Cannabis is an incredibly interesting topic and it is being discussed in various industries daily, but understanding what is being talked about can be an entirely different story. The best place to start learning about cannabis (or any topic really) is going to be at the very beginning, with learning how to talk about this plant with its proper names. There can be some confusion surrounding the different cannabis types and the names it goes by for a variety of reasons such as the fact that it is still federally illegal. Cannabis was an often-used medicine prior to the 1930’s when it was made illegal and because of this the education regarding cannabis is greatly lacking. Another reason for confusion is due to the astounding number of different cannabis cultivars or strains that are readily available to the cannabis consumer. With this post I'm going to briefly go over the different names and labels that we currently use for cannabis and talk about the labels that the research and healthcare communities are using for cannabis.
Cannabis is a genus in the family of flowering plants known as Cannabaceae with 3 species that are easily recognized in cannabis terminology: C. sativa, C. indica, and C. ruderalis1. For the intent of this post, we’re not going to discuss how the cannabis plant is classified for taxonomy purposes, but know that there is debate of how to name this plant on many levels. The species names of these plants are informally used currently to categorise the effects that the cannabis supposedly will have on a person. Anecdotally cannabis of the sativa variety was supposed to give a boost in energy while cannabis of the indica variety was supposed to help you sink “in da couch” and have no extra energy2. The ruderalis variety of cannabis does not produce significant amounts of THC but does have a comparatively short growth cycle that makes it highly desirable and is where the term hybrid comes from. Research has shown that sativa and indica don't really mean what we think it means3, the names sativa and indica actually say more about the way that the plant grows (sativa grows tall with thin leaves, while indica grows short and has a really bushy appearance1), than about how it could affect the person who consumed the cannabis.
During its time as an illegal plant, cannabis has gathered many slang terms that could be used without significant worry that anyone was going to know what was being discussed. These terms can cause even more confusion to the novice cannabis consumer as most of these terms have been used for so long that the general public is now using the terms. Terms like pot, 420, Kush, Haze, dope, grass, and weed are commonly heard when discussing the cannabis plant and all refer to the plant itself as a whole. There are also slang terms that can be used to describe a specific way of consuming the cannabis: a blunt, joint or J refers to smoking a cannabis cigarette and dabs, shatter, or diamonds refer to the highly concentrated form of THC that can be inhaled through a glass bong. There's even slang related to how a person might feel after consuming cannabis: stoned, faded, zooted, toasted, and baked are some common examples.
With all the difficulties pertaining to how to name the cannabis plant, how is the everyday person supposed to really know and understand what kind of cannabis they are purchasing for consumption? Researchers have identified a way to categorise cannabis based on the amounts of THC to CBD that is contained within the plant. If you’ve ever purchased cannabis for consumption, you have had the question posed to you: are you looking for sativa or an indica? Generally meaning, are you looking for a high energy type experience or a low energy/sleepy experience? No matter the reason for consuming cannabis, no person wants to have their night or day messed up because they accidentally took more THC than their body was used to. These 3 categories are based on the chemical types (chemotypes) of the plant which are:
- Type 1: high THC and low CBD.
- Type 2: high THC and high CBD.
- Type 3: high CBD and low THC4.
When looking at the different types shown here, it seems to make it a bit easier to order the exact level of cannabis (THC) that you need for your particular situation.
The list of names of cannabis could literally go on and on, as there are so many different ways to refer to cannabis that it can almost be overwhelming but here at The Green Nurse we can try and reduce the amount of confusion surrounding this topic. I aspire to make this website a place to find all sorts of knowledge that is cannabis related and also point out the other resources that might be useful as well. When searching for information regarding cannabis please make sure to get your information from well researched sources. The budtenders at your local dispensary could also be a great place to start asking questions for cannabis information. They can be a wealth of cannabis related information and while they might not be trained as a nurse, doctor, or pharmacist (which depending on your state laws, there might be a pharmacist in your local dispensary. Here in Oklahoma, there are no medical personnel in dispensaries) they are actively working with cannabis on a regular basis and can help you learn a lot about the plant itself.
Sources
1. Gloss D. An Overview of Products and Bias in Research. Neurotherapeutics. 2015;12(4):731-734. doi:10.1007/s13311-015-0370-x
2. Hartman B. Weed slang - the most common nicknames for cannabis. The Cannigma. Published October 27, 2021. Accessed February 10, 2023. https://cannigma.com/history/weed-slang/
3. Omer-Man MS. Indica vs Sativa: What’s the Difference Really? The Cannigma. Published September 13, 2019. Accessed February 1, 2023. https://cannigma.com/plant/sativa-vs-indica-whats-the-difference/
4. Fischedick JT. Identification of Terpenoid Chemotypes Among High (-)-trans-Δ9- Tetrahydrocannabinol-Producing Cannabis sativa L. Cultivars. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res. 2017;2(1):34-47. Published 2017 Mar 1. doi:10.1089/can.2016.0040
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