Common Medical Cannabis Words from A to Z
How many do you know? For newbies and experienced folks alike, here’s an A-Z list of common cannabis-related words and their definitions.
Aroma
The nose knows. Cannabis’s distinctive aromas come from terpenes, chemical compounds that give each strain its smell—from sweet and floral, to spicy and woody, to a definitely funky skunk. Notable terpenes include Alpha-pinene (pine, rosemary), Beta-caryophyllene (spicy, citrus), Caryophyllene oxide (clove, pepper, woody), Limonene (lemon, citrus), Myrcene (skunk, clove, fruit), and Phytol (floral, woodsy). Which is your favorite?
Bud
Also known as the flower, cannabis buds are covered in resinous trichomes, the plant’s sought after, concentrated and cannabinoid-rich crown.
Concentrates
Cannabis products made by extracting some or all of the plant’s chemical components. Concentrates come in high-THC, high-CBD, and balanced THC:CBD profiles, in many forms including wax, oils, and tinctures.
Dab
A small cannabis concentrate that’s heated on a nail and inhaled.
Edibles
Any kind of food infused with cannabis or cannabis extracts. An alternative to smoking, edibles take longer to get into the bloodstream and can take as long as two hours for the effects to kick in though the effects last longer than inhaling the medicine.
Flower
Individual cannabis flowers come together to form the trichome-rich bud, the most valuable part of the cannabis plant.
Ganja
Although often thought to be Jamaican in origin, “ganja” is the Hindi word for cannabis.
Hash
Resinous trichomes from cannabis flowers, also known as kief, heated and pressed into a range of forms from dry and hard, to sticky and smooth.
Indica
One of three strains of the cannabis plant, characterized by its wide, broad leaves and deep color. Indicas are known for their relaxing, pain-relieving, sleep-inducing effects.
