This cannabis glossary explains the most common weed terms in plain English — from BHO, bubble hash and dab rigs to terpenes, trichomes, 420 and 710 — so you can follow any conversation about growing, buying or consuming cannabis. Get into weed and you quickly run into a pile of terms and names that, instead of clearing things up, make the whole thing even more confusing. Knowing the lingo makes for a better experience all around.

So here's a list of the most-used cannabis terms. Keep in mind these are the ones you'll run into most; there are plenty more.

Butane hash oil (BHO):

Butane hash oil, or BHO, is a cannabis concentrate made by extracting THC and terpenes with butane. It can be a very dangerous extraction method and should only be done by someone with real chemistry experience.

Blunt:

What's a blunt? Easy — you've probably seen one: it's cannabis rolled in a tobacco-leaf wrap and smoked. They run anywhere from about 12 to 35 cm (5 to 14 in) long. Best lit in the company of an irresponsible adult or a solid crew of friends.

Bubble hash:

Bubble hash is a cannabis concentrate made up of millions of trichomes. It's extracted with a solventless method: agitating cannabis plant material in ice water.

Budtender:

In weed lingo, a budtender is a cannabis salesperson or shop employee. It's the person you'll deal with when you buy cannabis products.

Bubbler:

A bubbler is a glass piece used to smoke cannabis through water. It's usually bigger than a hand pipe but smaller than a straight-tube bong.

420 meaning:

This number is tied to the day celebrating growing and smoking weed, usually April 20 (4/20 — April being month four). Likewise, 710 and July 10 are associated with hash oil and dabs (flip "710" upside down and it reads "OIL").

Cannabidiol (CBD):

Cannabidiol, usually called CBD, is one of the main cannabinoids found in cannabis and hemp. It's found in the resin of cannabis flowers. It isn't intoxicating on its own, but it can soften THC's psychoactive effects, and research suggests therapeutic potential for a range of conditions, from anxiety and nausea to seizures and some forms of epilepsy. You'll find CBD products in the CBD section of our shop (Argentina only).

Cannabinoids:

Cannabinoids are the main chemical compounds found in cannabis plants. The best known are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), but there are more than 100 different cannabinoids in the cannabis plant. These compounds interact with the endocannabinoid system, which is behind the wide range of effects attributed to cannabis.

Hemp:

Hemp is part of the cannabis family and has a chemical makeup low in THC, at 0.3% or less. It's mainly grown for fiber, seeds and other industrial uses.

Mota (Spanish slang):

A slang word for weed in several Latin American countries. You'll hear it in lines like "¿Vamos a fumar mota?" ("Wanna smoke some weed?") or "¿Tienes un poco de mota que me regales?" ("Got any weed you can spare?").

Strains:

Strains are the different varieties of cannabis within the plant family.

Edibles:

Edibles are foods and drinks that contain active cannabis.

Concentrates:

Concentrates are extracted forms of cannabis with high levels of cannabinoids, and they come in all kinds of forms. Concentrates include hash, shatter, wax, rosin and live resin.

Cannabis paraphernalia

"Drug paraphernalia" covers all the equipment and accessories made and used to produce, hide and consume drugs, typically for recreational purposes. Think bongs, pipes, scales (for weighing) and vaporizers.

Dab rig:

A glass piece designed specifically for vaporizing "dabs", or small amounts of cannabis concentrate.

Cannabis flower (botany):

The flower is the reproductive structure of spermatophytes, meaning seed-bearing plants. When growing seedless cannabis (sinsemilla), the plants produce female flowers that, since they never get pollinated, keep maturing and putting out new flowers that end up loaded with resin. Plants grown for seed, on the other hand, produce fewer flowers and less resin.

Dispensary:

A dispensary is a shop where you can get legal cannabis for medical and/or adult use.

Extraction:

Extraction is the process of pulling the compounds you want out of raw plant material.

CO2 extraction:

A cannabis extraction method that uses CO2 as the main solvent.

Hydrocarbon extraction:

Using hydrocarbons (like butane or propane) to extract cannabinoids from plant material is known as hydrocarbon extraction.

Phenotype:

Phenotypes are the physical traits that result from a plant's genetics interacting with its environment — which is why seeds of the same strain can grow into noticeably different plants.

Flower (or bud):

The raw product of the cannabis plant is called flower. Flower is also known as bud, herb or ganja.

Hash:

Hash is a traditional form of cannabis extract made without solvents.

Indica:

One of the best-known subspecies of the cannabis plant, Cannabis sativa subsp. indica, with a short stalk and broad leaves.

Kief:

The powdery, pollen-like stuff that falls off cannabis flower. It's made up of glandular trichome heads. Also known as dry sift.

Grinder:

A small mill for breaking up cannabis flower, giving you more even material for rolling. A must-have in any smoker's kit.

Joint

A cannabis cigarette. Also known as a J, a doobie, a jay and a whole lot more, it's weed rolled in paper, with or without a crutch. In Spanish you'll hear porro, peta, caño or petardo, and in Argentina the go-to words are porro, faso and churro.

Recreational:

Cannabis used for pleasure and non-medical reasons is known as recreational or "adult-use" cannabis.

Resin (live resin):

When people talk about concentrates, resin is often "live," meaning the plants were frozen and/or extracted fresh, before drying and curing.

Sativa:

One of the best-known subspecies of the cannabis plant, Cannabis sativa, with a tall stalk and narrow leaves.

Endocannabinoid system:

The ECS, or endocannabinoid system, is the body system that interacts with cannabinoids, helps maintain homeostasis (the body's internal balance) and produces its own cannabinoids (endocannabinoids) like anandamide.

Solventless:

Products made without butane, propane, hexane or other hydrocarbon extraction methods are considered solventless.

Shatter:

A form of cannabis concentrate that "shatters" like glass when you handle it.

Dry sift:

Dry sift, also known as kief, is a concentrate made by sifting bud so the resin glands fall off. They're then gathered into a powdery concentrate.

Terpene:

Terpenes are the compounds in the cannabis plant responsible for its aromas and some of its varied effects.

Tincture:

A specific type of cannabis extract designed to be taken orally or under the tongue (sublingually).

THC:

Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is one of the best-known cannabinoids and the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis.

Topical:

A specific type of cannabis product designed to be applied to the body and skin instead of being taken internally.

Trichome:

The glandular part of the cannabis plant responsible for producing cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids.

Vaporizer:

A vaporizer is a device that heats cannabis to a set temperature without combustion. They come in a whole range of styles.

Wax

Wax is a soft, opaque cannabis concentrate, with a waxy texture, usually made by extraction with solvents like butane.

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