With recreational cannabis sales slated to begin on Oct. 17, many Canadians are understandably still hazy when it comes to essential weed words like âsativaâ and âCBD.â To help you navigate the lingo of the new legalized landscape, hereâs an easy guide.
Whatâs the difference between âcannabis,â âmarijuanaâ and âhempâ?
âCannabis,â the word used in , refers to a genus of Asian flowering plants in the Cannabaceae family -- a family that also includes hops and hackberries -- that have been cultivated for millennia for their medicinal and psychoactive properties.
âCannabisâ is frequently used interchangeably with the word âmarijuanaâ (sometimes spelled âmarihuanaâ), a term that originated in Mexico but is viewed by some as being racially-charged.
âHempâ primarily refers to cannabis plants raised for commercial purposes, such as making textiles, rope, cosmetics and food products like hemp seeds, which are high in protein and essential fatty acids. Hemp usually has negligible levels of the chemical compound that gets you high.
Then whatâs âdope,â âpotâ and âweedâ?
Depending on where you are from (or what decade you were born in), common slang terms for the cannabis plant (or the dried parts of it that are smoked) include bud, chronic, dope, ganja, grass, green, herb, Mary Jane, M.J., pot, reefer, skunk (for cannabis with a very distinctive smell), trees, wacky tobaccy and weed. There are many, many more.
What does âsativaâ and âindicaâ mean? Are there different types of cannabis plants?
There are two main cannabis species: Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica. âSativasâ tend to have more energizing and cerebral effects when used recreationally whereas âindicasâ tend to have more sedative and physical effects.
In terms of physical differences, indica plants are darker, shorter and bushier than sativas, which are tall and lean. A third species, Cannabis ruderalis, is rarely cultivated.
There are different types of sativas and indicas, which are called âstrains,â and these often have marketed names like âSour Dieselâ and âBubba Kush.â âKush,â a term sometimes used interchangeably with cannabis, can refer specifically to indica strains that originated from the Hindu Kush mountain range that straddles Afghanistan and Pakistan.
A âhybrid,â moreover, refers to a plant that is a genetic cross between different cannabis strains. Hybrid strains, which can be indica- or sativa-dominant, are bred to combine desired traits from their parent plants.
So what are âTHC,â âCBDâ and âcannabinoidsâ?
Put simply, âcannabinoidsâ are a class of approximately 100 known chemical compounds that are responsible for both cannabis' psychoactive and therapeutic effects. The most significant cannabinoids are delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol (or âTHCâ for short) and cannabidiol (or âCBDâ).
THC is the psychoactive compound that causes you to get âhigh.â It can often be seen as tiny crystal-like âtrichromesâ on the plant. CBD is responsible for many of the plantsâ physical effects and has been used to treat anxiety, pain, inflammation, insomnia, nausea and even epilepsy in the medical world. When cannabis becomes legally available for recreational use in Canada, products will be labelled with THC and CBD percentages. The higher that number is, the more potent the product.
You may also hear the term âterpene,â which refers to a broad class of organic compounds that give cannabis strains their distinctive flavours and aromas. The âBlueberryâ indica strainâs terpene profile, for example, is said to give it a sweet, berry-like taste. Terpenes are also believed to impact different strainsâ effects.
How will cannabis be sold?
The female cannabis plantâs dried flowers are what are most often used by recreational users. Also known as âbuds,â dried cannabis flowers tend to be dense and sticky. They also contain the highest proportion of cannabinoids in the plant. Rather than being bright and pretty like roses or daisies, cannabis flowers look more like clumps of dried oregano. The plantsâ leaves, stalk and stems are seldom consumed recreationally.
Cannabis oil, which will also be available on Oct. 17, refers to a product in which cannabinoids are extracted from plants and sold in liquid form.
In addition to dried cannabis flowers and cannabis oil, fresh cannabis, live cannabis plants and cannabis seeds have also been authorized for sale on Oct. 17.
There are also âconcentrates,â which are extremely potent and may not be legally available in October. They have names like âbudder,â âshatterâ and âwax.â Smoking concentrates is often called âdabbing.â âHashish,â or âhashâ for short, is another common cannabis-derived product thatâs made from the plantsâ resin glands, which contain cannabinoids like THC and CBD. This brownish substance has been used for centuries across Asia.
âDispensariesâ refers to the shops that have been openly selling medical cannabis across Canada over the past few years, often illegally. Those working the counters at such shops are called âbudtenders.â
How is cannabis consumed?
The most common way to use cannabis is by smoking its dried flowers, either in a hand-rolled cigarette-like âjointâ or in a pipe. Other common slang terms for âjointâ include âspliffâ and âdoobie.â A âbluntâ is a joint rolled in a tobacco leaf, much like a cigar. When purchased already manufactured, a cannabis cigarette is called a âpre-roll.â A âbongâ refers to a pipe that has a water-filled chamber. Slang synonyms for the act of smoking cannabis include âhit,â âpuffâ and âtoke.â If youâve smoked so much that you get paranoid, lose the ability to converse or get locked to your couch, you might be experiencing a âgreenout.â
Cannabis can also be âvaporized,â in which an electronic device, known as a âvaporizer,â is used to heat dried cannabis flowers (or cannabis oils) to create a cannabinoid-laden vapour. Because vaporizing does not combust the entire flower, some believe it is somewhat better for your lungs than smoking, much like e-cigarettes are when compared to traditional cigarettes.
Cannabis-infused food products -- such as so-called âspace cakesâ and âspecial browniesâ -- can also be consumed recreationally. Known as âedibles,â these wonât be available for purchase until about a year after legalization goes into effect. Such products are usually made with dried cannabis flowers or cannabis oil. While consuming edibles is , edibles also tend to be much more potent and long-lasting. Cannabis oil can also be consumed orally.