Introduction

Welcome to the New World

FOR MOST OF its history, cannabis has remained shrouded in code words, mystery, and misinformation. It’s time we ended all that. This book, crafted by our staff of cannabis connoisseurs at Leafly, is your guide to clarity and understanding.

Cannabis, marijuana, weed, reefer, pot, ganja, joints, tokes, hash, blunts, dabs, wax, shatter: To those not steeped in the subculture, the jumble of terms can be as confusing as a foreign tongue. Relax. It’s okay. That was their intended purpose. For decades, obfuscation has gone hand in hand with illegality. Before legalization, a cannabis sale required dexterity in a language as hidden as the space in which the transaction occurred. One did not simply offer up marijuana for sale, or request a half ounce of same. There were murmurs of “herb,” “kine bud,” “dime bags,” and “Maui Wowie.”

That strange argot served a double purpose. Vernacular fluency marked a buyer or seller as an experienced—and hence trusted—participant. It separated the authentic consumer from the undercover narc. In Richard Linklater’s classic film Dazed and Confused, the endearing stoner Slater grills a newcomer to the scene: “You cool, man?” Another character translates the Slaterism: “He was just asking if you get high.” More to the point: He was asking if the newcomer could be trusted to not report the illicit goings-on.

The groovy terms also acted as brand names in a market that allowed no legitimate branding. When cannabis came in unmarked plastic bags, the seller’s words were the buyer’s only assurance of quality. Those words often conjured exotic locales—Panama Red, Acapulco Gold—that served to mask the poor quality of the Mexican brick weed under discussion. “Mexican brick weed” is a slang phrase for inferior cannabis, usually a mix of dried leaves, seeds, and stems. The name is taken from the way the product is pressed into brick form to be packed and smuggled from Mexico.

See? Now you know what Mexican brick weed is, and why to avoid it. Mystery solved. At Leafly, this is what we do.

Fortunately, for more and more Americans the days of plastic bags and brick weed are behind them. (Of course, you have to check if you’re in a legal state first.) In most medically legal states, and in an increasing number of legal adult-use states, cannabis is grown by state-licensed farmers, bundled in smart packages, and sold in well-appointed dispensaries and retail boutiques. Cannabis flower—what you might have called weed—now appears in hundreds of varieties known as strains. An array of new products and delivery systems fight for space on the dispensary shelves: vape pens and oil cartridges, shatter, rosin, wax, edibles, inhalers, infused beverages, tinctures, capsules, suppositories, transdermal patches, and topical balms. Though regulations vary by state, most products are tested for potency and purity. All are backed by real brands, which means the market will reward the maker for delivering a consistent, high-quality product. Unlike, say, whoever stuffed that brick weed into the bag.

How to Use This Book

The Leafly Guide to Cannabis is intended to help all consumers—expert or novice, medical or recreational—broaden their understanding and enjoyment of cannabis in all its forms. That said, more advanced consumers with years of experience under their belts may well wish to skip ahead through certain sections, such as How Does a Grinder Work? We encourage readers to make use of as many or as few sections of this book as they wish, depending on the information that is most pertinent to them. That said, it never hurts to brush up on the basics—you might find a fresh perspective on a familiar topic or pick up tips, tricks, and tidbits that you’ve never learned before! And remember, the use of this information may not be legal everywhere, so check the legality in your state before you use it.

For experienced cannabis connoisseurs, the falling away of prohibition has provided long-sought relief from the constant fear of exposure and arrest. It’s also offered an extraordinary side benefit: A vast expansion of product variety, enormous improvements in cannabis quality, and (surprise!) lower prices. Despite the imposition of exorbitant tax rates and an early spike in prices, improvements in efficiency have combined with good old capitalist competition to produce a legal market in which the world’s finest cannabis is available at prices that undercut the illicit market.

For cannabis newcomers—or for those returning after years away—the new legal market offers both opportunity and risk. The opportunity lies in the possibility of finding just the right amount of relief, inspiration, or pleasure (or all three) for your body and mind. Past experience with cannabis of unknown origin may have soured you on the product. We hear you. We’ve been there. We also know that today’s new products and exact dosages may click with you in ways that were impossible in the past. The risk? Consumption without knowledge and forethought can lead to sickness or at least a very uncomfortable night on the couch. In other words: Check the dosage before eating that cookie. Understand the difference between flower and concentrates. Know your experience and your tolerance, and be fully informed before consuming. If you’re seeking to treat a condition, be certain to consult your doctor before you make a decision.

We sometimes assume that everyone’s post-prohibition journey begins with a first visit to a dispensary or retail store. But in most cases it actually starts with a conversation. It takes courage to break the stigma and discuss cannabis openly and without shame. But once you do, you’ll discover that others are often happy to talk about it—relieved, even. And you’ll probably end up sharing a laugh.

At Leafly, we aim to share accurate information about all aspects of cannabis. It doesn’t happen just on the website: Friends, family members, and strangers who happen to hear of our work will ask us about medical marijuana, or topicals, or the new dispensary that just opened. We get asked questions in grocery stores, on airplanes, at football games, around campfires, and during Thanksgiving dinner. We’re always happy to talk, because our own knowledge began with exactly these sorts of conversation years ago.

This book is our way of extending those conversations. We’ve gathered our best answers to the questions most often asked by the cannabis curious, along with many answers to questions nobody ever thought to ask (but wish they had). We invite you to use the following pages as a handy informational resource to dip into now and then or to read straight through. Share it with a friend. Share your knowledge with others. Expand all the good things: Curiosity, clarity, information, and understanding. Enjoy!

—Bruce Barcott, deputy editor, Leafly