THE cannabis is a complex plant, with properties as fascinating as they can be frightening. However, we are only afraid of what we do not know. This is one of the main problems with cannabis, whether it is legal or not. It must be said that with more 400 chemical components, even the scientific community is sometimes baffled by this botanical masterpiece. Added to this are endless derivative products that end up confusing non-experts. Weedy.fr brings together its knowledge of the cannabis sector in a single article and gives you a cannabis glossary which will allow you to understand it better.
Cannabis glossary by the basics: the plant
Cannabis Vs. industrial hemp
Let’s start this cannabis glossary with the species itself. At the mention of the word “ cannabis “, the most chaste ears close. Talk about hemp is, however, quite common. However, visually, these two plants seem perfectly identical. Not surprising when you know that cannabis means hemp in Latin and that it is sometimes simply called “ recreational hemp “. The only one difference is actually in the leaves and flowers which will, in the case of cannabis, produce a resin rich in THC, the psychoactive molecule of cannabis, banned in many countries.
Ultimately, cannabis and hemp are one same plant species, which it is convenient to distinguish in the vocabulary for specify the legality or not of the product.
Cannabis light
THE light cannabis simply designates a plant whose THC production is naturally low, and generally falls within the legal rate imposed. On the contrary, the production of other molecules, such as CBD, is encouraged.
Active ingredients of cannabis
Cannabinoids
The cannabis plant is made up of numerous chemical substances, grouped under the name of cannabinoids. Known to scientists since the 1960s, cannabinoids act on the human body by activating the endocannabinoid system which intervenes in particular on our nervous and immune systems. Present by the dozens in the plant, cannabinoids are therefore responsible for effects of cannabis on the human body. However, they all have different effects and not all of them have yet been identified.
THC
THE THC, Or Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol in full version, is certainly the best-known cannabinoid. It is indeed renowned for its psychoactive effects that get consumers high. Also addictive, he is considered narcotic by most governments. European law thus caps its rate at 0.2% for authorized plants.
CBD (Cannabidiol)
Still unknown to the general public in the mid-2010s, CBD is now almost as well known as THC. On the contrary, he is a cannabinoid with calming effects, non-psychoactive And non-addictive. It is sometimes referred to as legal cannabis or light cannabis.
Components of the cannabis plant
Stems and leaves
Cannabis is an annual plant whose species are native to Central or South Asia. A classic plant consists of a main stem, transporting water and nutrients to the rest of the plant. Of the symmetrical leaves with the well-known shape then grow in pairs from the main stem or branches. They serve to absorb light, a vital source of energy for the plant.
Flowers
Depending on the species and the environment in which the plant grows, the bloom arrives more or less quickly in the development cycle. Still, both for recreational and therapeutic use, these are the female plants which are favored for flower production. Indeed, if males are useful for pollination, they are also smaller. Females produce large flowers full of resin which can be dried whole or used to create many other derived products. Click here to see our CBD flowers.
Trichomes
THE trichomes are from small vesicles, kinds of hairs, present on the epidermis of the plant, and particularly on the heads. They play a fundamental role since they are responsible for the secretion of cannabinoids, but also terpenes. Sticky, they are also full of resin. Common in botany, trichomes are not not only present on hemp and contribute to the protection of many plant species against insects, drying out and even UV rays.
Terpenes
A terpene is a hydrocarbon naturally present in cannabis as well as many other plants. Abundant in resin, THE terpenes have the main characteristic of being odorous. It is therefore to them that we owe the special flavors and aromas of cannabis. There are many different terpenes. Among them, we find borneol (menthol), limonene (citrus notes, predominantly lemon/orange), pinene (pine needles), myrcene (earth, musk), beta-caryophyllene (pepper, spices, wood) or even linalool (lavender, flowers).
Cannabis herb
Marijuana, weed, weed
Cannabis has made a reputation for being smoked in the form of joints. All countries, all cultures and all historical eras are affected by its consumption. It’s no wonder then that weed has almost as many names as smokers. Among the most widespread, we obviously find the famous marijuana, sometimes spelled marihuana, which evokes the smoking herb from the Indian hemp, simply synonymous with… cannabis. The circle is closed.
The most French-speaking people often speak of Marie-Jeanne. Others prefer to mention the weed (verlan for grass) or weed, an English term used for both smoking weed and weed. Skunk, Sensimilia, ganja, Colombian and many others complete the list.
Kif
Kif is a term originating from North Africa designating a mixture of tobacco and cannabis herb. Originally, this Arabic term simply means “ pleasure ”, or “joy”.
Cannabis resin and pollen
Hashish
Hashish is none other than a term widely used to describe the cannabis resin. Unlike pure herb, hashish (or hash) is obtained by extracting the resin directly from the plant.
shit
THE shit is also a form of resin, with the difference that hashish is supposed to be pure resin. When he is cut, often with ingredients unknown to the consumer, it is rather called shit.
Pollen
THE pollen, Or skuff, is a finer resin. It is therefore distinguished from hashish by a finer sieving, not letting trichomes and plant debris pass through. The product is less greasy than a classic resin, and therefore more powdery and less sticky.
