What to call the plant, the paraphernalia, and the products (without sounding like an old hippie)

By Ben Owens

Cannabis lovers are constantly coming up with new ways to talk about cannabis, cannabis consumption, and types of cannabis. This includes references to how weed is measured, cultural and consumption slang, as well as concentrate-specific terms and phrases. We’ve broken down some of the most common slang for weed to help you get your vocabulary a little higher.

Slang for Weed (the plant itself):

Weed

Cannabis has been known to grow “like a weed”, sprouting up anywhere it finds warmth and moisture, similar to common weeds.

Nug

Generally referring to premium cannabis or the “nugs” of the plant. These are the top most flowering buds of the cannabis stalk and often contain the highest concentrations of cannabinoids.

Bud

Similar to nug, the term finds its origins in the description of a specific part of the plant.

Dank

While commonly used to describe wet, moist and unpleasant areas, it is also used to refer to premium cannabis. Similar to skunky smells being unpleasant to many but desirable in cannabis aromas, a “dank” quality to your cannabis is a good thing.

Reefer

This term has Spanish origins, dating back to Mexican slang for those under the influence known as “greefo” which later became abbreviated as reefer.

Herb

As a natural plant with many healthy, nutritional and medicinal properties, the plants is categorized as an herb, though colloquially “herb” is used to refer to the smokable products of the plant

Chronic

Often used to describe regular, ongoing symptoms (chronic cough, for example), Chronic has been used to refer to premium cannabis.

Marijuana

The original Spanish name for cannabis. We try to stay away from this term now as people become more familiar with its antiquated and racist connotations. #CallItCannabis

Ganja

Refers to cannabis and has roots in the Hindi word for hemp plants.

Flower

Refers to cannabis in its cured plant form, i.e. as opposed to an extract or an edible.

Slang for Weed Measurements

Sack

20-sack, 40-sack, dubsack, generally anything “-sack” is a reference to the size or amount of cash spent on your bag of buds. In the old days, a 20-sack usually meant a gram.

Gram

(Also known as a ‘Dub’ or a 20-sack). Grams may not be the official unit for weight in the U.S., but when it comes to cannabis (and drugs in general), the metric system rules. Generally, the smallest amount of cannabis that you can purchase (some dealers and shops will sell pre-rolled joints or 10-sacks/half grams if you’re lucky).

Half-Eighth

(Also known as a ‘Teenth’). The step up from a gram, a half eight is generally 1.7grams of sticky icky. The term comes from the bag being half the size of an eighth.

Eighth

An eighth of cannabis is 3.5 grams, or approximately 1/8 of an ounce. The most common “small” increment for cannabis; think of it like a six pack compared to a 30-rack.

Quarter

(Also known as a quad): 7 grams or, you guessed it, a quarter of an ounce of cannabis.

Half

14 grams, or a half ounce, of cannabis.

Zip

A zip is an ounce, often referred to as a single unit if discussing larger amounts. The term comes from the original baggies of choice, Ziploc. Your neighborhood dealer would fill up a Ziploc with an ounce of cannabis and hand you that “zip”.

Quap

(Also known as a QP): A quap is a quarter pound of cannabis. The term comes from a bastardized version of the phonetic sound made by treating the letters QP as a word.

Elbow/Bow/L/Pack

One Pound. The term elbow comes from the common abbreviation for pound (lb) acting as a mix of phonetics and neumonic devices, “el-BOW”. Bow and L are both shortened versions, and Pack is commonly used to refer to a pound, often in larger groups (I.e. 10 packs, 50 packs, etc.).

Slang for Weed Culture

Hit

Taking a “hit” means to inhale or otherwise consume cannabis. One puff on a vape pen, one inhale out of a bong, or one drag off of a joint are all considered “hits”.

Session or Sesh

To get together and consume cannabis for a given period of time.

Puff Puff Pass

This is part of cannabis etiquette. The first rule of the smoke circle is to always “puff puff pass”. This means you never take more than two puffs or hits from the joint or blunt before you pass it.

Throw 5 On It:

Often used to say that you’re down to share the cost of what’s being smoked (or consumed, food, alcohol, etc.). The term comes from blunts being commonly rolled with a gram of weed and a gram of weed commonly costing $20. For four people to split the cost of the blunt, each person would throw down $5.

Wood/Dutch/Swisher

Slang for common blunt wraps. Wood is a Backwood, Dutch is a Dutch Master (also known as a Dutchie), and Swishers are common cigarillos found at most gas stations.

Solventless Sunday

A trend and hashtag representing the choice to consume only solvent less cannabis oil options (flower, solvent less hash oil, and solvent less edibles) on Sundays.

Shatterday

Similarly, this trend started online as a play on “shatter” and “Saturday” back smoking shatter (see below) was much more common.

710/420

Numeric indicators that cannabis is being consumed or that the environment is a cannabis-friendly setting where you’re likely to find like minds. To impress during the session, it’s good to know what 420-friendly means and also what 710-freindly means.

