suspected by police of being under the influence of any drug can receive an immediate 24-hour roadside licence suspension.”

Z is for Zig-Zag

The Kleenex of rolling papers in terms of brand recognition, Zig-Zag was founded in France in 1855.

jen.zoratti@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @JenZoratti