A (Very Brief) Cannabis Glossary)

If you haven’t smoked weed since high school or college you’ll find that a lot has changed since then. Remember that old song that from Easy Rider— “Don’t Bogart that joint, my friend/Pass it over to me?” Burst out in song at the dispensary, and no one will understand what you’re talking about—they don’t even speak the same language. Forget all of that 60’s and 70’s coolness—no more Thai sticks, sinsemilla, Colombian Gold, Panama Red, ditch weed, or black light posters. Here’s a guide to dispensaryland.

CANNABIS: Don’t say marijuana, weed, or dope. It’s all cannabis.

EDIBLE: A cannabis-infused edible product. In the early days of legal cannabis in Colorado, THC content in edibles varied wildly. The effects of inhaling or smoking cannabis appear almost immediately, while edibles take much longer.

FLOWER: The flowering buds of cannabis plants.

CONCENTRATE: Any high-potency refined flower product. Examples: hash oils, shatter, wax.

PREROLL: Ask for a joint and get an amused stare. “You mean a preroll?”

BUDTENDER: The person who helps you at the dispensary. He/she knows so much more about cannabis than you, so don’t be afraid to ask!

STRAINS: Often whimsically named cannabis hybrids.

DAB: To put a tiny amount of concentrate on a hot surface and inhale the vapor.

COUCHED: Too much high-THC Indica. Also called couch lock.

TRICHOMES: The sticky, resinous structures on flower that contain most of the plant’s cannabinoids, used to create concentrates.

THC: Tetrahydrocannabinol, the active ingredient in almost all commercial strains.

MAUREENED: To be sick and hallucinating after over-ingestion of powerful edibles. Named after New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd, who shared her notably bad trip with Times readers after a Colorado vacation.

CANNABIDIOL (CBD): A non-psychoactive cannabinoid with strong medicinal properties. It’s legal almost Everywhere, as long as it’s not paired with THC. Mixed CBD/THC medical strains (also available in retail dispensaries!) may offer the best of both worlds to many users.

CANNABIS SATIVA, CANNABIS INDICA: The two species of the genus Cannabis that are cultivated for medical/recreational use, along with hybrid strains that combine both. According to Leafly, the authority on all things cannabis-related, sativas “tend to be uplifting and creative with cerebrally – focused effects.” Indicas, by contrast, “tend to be sedating and relaxing with full-body effects.”