Pot? Marijuana? Cannabis? How do I refer to weed at a dispensary?

Dear Name Dropper,

Cannabis may very well be the most named plant of all time. Slang names like grass, weed, pot, etc. were originally created so people could talk about it surreptitiously, for obvious reasons. I myself have referred to it as many things, including “Dave” (as in, “Wanna come talk to Dave with me?”) or sometimes “the marketing materials”. Meanwhile, the term marijuana is steeped in racism, and has been used to demonize the drug and its users (can you tell it’s not my favorite term?).

Today, with the stigma all but gone, you can call it whatever you want. At dispensaries, our old friend is commonly referred to as flower, to distinguish it from other formats like dab and vape, and because it smells so good!

Go Flower Power!

xoxo,

Mary Jane