Grandma's Ganja Glossary
Most of the nation is familiar with the term Pot, but are you familiar with the Chronic? Some of us Seniors know about bongs, but what is dabbing? We hope to educate Seniors, by providing a quick glossary of terms and explanations of the words and phrases you'll see as you begin to explore or rediscover the Marijuana culture.
As with most "underground" cultures, there are slang words for slang words. Take Marijuana for example. Below are some of the many words used by the media to describe the same item. Properly, Cannabis would be the correct term but Marijuana seems to dominate the headlines.
Cannabis - Marijuana - MMJ (Medical Marijuana) - Weed - Pot - Ganja - Chronic - Bud - Herb - Flower
In addition to the above, which are all words used to denote Cannabis, below are a few of the popular and classic strain names. MMJ comes in a variety of plant types, similar to roses. The way to distinguish the varying types is through the use of "strain" names.
Popular :
Blue Dream
Blue Dream, is a sativa-dominant hybrid and has achieved legendary status among West Coast strains.
Girl Scout Cookies
A little goes a long way with this Indica hybrid, whose high THC content has won Girl Scout Cookies (GSC) numerous Cannabis Cup awards
Strawberry Cough
Strawberry Cough is a potent sativa and is known for its sweet smell of fresh strawberries and an expanding sensation in the lungs.
Harlequin
Harlequin is a sativa-dominant hybrid known for its reliable expression of CBD. Harlequin usually develops a CBD:THC ratio of 5:2, making this strain an effective medicine with little high.
Bruce Banner
Bruce Banner might be best known as the "strongest strain on earth" according to High Times Magazine. After testing thousands of strains, Bruce Banner captures the title for highest THC content.
Classics :
Blueberry
A true A-List cannabis strain. Blueberry’s legendary status soared to new heights after claiming the High Times’ Cannabis Cup 2000 for Best Indica.
Northern Lights
Northern Lights stands among the most famous strains of all time. The #5 strain was first entered into competition in 1989 and quickly began to dominate the Cannabis Cup, winning in '89, '90, and '92.
Sour Diesel
Sour Diesel, aka Sour D, aka Diesel, is an invigorating sativa named after its pungent, diesel-like aroma. This is an East Coast staple.
OG Kush
OG Kush is a big part of the genetic backbone to West Coast cannabis varieties. There are many different phenotypes of OG Kush, you will see a large variety of mixes with OG or Kush in the name.
Jack Herer
Jack Herer is a sativa-dominant strain that has gained as much renown as its namesake, the marijuana activist and author of The Emperor Wears No Clothes. This strain has taken home numerous awards for its quality and potency.
As we have discussed in seminars and other blog posts, smoking is not the only method of medicating with Marijuana. There is a wide variety of derivative products, some smoked, some ingested and others applied directly to the skin. Below are five of the most common forms of MMJ derivatives.
Concentrates aka Shatter / Wax / Budder / BHO / Honey Oil / Live Resin / Rosen
These products are extracted essential oils and terpenes from the plant matter. The potency of Concentrates is more than double the potency of the dried flower, making this an option for people with extreme pain. Concentrates are not something we would recommend as daily use medicine for minor aches and conditions.
Tincures
Easy and discrete, you simply put a few drops under your tongue. Rabid absorption into the bloodstream produces a quick effect, typically within 5-10 minutes.
Topicals
Creams and lotions that can be applied directly to the skin. This form of MMJ will not produce a "high" for the user.
Cannabutter
Cannabinoids like THC and CBD in Marijuana are fat soluble. By combining regular butter and MMJ in a pan and brought to a simmer, it produces butter that is now medicated.
Edibles
This can be anything from candy to fine cuisine. The options are limitless, many of the edible options obtain their medical properties through the use of Cannabutter in the recipe. Onset of effects can range from 30 minutes to 3 hours, making this a tricky form of medication.
Now that we have some of the basic terms covered, it's time that we dive into the slang and buzzwords of the industry.
420
An underground culture code for Marijuana. "It's 420 time" means, it's time to go smoke.
710
Similar to 420, this was a distinction for smokers who enjoy concentrates. Oil is 710 backwards and upside down.
Vape
Vaping is a method that combusts the desired cannabinoids but doesn't burn the plant material. This provides for a cleaner smoke with less, undesirable byproducts entering the lungs.
Dabs
A catch-all expression for smoking concentrates. "Want to take some dabs?" would be a common phrase amongst the 710 fans.
CBD
Cannabidiol is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid in some Marijuana strains. It does not get you high, but it has shown tremendous medicinal properties for a wide variety of conditions.
Charolette's Web
A high CBD strain that was popularized in the Sanjay Gupta MD. special "Weed" for it's life changing effects on children with Dravets syndrome.
Terpene / Terpinoid
These are responsible for how MMJ smells. Current research is focused on the entourage effect and science points firmly to the Terpene content within the strains being a determining factor on how the high is experienced.
Endo-Cannabinoid System (ECS)
Your body has a natural system for interacting with Marijuana. The ECS is responsible for controlling a wide variety of internal functions. Cannabinoids like THC and CBD bond with the CB1 and CB2 receptors in the body. Your body also produces endocannabinoids and they act on the same receptors.
We hope this helps you gain a better understanding of the terminology and products surrounding Cannabis. Each topic here has a lot of information available online, if you saw something you liked, start googling it! Always know that we are happy to answer any questions you have, to the best of our ability. If you have any questions or suggestions, please send them to seniorsMMJnetwork@gmail.com
