Breaking Down Confusing Cannabis Terminology

The cannabis lexicon is as diverse as the culture surrounding it, and cannabis language is continually expanding as public acceptance and medical use of the plant increases. With an eclectic story that involves secretive underground markets, diverse cultural communities, scientific research, and controversial legal policy, cannabis terminology features a blend of local slang, medical jargon, marketing buzzwords, and technical legal definitions. As legalization and innovation continue to spread, cannabis terms are being introduced, forgotten, or commonly misused, which can make the language of cannabis confusing for both new and experienced users. This article will go over some commonly used terms found in the cannabis lingo that can be unclear and easily confused for many people. So, if you never figured out what “OG” really means, or if you keep calling your joint a spliff, this cannabis terminology refresher is for you. 

10 Confusing Cannabis Terms Demystified

OG

Original gangsta? Ocean grown? Original grower? Is it the name of a strain? Browsing through different varieties of cannabis, you may have come across monikers like Fire OG, OG Chem, and Skywalker OG, among numerous other OG strains. Ask around, and you’ll likely get different answers from different people about what the letters stand for. Different legends in cannabis lore typically point to “ocean grown,” “original gangster,” or even just “original,” the truth is no one knows for sure what OG was originally intended to mean. 

Even if the weed world remains uncertain about what OG stands for, the letters still represent something specific when they appear in the name of a cannabis product. Strains that feature OG in the name belong to a special lineage of hybrid cannabis plants descended from the legendary OG Kush strain. Since its popularization in the 1990s, OG Kush has become a highly sought-after and influential strain in the world of cannabis, and today, you will find many descendants of the renowned strain in virtually every cannabis market. So, when you see a strain tagged as OG on a cannabis menu, you know the strain belongs to a particularly special family of cannabis plants featuring the genetics inherited from OG Kush.

Joint vs. Blunt vs. Spliff

You may have heard people use these terms interchangeably, and you may be guilty of doing it yourself, but these terms designate different kinds of smokables! Here’s the breakdown: 

• Joint: A joint is a cannabis wrapped in thin rolling paper. This is the most popular way to consume cannabis, and joints can come in a variety of sizes, ranging on average from 1/3 gram to 1 gram. Many people roll their joints, but prerolls are a popular convenient option. 
• Blunt: This smokable treat is cannabis rolled in a wrap made of tobacco leaves, also called a blunt wrap. Blunts can contain more cannabis than joints, as blunt wraps are typically larger and thicker than rolling papers. A blunt also provides a buzzy nicotine high along with the weed high, which offers a different smoking experience compared to a joint. 
• Spliff: Spliffs contain both ground cannabis flower and tobacco rolled in cigarette papers or joint rolling papers. There is no standard tobacco-to-weed ratio for a spliff, but usually, spliffs contain 50% cannabis and 50% tobacco. Because tobacco is mixed with the ground flower used in this smokable, the THC high from smoking a spliff is less intense and is accompanied by a heady nicotine buzz. As with blunts, spliffs expose the user to tobacco smoke, which can be more damaging to the lungs than cannabis smoke. 

Adult-use

In the cannabis world, this term is used to distinguish recreational cannabis from medical cannabis. However, it can be confusing when you consider that being a legal adult at 18 doesn’t imply that somebody can legally participate in adult-use cannabis markets, it does show that they are eligible to access medical cannabis! While the US considers someone an adult when they reach the age of 18, “adult-use” cannabis is restricted to people over the age of 21. So, even though you can use medical cannabis as an adult when people refer to adult-use marijuana, they are typically talking about recreational use.

Cannabis Caregiver 

Not to be confused with a cannabis healthcare provider, a cannabis coach, or a cannabis consultant, a cannabis caregiver is a representative designated to assist individual medical marijuana patients who cannot procure or apply cannabis treatments for themselves. Medical cannabis patients who either cannot obtain or administer their medical marijuana treatments—for example, patients who are minors, elderly, disabled, or critically ill—can designate another individual to procure and apply their cannabis medicines. Jobs handled by cannabis caregivers include providing transportation to dispensaries, measuring dosages, and applying tinctures or topicals for medical cannabis patients. Cannabis caregivers may not need to be healthcare experts, but they must normally submit an application and certification process before providing their services.

Live Rosin vs. Live Resin

Since the terms sound a lot alike, it can be easy to confuse these two types of cannabis concentrates. The essential distinction between these two products is in their extraction processes, which involve different materials and temperatures. 

• Live Resin: Manufacturers produce live resin using a solvent, such as butane, ethanol, or propane, in an extraction process applied to fresh, flash-frozen cannabis plants. Freezing the cannabis plants for extraction is essential to this process as it preserves the plant’s numerous cannabinoids and terpenes and results in a product that delivers the full flavor and potency of the live cannabis plant.
• Live Rosin: In contrast, live rosin is produced using a solventless extraction method that involves applying heat and pressure to cannabis flower, hash, or kief. Because live rosin is extracted without chemical solvents, it is often favored by those who want a clean, chemical-free product. You can produce rosin relatively safely compared to live resin, and live rosin extraction also avoids using chemicals that harm the environment. 

