Pot, dope, weed, Mary Jane, cannabis, ganja, marijuana — all of these are slang terms for the plant that’s been getting a lot of media attention lately. As more and more states legalize marijuana, parents who grew up in an age of total prohibition are struggling to keep up with the changing laws and new products that may fall into their children’s hands.
Don’t worry — we’ve got you covered. This guide to marijuana will give you the words and definitions you need to know so that you can talk with your kids about cannabis.
The Basics: Legal or Illegal?
In 10 states and Washington D.C., Marijuana is legal for persons 21 years and up to use recreationally. In 14 states, it remains outright illegal, and in the rest of the states it is either medicinally allowed and/or decriminalized to a certain extent. Check out the interactive map (link below) to determine how restrictive your state’s laws are on marijuana.
In the cases where the state allows medical marijuana, the age restriction is set at 18 for those with a doctor’s recommendation rather than 21.
CBD is legal in all 50 states.
Parent’s Guide to Marijuana — What Is CBD?
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a cannabinoid that is present in cannabis and hemp plants. Scientists have discovered that our bodies contain cannabinoid receptors that affect our appetite, pain-sensation, mood, and memory.
CBD is extracted from hemp plants and does not contain the psychoactive ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), meaning it does not “make you high” when taken into the body. Still, many parents are hesitant to use or even talk about CBD because it comes from hemp — a certain type of cannabis.
Studies have shown that CBD can have a positive effect on cases of epilepsy, but unfortunately there isn’t much high-quality science on the long-term use of CBD as well as how it interacts with the body. This is because until recently, it was illegal to study cannabis or hemp for medicinal purposes.
That said, you’ll probably be seeing CBD-infused food, drinks, balms, tinctures, and candy making their way through our economy very soon.
CBD is currently advertised as a digestive aid, analgesic, anxiety relief option, cancer inhibitor, and antipsychotic, among other things. These have not yet been proven or disproven by science.
NEXT UP: The stuff that makes you high.
Parent’s Guide to Marijuana — What is THC?
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the psychoactive lipid found in marijuana plants that makes you high when you smoke it. It induces euphoria, numbs pain, increases appetite, and relieves stress.
THC is federally recognized as a Schedule 1 drug, meaning that it supposedly “has no medical value”; however, the limited science and research on THC has proven that it does have medicinal positives, especially in the case of cancer patients going through chemotherapy, people who have epilepsy, and those with chronic pain.
NEXT UP: Every slang term you needed to know.
Common Marijuana-related Terms
Blunt: Ground up marijuana rolled into a tobacco (cigarette or cigar) wrapper.
Bowl: The bowl-shaped part of a pipe or water pipe where marijuana is placed and facilitates smoking.
Bong: A large water pipe that filters the smoke through water; usually comes with a downstem and bowl piece.
Bubbler: A mix between a bong and a pipe, a bubbler holds water where the smoke is filtered but does not usually feature a downstem and separate bowl piece.
Bud: The mature flower of the marijuana plant. This is the part of the plant that is ground up and smoked.
Budtender: Like a bartender tends the counter at a bar, a budtender tends the counter at a marijuana dispensary and helps customers choose which strain to buy.
Clone: Growers will “clone” their plants by clipping a branch and re-planting that branch, which grows into its own marijuana plant.
Concentrates: A concentrate is a refined or purified form of marijuana (see: hash, wax).
Cotton mouth: A symptom of smoking marijuana when one’s mouth gets dry.
Crystals: Crystals refer to trichomes, which are the small salt-like parts of the plant that hold the most THC of any other part of the plant.
Dab: A dab is a small bit of concentrated marijuana like wax or hash oil, smoked using a dabber.
Dabber: A dabber is a long pen-like tool usually made from metal or glass and is heated to a high temperature. It is used to vaporize a small amount of concentrated marijuana in conjunction with a smoking device like an oil rig.
Dank: Describes high-quality marijuana, usually with strong effects.
Downstem: A long, glass piece that connects the bowl to the body of the bong.
Earwax: Another word for hash oil, this concentrate looks like ear wax.
Flower: The bud of the plant used for smoking.
Grinder: A tool used to grind the marijuana so that it can be easily smoked.
Hash: A concentrate made up of collected trichomes pressed together.
Hybrid: A hybrid is a strain of marijuana that is derived from combining two different strains, usually a sativa and an indica.
Indica: One of the two major strain types of marijuana, indica strains are known for their effects on the body, attributed to alleviating anxiety, insomnia, and chronic pain.
Joint: A marijuana cigarette rolled using a paper wrapper as opposed to a tobacco wrapper (blunt).
Kief: Kief is the result of straining the trichomes that fall from a marijuana bud when it is ground. There are special grinders that collect this kief.
Pen (Vape Pen): This term refers to the pen-shaped vaporizers (that look like e-cigarettes) that use an oil-based concentrate.
Resin: The leftover, burnt plant matter of a bowl. Resin accumulates on pipes and bongs and creates a dirtier hit.
Rig: A type of pipe used for concentrates like wax. It often resembles a bong but has a nail and skillet instead of a down stem and bowl. Used for dabbing.
Sativa: Sativa is one of the two major strains of marijuana (along with Indica). Sativa strains are attributed to more energetic, uplifting highs, feelings of euphoria, creativity, and paranoia.
Shatter: An extremely pure type of concentrate, its name comes from the glass-like appearance. It is usually a butane-based hash oil.
Spliff: A joint that contains both tobacco and marijuana.
Tincture: A liquid form of marijuana usually made from glycerin or alcohol. Can be CBD or THC-based.
Topical: A marijuana-based product that is applied directly to the skin like a lotion or a balm. Can be CBD or THC-based.
Trichomes: The small, salt-like part of the plant that holds the most THC.
Vaporizer (Vape): A tool used to consume marijuana, a vaporizer heats up the marijuana to a point where the trichomes are vaporized but the bulk of the plant matter is not burnt, creating a safer, less-irritating experience for the lungs than using a pipe. Some vapes can be used with oil.
Wax: A concentrated form of marijuana that has been dissolved into a solvent. Usually consumed with a dabbing rig.