There are over 1000 slang words for marijuana. We’re sharing 25 of our faves - ranging from common or kooky to downright cringey. Enjoy!
Slang words have long allowed for conversation outside of social convention. For example, there are over 1000 slang words for cannabis, which indicates the long history of cannabis in countries and cultures around the globe. The actual scientific name for the plant is Cannabis Sativa. Marijuana is arguably the most commonly used term for the plant, and is simply the Spanish name for cannabis.
So why exactly are there so many slang words for marijuana? Until the last decade or so, it was illegal in much of the world. Slang words for marijuana allowed a convenient way of concealing the true meaning of conversations so that adults, police, or any other authoritarian folks wouldn’t have a clue what the cannabis user was talking about. As these terms became absorbed into the popular vernacular, new slang words for marijuana were invented.
Let’s take a look at the origin of some of our favorite slang words for marijuana.
Pot
Marijuana is the Spanish name for the Cannabis plant, but “potiguaya” is the name for the actual cannabis leaves. The word pot is simply a shorter version of the word “potiguaya”.
Weed
The term “weed” references how easily cannabis grows. Like many other nicknames for cannabis, weed was coined during the Roaring 20s - an ironic name for the period since pretty much everything was illegal. Prohibition outlawed the sale of alcohol, and cannabis was considered a dangerous plague on society. However, negative public perception did nothing to curb consumption and much like teenagers, folks rebelled against the boundaries. They used slang words like weed rather than the words cannabis or marijuana, to hide the actual subject matter. Over time, weed became the most popular slang for cannabis and is still popularly used today.
Mary Jane
“Mary Jane” is simply a play on the word marijuana. The names Maria and Juana are Spanish and loosely translate to “Mary” and “Jane”. This slang term has gotten a lot of love over the years from the music industry. Ever heard “Last Dance with Mary Jane” by Tom Petty? Yeah…it’s not about a girl.
Pro Tip: this is also how we got our name. Obviously.
Aunt Mary
Aunt Mary is a riff on Mary Jane. We’re not big fans of this one, as Aunt Mary is also a derogatory term for certain LGBTQIA+ individuals.
Ganja
Ganja is the Hindi word for the buds of the cannabis plant. This word rose to popularity during the rise of the Rastafarian culture. Rastafarians believe that the use of cannabis, or “ganja”, helps them to reach a meditative state, bringing them closer to their God. Bob Marley, a famous Rastafarian reggae artist, introduced this word to mainstream America.
Bud
Cannabis buds, or flowers, contain the highest concentration of THC. The most desirable part of the cannabis plant, buds are frequently used in edibles - hence the name “bud”.
Doobie
A “doobie” is a marijuana cigarette, also called a joint (anyone else having Sublime flashbacks from that phrase?). No one seems to recall how the word doobie came to be, but the term was cemented into popular culture by the 1970s band, the Doobie Brothers. In case you’re wondering, their last name was not Doobie. They just smoked a lot.
Grass
In the 1960s, cannabis enthusiasts used “grass” to refer to marijuana. Today, quality cannabis is clearly identifiable as dried flower buds. That wasn’t the case 60 years ago when it looked more like old lawn clippings.
Chronic
It’s no secret that Snoop Dog is a fan of cannabis. In fact, he and Dr. Dre are credited with coining the term “chronic”. In a quote from an interview with Seth Rogan, Snoop recalls his first introduction to hydroponically grown cannabis. Snoop says he misheard, thinking it was hydrochronic weed, and shortened it to chronic. “It was really hydroponic, and we f****d around and misinterpreted, and we said it the wrong way,” he laughs. The word stuck, and Dr. Dre even titled his 1992 album, “The Chronic”. Today, chronic simply means really good weed - regardless of whether it’s grown hydroponically.
Reefer
Can you believe the word “reefer” is 100 years old? Like much of the slang for marijuana, the word reefer dates back to the 1920s. Reefer was originally a derogatory word for cannabis users - a loose translation of the Spanish phrase grifo, which means dirty pothead.
The 1937 propaganda film, “Reefer Madness”, vaulted this slang word to nationwide popularity. The movie however is considered one of the worst films of all time (plot: a high school principal details stories of cannabis usage leading to murder, insanity, rape and more), although it has become a cult favorite in recent years. It’s so bad that it’s good…or is it?
Nixon
President Nixon spearheaded the war on drugs, so it’s pretty hilarious that “Nixon” is used as slang for marijuana -not just any marijuana, though. Nixon refers to poor quality cannabis being sold under the pretense that it’s good quality cannabis. Using the name of a fraudulent president to refer to fraudulent cannabis is a genius play in our books.
The devil’s lettuce
There are two theories regarding the origin of the term “the devil’s lettuce”. The first is relatively simple. The plant Amsinckia tessellata, commonly known as the devil’s lettuce, is native to the Southwestern US. It shares some physical similarities to the cannabis plant - enough that an amateur botanist could have confused the two at some point.