Cannabis Cafe

Cannabis cafes are establishments that permit guests to purchase and consume cannabis products on-site while also enjoying non-infused food and beverage offerings. These establishments are not to be confused with consumption lounges, which are locations that allow on-site cannabis consumption but do not offer non-cannabis food and drink. Cannabis cafes have specific licenses permitting them to serve food and beverages in the consumption space, whereas consumption lounges cannot legally sell non-cannabis consumables. Only a few states have legalized cannabis cafes, so consumption lounges are more common. Certain consumption lounges have been able to circumnavigate legal restrictions on serving food by offering prepackaged food or food prepared offsite and also by charging customers separate checks for cannabis and food purchases. 

Hemp oil vs. CBD Oil

Hemp specifically refers to cannabis sativa plants whose parts contain 0.3% or less of the psychoactive compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), according to the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 US Farm Bill). Until 2018, hemp was legally classified with marijuana plants and banned in the US, today it is an increasingly popular cash crop used for producing CBD (cannabidiol) oil and a variety of other materials ranging from paper to concrete alternatives. Hemp can also be used in foods, often as a form of seeds or oil. Hemp seed oil, or hemp oil, is distinct from CBD oil, and the two hemp-based oil products provide fundamentally different benefits. 

• Hemp oil: Also known as hemp seed oil, hemp oil is a liquid fat extracted from the seeds of hemp plants. The product contains negligible levels of cannabinoids such as CBD, meaning that you cannot receive the therapeutic effects CBD is known for by consuming hemp oil. Rather, hemp oil is a food product with a nutty flavor and rich nutritional profile featuring omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. 
• CBD oil: In contrast, CBD oil is extracted from the flowers, leaves, and stalks of the hemp plant. It is abundant in the cannabinoid CBD and is found in a variety of therapeutic products that are used to treat seizures, pain, inflammation, and anxiety. 

Marijuana or Cannabis?

In the legal context, non-hemp cannabis plants and their derivatives are classified as marijuana. The term “marijuana” is used to distinguish cannabis products and plants with high levels of THC from those legally defined as hemp. However, even though “cannabis” appears to be a more generic term referring to any plant in the species cannabis sativa, both hemp and marijuana, many policymakers, healthcare professionals, and advocates will use the word “cannabis” when referring to marijuana products. This is because “marijuana” was historically used by US propagandists leveraging racist attitudes toward Mexican immigrants in the early 20th century to generate widespread negative and fearful public mindset regarding the substance. 

So, which one is correct? You can use either. Whether the term is being used to refer to a gram of bud or the plant species more broadly will depend on the context. Although “cannabis” is the more generic term for members of the cannabis plant species, which includes hemp plants, plenty of people still apply the term to talk about products and plants that would more technically count as marijuana, so if you say you are going to smoke some cannabis, nobody is going to ask you whether you mean marijuana or hemp. 

Quarter 

Like 25 cents? A quarter of what? A gram? A pound? An entire harvest? A quarter, also known as a “q” or a “quad,” refers to a one-quarter ounce quantity of weighed dried cannabis flower, which can also be expressed as 7 grams. Relatedly, an eighth of cannabis refers to an eighth of an ounce of weed, or 3.5 grams. So, if someone offers to sell you a quarter of weed, this does not mean they want to exchange 25 cents worth of bud!

420

The number 420 is one of the most universally recognized symbols of cannabis culture. It is commonly used to refer to the act of smoking weed, a time of day (4:20) to light up, and the unofficial cannabis holiday celebrated on April 20th. However, the meaning behind the mysterious number is surrounded by urban legends. Some people mistakenly believe a debunked theory claiming that 420 was once a police code for marijuana-related offenses, but no such code exists. Others have speculated that the number refers to the Bob Dylan song “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35,” as 12 multiplied by 35 comes out to 420. 

The most credible origin story has been traced back to a group of 1970s California high school students, known as the “Waldos,” who would meet at 4:20 pm after school to enjoy a social smoke session. The stoner crew would say “420” to each other as a secret code word to talk about cannabis. The term gained traction when one of the Waldos got to work with the band Grateful Dead as a roadie, and 420 was picked up by band members who then spread it to fans. In the 1990s, a flyer made by a group of Oakland Deadheads inviting people to smoke “420” on April 20 at 4:20 pm was published in High Times magazine, which led to the widespread popularization of the term, forever establishing 420 in the cannabis lexicon. 

Getting in the Last Word

With the rapidly evolving and expanding research and culture surrounding cannabis, new terms continue to emerge, describing everything from novel cannabinoid compounds to cutting-edge consumption methods. While language diversity enriches the cannabis industry with new knowledge and cultural diversity, it may also confuse, as newbies are intimidated by a huge array of unfamiliar jargon, and even seasoned fans can struggle to keep up with altering uses and newly found compounds. Mastering the cannabis lexicon is an ongoing project for any cannabis consumer, grower, medical professional, or medical patient, and keeping up with some of the more commonly confusing terms is an easy way to ensure that you can navigate the world of cannabis culture with confidence.