In the world of cannabis, words can definitely become confusing. Understanding the cannabis lingo is like a maze of uncommon words that feels almost brain-shattering when it comes to remembering which abbreviation stands for this, what this compound is, and if this word describes the same thing as this word. Do you see how it all jumbles together and create one big cluster**ck? …Whoo, I’m glad that I’m not alone in this!

You see, the Cannabis industry is huge and has been around for years upon years, dating back to at least the third millennium BCE in written history. While many recognize it now for medicating and getting high, for millennia, the plant was valued for much more, such as its use for fiber, rope, food, medicine, and the psychoactive part (the part that gets you high), was for religious and recreational use. During this time, each and every little detail, such as the different plants and the many cannabinoids found in them all have been given names and abbreviations to help identify one from another.

We understand learning all of the names and abbreviations can become quite the task, so to act as a quick and easy reference without the scientific jargon, we’ve compiled a list of easy-to-read and easy-to-understand Cannabis Lingo.

Cannabis Lingo List

Cannabis:

Cannabis is a family of flowering plants originating in Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Cannabis Ruderalis, Cannabis Sativa, and Cannabis Indica are all members of this family. While Cannabis Ruderalis isn’t commonly used due to its small size and low THC content, the long stems of Sativa and Indica have a variety of medicinal and practical uses. They are long-stemmed plants, used for making ropes and fabrics as well as being utilized to extract Cannabinoids like THC and CBD.

Cannabis Sativa:

Cannabis Sativa is another name for the plant we know as Hemp and Marijuana. The main difference between the two is that one part, the bud of the female plant, has high THC content (the Cannabinoid that makes people feel high) while the other, Industrial Hemp (the stems and leaves) has considerably lower levels of this compound.

Industrial Hemp:

Used for millennia to create fibers for ropes and clothing, paper and parchment it is a strain of Cannabis Sativa L. Grown in the United States since the Countries birth and was a cash crop for the Founding Fathers. The stalks of the tall plants are perfect for weaving while the oils from the seeds have been used for everything from Shampoos to animal feed. While low in THC, less than 0.3% by dry weight, it still contains many other Cannabinoids and was found in 1940 to contain high levels of CBD.

Marijuana:

Refers to the psychoactive buds of the female Cannabis Sativa plant that people often use to smoke and get high.

Cannabinoid: 

The chemical compounds found within the Cannabis plants that provide a wide variety of health benefits. They are a large class of compounds that act with the brains Cannabinoid receptors in a variety of ways. While THC is a well known psychoactive component, used for a feeling of euphoria, most of the health benefits come from CBD.

EndoCannabinoid:

Naturally occurring Cannabinoids found within the human body. This refers to enzymes and receptors within all mammalian creatures that work with Cannabinoids to bring your internal systems into balance.

EndoCannabinoid System:

Your body has a hard-wired system designed to work with Cannabinoids. See EndoCannabinoids above and also an in-depth look at the ECS we have already created.

CB1:

The Cannabinoid receptors found primarily in the central nervous system, such as nerves in the brain and spinal cord.

CB2:

The Cannabinoid receptors found primarily in the peripheral nervous system such as nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord.

Phytocannabinoid:

These are the plant-based Cannabinoids found in species of Cannabis. All of the Cannabinoids listed below, as well as the rest of the known 113 in the Cannabis plant come under this category.

THC:

Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol is the chemical compound in Cannabis that is used for euphoric feelings and the reason that for so many years, access to these plants was highly restricted and in most cases completely illegal. Originally isolated in 1964, THC has some great positive effects such as increasing a person’s creativity and increasing appetite levels in some. While there have never been any confirmed cases of THC causing death- ever- in some people it can cause feelings of anxiety, paranoia and over the years have had people running to the ER. None of the effects are permanent and THC is also proving to be a great source for medical professionals.

CBD:

CBD, the more common name for the compound Cannabidiol is the chemical compound within the Cannabis plant that is being credited with vast outbreaks in the medical field. When working in cohesion with the Endo-Cannabinoid System, it can balance hormones and return the human bodies functions to normal.

CBD-A:

Is short for Cannabidiolic-acid, which is an acidic Cannabinoid. This is the naturally occurring raw form of CBD that is produced within the Cannabis plant.

CBN:

This is the short form of Cannabinol. A Phytocannabinoid found in Cannabis which is produced when THC is broken down in the body in a way that has little to no intoxicating effects.

CBG:

This is short for Cannabigerol which is known as the “parent cannabinoid”. This is the chemical precursor to THC and CBD, basically where the Cannabinoids come from comes from.

CBC: 

This is the abbreviation for Cannabichromene which is a Phytocannabinoid found in Cannabis that has little to no intoxicating effects.

Terpenes:

Terpenes are a diverse class of strong smelling organic compounds, produced by many plants and insects. What you associate with the smell of Weed is actually the odor put off by the Terpenes.

CBD Isolate:

Using various methods of extraction, CBD Isolate is created by stripping all of the plant material and only leaving behind high concentrations of Cannabidiol.

Full Spectrum CBD:

Full Spectrum contains everything that the plant contains. All of the Cannabinoids, Flavinoids, Terpenes and fatty acids found in Hemp, all of which combined produce the therapeutic effects we have come to know and also produce the Entourage Effect.

Entourage Effect:

This refers to the idea that biologically active compounds can increase biological activity when administered together with otherwise inactive compounds. Basically, the idea that each component in Full Spectrum CBD working together has a greater effect than relying solely on high quantity CBD  that has been isolated through extraction.