Heady

Slang for pricey, nice, rare, trending, and a variety of other uses. Originally, your head stash consisted of only the best nugs, and your “heady” pieces were used only for head stash nugs. The term has a plethora of colloquial meanings and is often used sarcastically in satire of the often expensive collections of wealthy cannabis consumers.

Safety Meeting

Old school weed slang for a quick smoke break, often used during work to subtly ask coworkers if they were interested in lighting up quick. Used casually to refer to an opportunity to smoke, usually in between tasks or obligations.

Wook

Someone who has consumed so many drugs that reality is questionable at best. These are the people your parents warned you about. The term and surrounding culture has given birth to a trend of its own, with “wook hunters” regularly capturing videos and pictures of “wooks in the wild.”

Slang for Weed Paraphernalia / Consumption Devices

Blunt

Usually a tobacco-wrapped, rolled cannabis smokable. Generally contains at least one gram of cannabis.

Joint

Usually a paper or hemp-wrapped, rolled cannabis smokable, often with a filter or “crutch”; Similar to a hand-rolled cigarette and containing 1/4 gram or more of cannabis.

Spliff

A joint or blunt that is rolled with a mixture of cannabis and tobacco, likely hollowed out of a cigarette.

Vape

A handheld (or tabletop) device that vaporizes the cannabinoids in your products rather than combusting them, allowing consumers to enjoy the benefits and flavor of their product without the irritants associated with smoking and inhaling combusted ash.

Bong

A tube-shaped water filtration pipe that allows the consumer to take large hits of cannabis with minimal smoke wasted.

Bowl

(Also known as a spoon). Usually a spoon-shaped hand pipe that features an top-facing bowl-shaped area for you to put ground up cannabis and a “carb” hole on one of the sides that allows you to clear the smoke from inside the pipe. Glassware such as a bong or bowl makes an excellent weed gift. Also known as a “piece”, some people get so attached to their glassware that they’ll give it a name.

Chillum

A carb-less straight hand pipe, usually big enough for a few hits and great for small groups or personal sessions. Originally designed to be hit by cupping your hands around the piece rather than placing your mouth on it.

Batty

(Also known as a ‘one-hitter’). A small pipe, often designed to look like a cigarette that is kept in a Dugout (hollow wooden case for packing cannabis) and holds 1-2 hits of cannabis. Must be reloaded each time.

Rig

A consumption device that has been adapted for use with concentrated cannabis options (see “dabs” below). These pieces feature a nail instead of a bowl for you to place your dabs on instead of loading your flower into.

Torch

A blowtorch or heat gun that is used to bring quartz, titanium and glass nails up to temperature to vaporize concentrates.

Nail

The skillet-shaped bowl replacement on rigs that allows you to vaporize your concentrated cannabinoids. The dish is heated and then concentrates are placed onto the hot surface to release vapors containing various cannabinoids.

Slang for Weed Extracts and Concentrates

Dabs

Concentrated versions of cannabis compounds that are extracted from the raw plant. Plenty of new terms and slang for weed have been created out of this specific type of cannabis.

Solvents

The chemicals and ingredients used to extract cannabinoids from the raw plant, most commonly including Propane, Butane, CO2, Ethanol, and ice water.

Live Resin

The form of cannabis concentrates originally pioneered by Kind Bill and Giddyup in Colorado. Live resin is made by harvesting of cannabis plants before flowering is complete, and then freezing the plant material rather than allowing it to finish its cycle of blooming, drying and curing. This process produces concentrates with much higher terpene contents and are often sold as Live Diamonds, Live Sauce, Live Wax, Live Badder, Live Sugar, and “full spectrum” extracts.

Distillates/Isolates

Extracts that have been distilled down to solution containing only a handful of desired cannabinoids. Isolates are often liquids and powders that contain only one cannabinoid.

Cured Concentrates

Extracts that are made from plants that grew through their full grow cycle and were then cured and dried before being run through an extraction machine. This process often results in concentrates in consistencies such as Sugar, Batter, Budder, Shatter, and Wax.

Solventless

Solventless concentrates rely solely on heat, pressure, water and ice to extract cannabinoids from the plant, resulting in products such as Ice Oil, Rosin, SHO, SFSE, SHT, and Ice Sauce.

Globs

Large dabs, often greater than 0.25g in size (the standard dab size is 0.01-0.1g at a time).

Stable

Stability as it pertains to concentrates refers to the tackiness of the extract and its ability to be touched without residue being left on your hands. Shatter in particular is judged by its stability and ability to be handled with ease, breaking in shattered pieces when cracked.

Slang for Weed: The Final Hit

Whatever you call it, the culture that has grown around the cannabis community continues to develop and evolve with new trends, technologies, nomenclatures, and neologisms. Feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the different slang for weed? Don’t worry, everyone who consumes cannabis was in your shoes at one point. Just take it slow, take a hit, and see where the session takes you.

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