Cannabis Terminology: Language & Terms You Need To Know

Our community talks in code. Someone who’s never smoked weed a day in their life probably wouldn’t understand a group of stoners in conversation.

If you’re a beginner cannabis user experiencing some serious FOMO when stoners are around, we’ll help you stay in the know. Below, we’ve listed the most common cannabis terms and language to help you talk like a true connoisseur.

Whether you’re new to the wide world of weed or need a lesson on the latest stoner lingo, we’ve got you covered. Keep reading to see the most common cannabis terms and what they mean.

Joint: The joint is the classic, most traditional form of cannabis consumption. It comprises rolling papers, ground flower, and a filter (in most cases). Joints have several nicknames, like Js, doobies, pinners, etc. They are also referred to as pre-rolls if the joint was pre-rolled and purchased at a dispensary.

Spliff: Many people use the term spliff for a regular joint, but that’s incorrect. Spliffs are joints that are rolled exactly the same way, but instead of just using ground flower, there’s also tobacco mixed in. Using these together produces an instant head rush with an instant high.

Blunt: The last type of roll you’ll often see stoners smoking is a blunt. They are larger than joints and spliffs, but the easiest way to tell if it’s a blunt is the color and texture of it. Blunts are rolled using tobacco leaf wraps (there are also tobacco-free versions on the market). They are thick, aromatic, and burn slower than joints and spliffs.

Nugs / Buds: Nugs, also called buds, are fun terms that refer to cannabis flower you’d receive from the dispensary (or harvested from a plant). Nugs and buds are simply chunks of cannabis flower that are stuck together in a unique formation. We break buds apart to grind and smoke them.

Kief: Kief is a powdery, crystal-like substance that falls off buds. In order to catch and smoke it, most grinders have a bottom compartment dedicated to kief catching and storage. Kief is incredibly potent, even stronger than the flower itself.

Live Resin: This is a cannabis concentrate that’s been extracted from freshly-harvested and frozen plants using a solvent like butane or propane.

Live Rosin: This is a cannabis concentrate that’s been extracted from freshly-harvested and frozen plants without using chemical solvents.

Hash: Hash is Kief that’s been pressed into a sticky ball or square. It’s just as potent as loose kief but easier to smoke.

Shatter: This is a cannabis concentrate that looks like a piece of yellow glass, indicating that it would shatter like glass.

Budder: Budder is a soft and smooth cannabis concentrate recognized for its looser and oily consistency. It’s often referred to as BHO (butane hash oil).

Crumble: Crumbled concentrates are a form of wax that looks more crumbly and almost crunchy compared to shatter and budder. Comparing budder and crumble is like comparing soft and crunchy peanut butter.

Bong/Bubbler/Water Pipe: There are various kinds of bongs on the market. While some brands will label these pieces “Bubbler” or “Water Pipe,” don’t let that confuse you. They’re all bongs, which are glass smoking pieces that use water to filter out impurities and cool the smoke before it reaches the mouth. Bongs are basically larger pipes with water filtration.

Pipe: Pipes are one of the most traditional ways to smoke weed. They resemble your average tobacco smoking pipe, like something you’d see in an old movie. Today, there are all sorts of unique designs on pipes, making them even more relevant. They provide an easy way to smoke cannabis without water filtration or rolling papers.

Dab Rig: A dab rig is essentially a smaller bong designed specifically for cannabis concentrates. They have unique tools like bangers that let you heat it up with a torch, then load your concentrate to produce instant vapor. Dabbing is simply the verb used to describe the action of taking a dab hit from a dab rig, which just means smoking cannabis concentrates.

420: It wouldn’t be a stoner lingo article without mentioning 420. On April 20th of every year, stoners get together to do what they love most: smoke weed. We honor the culture, the plant, the people, and the evolving industry on this special day. In case you missed 420 this year, don’t fret. There’s always next year…and the year after that.

710: Here’s something newer that some stoners might not be familiar with. 710 is a new cannabis holiday celebrated on July 10th every year. However, it’s a special cannabis holiday because it honors all cannabis concentrates. When flipped upside down, 710 looks like OIL, making it the perfect day to gather your torch, tools, and concentrates and get to puffin’.