The second theory is more complicated, involving the demonization of cannabis during the height of the war on drugs. Harry Anslinger, head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, claimed, “There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing result from marijuana use.” Like lettuce, marijuana is green, so it makes sense that anti-cannabis groups began to refer to cannabis as “the Devil’s Lettuce”.
13
In the 60s, Hell’s Angels and other bikers began to fix number 13 patches onto their jackets and vests to signify that they used marijuana. Marijuana starts with the letter M - the 13th letter of the alphabet. You get where they’re going with this.
We’re not exactly sure why the Hell’s Angels, who were probably already on law enforcement’s radar, thought advertising their drug use was a good idea. Maybe cops hadn’t caught on to the meaning yet? Maybe they were playing mind games with them?
Bikers (and Boy Scouts, oddly enough) love their patches, so you’ll still find plenty of bikers with number thirteen patches sewn onto their jackets. Today, those patches have a variety of different meanings - so you might not want to make any assumptions. Then again, you probably weren’t going to ask a random biker if they wanted to share their cannabis, anyways.
Laughing Grass
As we noted, one of the more popular slang words for marijuana is grass, and certain strains of Cannabis can make people feel giggly. Put the two together and, voila, “laughing grass”. It’s probably also a fun play on laughing gas. Definitely don’t use the two at the same time.
Hairy One
To be completely honest, this vaguely creepy slang word for marijuana appears on plenty of lists. However, we weren’t able to find any confirmation of its origin. We can only assume it’s in reference to the plant’s fuzzy leaves.
Word of advice: don’t google “what is hairy one”. Just trust us.
Nuggets
Nuggets are the buds or flowers of the cannabis plant. The word “nuggets” is sometimes shortened to nug, and means high quality cannabis. Urban Dictionary defines nuggets as “The thing they smoke under a bridge”. Soooooo, if you know what that’s all about, hit us up in the comments. We’re legitimately curious.
Skunk
Skunk weed is an incredibly potent strain of weed. It doesn’t smell like an actual skunk, but like a skunk’s spray, the scent is pungent and tends to linger.
Goof Butt
Have you ever heard anyone call a marijuana cigarette a goof butt? We haven’t either, but according to the DEA, it’s a thing. Goof is a slang word used to describe the feeling of being high, and butt is (obviously) part of the actual cigarette.
Blunt
A “blunt” is a cigar that has been hollowed out and filled with weed. On the East Coast, Phillies Blunt was a cheap brand of cigars often used for this purpose, and those super sly smokers started calling their faux cigars blunts.
Roach
The unsmoked end of a joint or blunt is called a” roach”. Some historians have linked the slang to an obscure verse of a Mexican folk song “La Cuacaracha” - which translates to the cockroach. Most people agree that the word rose simply from the butt’s resemblance to the insect.
Smoochy Woochy Poochy
“Smoochy, woochy, poochy” - why would anyone call cannabis smoochy woochy poochy? We have no clue, but we couldn’t resist sharing this gem of a definition from Urban Dictionary:
Smoochy woochy poochy: Another word for weed, or marijuana, that will most likely get you beat up.
Guy 1: Man you got the stuff?
Guy 2: Yeahh! I got that Smoochy Woochy Poochy man.
Guy 1: Dude wtf keep it low key.
Also, how does one get a job working at Urban Dictionary? Asking for a friend.
Dank
When you think of the word dank, what comes to mind? Maybe swamps, dungeons, or caves? In the 1980s and 90s, a whole slew of words with negative connotations, like bad, wicked, sick and ill evolved into synonyms for awesome. “Dank” fell under that umbrella, and has since been used to describe high-quality cannabis.
Boof
There are a few definitions of the word boof. It can mean selling bad weed to people who don’t know any better, vaping marijuana cartridges laced with other drugs or chemicals or (brace yourselves) butt chugging. Either way, we’ll pass.
Wacky Tobacky
In the 1950s, both tobacco and marijuana were commonly rolled in paper and then smoked. The difference being that marijuana typically makes the smoker a little sillier - hence the term “wacky tobacky”.
420
Back in 1971, a group of five high schoolers in Northern California met each day at 4:20 to smoke marijuana. A few years later, one of those students scored a gig as a roadie for the Grateful Dead. We can only assume that he shared his daily ritual with the band. In 1990, High Times magazine published a flier created by Grateful Dead fans, inviting them to smoke “420” at 4:20 pm on April 20th. Today, April 20th is not only an excuse for cannabis enthusiasts to partake but is also used to promote the legalization of the drug.
Got a lot of time on your hands? Here’s a list of 250 slang words for marijuana, courtesy of the DEA. Share your favorites with us in the comments!
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