Stoner Dictionary | Cannabis
cannabis: noun 1. a genus of flowering plant in the family Cannabaceae that is either used for the hemp fibers found within its stalk or consumed for its psychotropic and healing effects 2. the dried flowers of a particular plant that is consumed usually by smoking
Origins: unofficially proposed in 1728 but established in 1753 in Carolus Linnaeus’s Species Plantarum
Taxonomy: originally placed with Nettle or Mulberry but later re-classified with Hops in a separate (hemp) family
Example: “I am a recreational and medical cannabis user.”
The term cannabis is one of the most standard nomenclatures of the famous marijuana plant. It has become the most scientific and formal term used to refer to our beloved Mary Jane. There are three cannabis varieties, two of which all modern stoners are familiar with: cannabis sativa, cannabis indica and cannabis ruderalis. The third variety is one you have most likely never heard of. Cannabis ruderalis is the epitome of a weed as the word ruderalis refers to any type of plant that is the first to take over a landscape after competing plants have been eradicated. Its origins are in Central Russia and this type of cannabis is often low in THC but withstands extremely harsh environments, adapts quickly to changes in climate and remains shorter in height. It can also be found in Lithuania, Belarus, Latvia, Estonia, Canada, and the Midwestern United States.
The flowering process is unique as it is based on age instead of light, contrary to cannabis sativa and cannabis indica. This process is called auto-flowering.
The etymology of the word ruderalis comes from the Latin word rudera which is translated to rubble, lump, or rough piece of bronze. Because of its lower THC content, it is rarely grown for recreational purposes and its short stature makes it a poor candidate for hemp use. However, because of its resistance to insects and disease, its ability to quickly acclimatize to various environments, and the convenience of auto-flowering, it is often crossbred with stronger sativa or indica strains.The broad term cannabis does not only refer to the dried flowers used for consumption but also the plant in its entirety: stalk, seed, leaf, the whole shebang.
Marijuana was at one point, and still is, the standard term used in official literature, laws, bills, legislature, documents, etc.
Cannabis is slowly phasing out the term marijuana with the argument of it being a more scientific way to classify the plant, attempting to veer away from the constant use of the slang terms which we all know and love. While many of these terms will live forever through the brains and mouths of stoners, the use of the word cannabis is garnering popularity. Organizations such as the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) prefer to use the word cannabis because the term marijuana was supposedly created during a time of mass xenophobia (fear of foreigners) as a way to stigmatize the plant. Regardless of whether you to call it cannabis, ganja, meds, marijuana, pot, weed, grass, herb, or the multitude of other colorful nicknames out there for it, one thing remains the same: if you don’t eat your greens, then you better smoke ’em!