Leafly’s dictionary of weed slang

Here at Leafly, we have an appreciation for data and scientific research. Naturally, we also have an appreciation for ever-evolving cannabis culture.

After awhile, you start to recognize a certain lingo used by weed smokers, growers, and enthusiasts, alike. They are the same words many of us have used session after session and bud after bud.

Whether you’re hanging out with other 420-friendly humans or just trying to sound less like a complete noob, our dictionary of weed slang is here to help connect you more deeply within the world of weed in the language we all love.

Nicknames

Words we use to describe or identify weed

Your parents probably smoked grass, dope, or ganja. Before them, their parents probably heard about the menace of reefer or the devil’s weed.

Today, people smoke gas, zaza, and loud. But there are still plenty of other nicknames that we use to describe bud. From fuego to boof, here are some of the most prominent names for weed in pop culture and in cannabis conversation. 

Measurements

Slang terms for amounts of weed

Most of the slang terms for amounts of weed apply to illegal sales, and sadly, many of these terms have fallen by the wayside in the legal market.

Walking into a well-lit, pristine dispensary, you’ll likely hear the budtender ask if you want a gram or an eighth of flower; not so much dub sacks, zips, or ye ol’ King Henry VIII. And long gone are the days of dime bags and lids (which we’re still figuring out). 

• Dime bag — ½ gram or $10 worth (really, who buys this little of weed these days?)
• Dub sack or G — 1 gram or $20 worth depending on your city and flower quality
• Eighth or Henry VIII — 3.5 grams or ⅛ ounce
• Quarter or Q — 7 grams or ¼ ounce
• Zip or OZ (“oh-zee”) — 1 ounce or 28 grams
• Lid — The story of the lid seems to be the amount you could fit on a lid from a specific type of tobacco tin, but the actual amount seems to vary. Many claim it to be an ounce, but most describe it as “four fingers worth” in a time when scales weren’t that common.

Consumption

Slang terms for the weed we consume and how we consume it

There are tons of terms to be used at the smoke sesh and for different types of smokable cannabis. Here are some of our favorites:

• Banger — a type of nail for dabbing
• Batty — a one-hitter
• Bingers — bong loads
• Doink — a big joint
• Dogwalker — a short joint; the short amount of time to smoke is supposed to be the same amount as taking a dog for a walk
• Pearl — perfectly rolled joint or blunt
• Persy or snap — personal bowl or bowl for one person
• Pinner — a skinny joint that is thin like a sewing pin
• Rip—the action of taking a deep inhale from a bong or vape
• Roach — the butt of a joint or a blunt (looks like a cockroach)
• Salad bowl — a bowl with a mix of different strains
• Spliff — a joint with tobacco

Also, when passing a joint, be sure not to Bogart it, or hold onto it too long. Always remember to puff, puff, pass. Perhaps, another terrible practice in the time of coronavirus? Baptizing your joint or blunt. Baptizing means licking the entire thing to extend its burn time.

Lifestyle

Slang terms for life with weed in it

Living life as a weed lover opens you up to new experiences, feelings, and people. Here are a few terms to know so that you can continue to navigate the weed world. 

• Crossfaded — the state of being under the influence of alcohol and weed 
• Plug — someone you can get weed from that does not work at a dispensary 
• Re-up — to refill one’s personal weed stash

Slang terms we had never heard of

Narc central

There were lots of slang terms for weed we didn’t even know about. Turns out, The DEA actually has their own list of code words for weed and other drugs, too. Some of these made us laugh out loud, and some seem like terms people use in everyday conversation that has nothing to do with weed.

• alfalfa
• bazooka
• catnip
• hairy ones
• mowing the lawn
• my brother
• Queen Anne’s lace
• Pink Panther
• shoes

Aside from the DEA, we found a lot of other terms on other sites that none of us at Leafly had ever heard of either. Here are some of our favorites from TIME magazine‘s not-so-distant past:

• ace
• airplane
• asparagus
• baby
• climb
• Houdini
• Nixon
• thirteen

In these cases you have to wonder: Do people really use these terms or did someone just misinterpret them?

Have they ever smoked weed before…ever?

Share our slang dictionary and cannabis glossary with a friend who also loves weed and don’t forget to tweet us any of your favorite weed words you didn’t see.

Janessa Bailey and Pat Goggins

Janessa Bailey was born and raised in the Midwest and serves as Leafly’s culture editor. She enjoys exploring the many ways that weed can tie into everyday life and rarely turns down an edible.

Pat Goggins is a senior editor who handles Leafly’s informational content and specializes in cannabis cultivation after working for a commercial grower in Oregon. When not fixing typos, you’ll probably find him on a boat or in the mountains.

View Janessa Bailey and Pat Goggins’s articles