Cannabis for Beginners: Guide to Understanding Marijuana Slang

Today’s studies show that more than 22 million people have used cannabis in some form in the past month alone. 

Without question, this shows that we’re living in the green age, and people love this substance both for recreation and medical use. If you’re new to cannabis as a lifestyle, you might want to start by learning the slang phrases. 

Read below to learn more about marijuana slang terms that you should know. 

Learn About Indicas, Sativas and Hybrid Strains

First and foremost, you need to learn about the different kinds of strains. This is usually the first piece of terminology that you have heard of when you started doing some research. 

The three types of strains you can buy are broken down by Indicas, Sativas, and Hybrids. 

With an Indica strain, you’re ingesting some cannabis that gives you a predominantly body high.

“In ‘da couch” is one of the most common slang phrases people learn to remember the differences between Indicas and other strains. This phrase applies because Indicas are more likely to give you the heavy sedative feeling known as couch lock. 

Sativas are strains that give you more of a brain high and are known to be energizing. 

With a hybrid, you’re taking in a strain that is close to a half-and-half mix between Indica and Sativa. 

Sativa strains like Tangie Dream are incredibly uplifting and potent enough to improve almost any mood. OG Kush in all of its many varieties is a popular Indica. 

If you like Hybrids, you will enjoy varieties like Wedding Cake and Gorilla Glue. 

Explore the Many Different Forms of Slang for Smoking Weed

Be sure to explore the various slang terms for the act of smoking weed itself.

“Getting high” is a phrase that everyone has heard and that transcends ages and demographics. Some variations of this may include “Getting baked,” “Getting stoned,” and “Getting blazed.” 

“Toking,” or taking a “toke,” is yet another slang term for smoking cannabis. Some others include “chiefing,” “blazing,” “blowing,” and “burning.” 

Many cannabis enthusiasts consider the communal act of enjoying the plant to be at least somewhat sacred. They refer to these as “sessions,” or enjoying a “sesh.” 

The slang terms for smoking weed are endless and can be tailored however you’d like. 

Understand the Various Smoking Devices and Methods

You also need to understand slang as it pertains to the many different devices and methods for smoking. 

A “joint” is a name for a cannabis cigarette, which is created when you roll your flower into rolling papers. A joint is also often called a “J,” “doobie,” “spliff,” and a “clip.” 

While this is a popular method, the “blunt” is yet another. A blunt refers to a cannabis cigar that is created by first removing tobacco from a cigar or cigarillo and replacing it with weed. 

Some synonyms for the blunt include “bleezy,” “Dutch,” and “Swisher.” 

A glass pipe intended for cannabis is referred to as a “bowl.” There are several names for cannabis water pipes, including “bong” and “billy.” 

Read up on Edibles

Keep your ears open when you start to hear people talk about edibles.

When a cannabis enthusiast mentions “brownies” or “butter,” they’re not just speaking of treats and kitchen items. It implies that these food substances are infused with fresh cannabis. 

The same applies to things like “gummies” and “oil.” 

Edibles aren’t to be confused with “munchies,” which either refers to the sensation of hunger one gets when smoking weed or the food one sets aside to curb those post-smoke cravings. 

When making edibles, it’s important to understand the process. Rather than just pouring weed into your food, there are extraction processes, including decarboxylation, that will make the finished food product psychoactive. 

What is decarboxylation? It’s a process that unlocks the psychoactive property of your cannabis plant so that ingesting it in your food will get you high. Even this chemical process has a slang term, as it is usually called “decarbing” for short. 

The Wide Variety of Cannabis Terms

You can build an entire slang dictionary around the many different terms for the weed plant itself. 

Some common marijuana slang terms include “grass,” “bud,” “ganja,” “green,” “gas,” “loud,” “loud pack,” “trees,” “chronic,” “herb,” “dank,” and “kush.” 

Everyone has a personal favorite, and you will likely begin to identify with one slang term or another once you really grow to appreciate the plant. 

Think of Your Weed in Terms of Measurements

Finally, it is also important that you get to know weed slang in terms of measurements. 

The most common and perhaps outdated phrase you’ve probably heard of is the “dime bag” or “dime.” It’s called a dime because it typically costs $10, and is usually equivalent to a gram of weed. 

Likewise, a “nickel” or “nickel bag” refers to a $5 bag of weed, which is usually a half gram. 

A “dub,” “dub sack,” or “twin” typically refers to a $20 bag, which is equivalent to 2 grams. 

In terms of larger amounts, people refer to the ounce as an “O” or a “zip.” An ounce is roughly 28 grams, which is why the slang terms “quarter” (7 grams) and “half” (14 grams) also exist. 

Explore All You Can About Marijuana Slang

These forms of marijuana slang will be useful to you as you get into the cannabis lifestyle. Make sure you also start researching strains, understand the cannabis laws in your state, and find a dispensary in your area. 

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