Source: Courtesy of iOne / Courtesy of iOne
The world of weed is as diverse, complicated and fascinating as the millions of people across the globe who use it. Whether you’re a daily toker, a social smoker or have never actually inhaled, you may find yourself needing to know a thing or two about marijuana. Our handy guide is here to help.
The Green:
Types of Marijuana — Most marijuana used for medicinal or recreational purposes comes from one of two types of the Cannabis plant (Sativa and Indica) or is a hybrid of the two. It’s further categorized into strains, which are identified by their sativa and/or indica levels and the effect they have on the body, cognitive processes, etc.
Sativa — This variety is known for a “head” high versus a “body” high, which makes it great for physical activity and creativity.
Indica — The stereotypes associated with marijuana are most directly connected to indica, which is much better for relaxing than it is, say, meeting your significant other’s parents for the first time. Indica is great for winding down before bed.
Hybrid — A hybrid is simply a mix of sativa and indica that typically falls under one of these three categories: Sativa-dominant hybrids, indica-dominant hybrids, and 50/50 hybrids.
Kush — Before it was half of Wiz Khalifa’s mixtape’s title, the name originated from the Hindu Kush mountains. The mountain range spans the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and is one of the few places kush grows natively.
Haze — A kind of sativa, Haze originated in Santa Cruz, Calif. in the 1960s. It flourished in the warm weather because of its long flowering cycle. If you’re looking for a boost of energy and an upbeat mood, then haze is what you need.
Purple/Purp — If your nugs are a dark green with purple undertones then you’ve got purp. A two-time winner of High Times’ Cannabis Cup in 2007 and 2009, its great for those dealing with chronic pain from injury or illness and those suffering from insomnia.
Hydro — Hydroponics is the art of growing weed in a reservoir of water instead of soil. The plant doesn’t have to search for its nutrients in the dirt so it grows at a much faster rate than cannabis. Hydro is said to have a much louder smell and a stronger high.
THC — The good stuff. It stands for Tetrahydrocannabinol and is the element that gives you that euphoric high. There are 113 cannabinoids, but THC gets the most attention. Not all weed has it, so it’s actually possible to use it medicinally without your head being stuck in the clouds.
CBD — Short for Cannabidiol, CBD is a cannabis compound that can help relieve inflammation, pain, and anxiety without the stoned feeling that weed gives you.
Quality and Quantity:
Nick — Nick is short for Nickel and is $5 worth of weed.
Dime — A dime is $10 worth of weed.
Dub — A dub is double the amount of a dime, making it $20 worth of weed, which is about a gram.
Eighth — An eighth of an ounce, which is about 3.5 grams.
Quarter — A quarter ounce, which is about 7 grams.
Ounce — An ounce of weed, which is about 28 grams.
Reggie — Reggie is poorly grown cannabis where the male plant pollinates the female plant. It results in way too many seeds and a low level of THC, so your high will be nearly nonexistent.
Mid — A step up from Reggie, mid-grade weed has fewer seeds and stems. It’s not the best bud, but it’s not the worst; it’s right in the middle. Remember: the mid is always selling.
Smoking Tools:
Blunt — Shhh, don’t tell Wiz Khalifa. Blunts are formed when you empty out a cheap cigar (a Backwood, if you prefer) and fill it with weed. You might actually like the added sweetness of the tobacco paper.
Rolling Papers — Made with lightweight rag fibers, rolling papers are rectangular sheets of paper that allow you to roll your own joint and taste the full complex flavors of its feeling.
Roach — If you’re smoking and you start to feel the heat from the joint on your thumb, you’ve reached the roach, the tiny leftover nub from a blunt or joint that can be placed in a pipe (or saved for your next smoking session). If you like living on the edge, you could just cop a roach clip, a small clip that you can hold the roach with so you don’t burn your fingers.
Bowl — When people say they’re packing a bowl, it means they’re taking a nugget of weed and putting it inside their pipe.
One-Hitter — A form of microdosing, a one-hitter is a long, slender pipe designed for a single inhalation.
Other Consumption Methods:
Edible — Edibles are food infused with marijuana. The high won’t hit you immediately like with smoking because the THC has to get absorbed into the bloodstream, but just wait an hour or so…
Dab — No, it’s not the dance that peaked in 2016 thanks partially to the Migos; it’s a wax-like concentrated THC that’s been separated from the other stuff in the plant and is commonly known as BHO (butane hash oil). Heat it up in your bong then take a pull. And don’t be surprised if you get really high, really fast.
Vaping — The metal thing that’s starting to look less douchey and more practical. The small machine heats up weed to the point that it turns into vapor when you inhale it. Yes, it still smells like weed, but a third less than a third an actual joint. A vape pen can be filled with a wax or dry herb.
Tinctures/Ingestible Oils:
Pills — A literal chill pill. Marijuana in pill form offers the same THC-fueled high without everyone being able to smell your newest habit. Unlike smoking, no THC will be lost in the process, so the pills will deliver an even more potent high.
Raw Cannabis — It’s juicing, but with weed. If properly pressed, marijuana leaves are pretty healthy and include protein, calcium, iron, fatty acids and vitamins.
