Cannabis, Marijuana, Ganja, Weed: What are we talking about?

The herb at the center of all current debate has more than just one name. Present in history for centuries,Often referred to by its scientific name, cannabis, it has been appropriated by various cultures.

Cannabis

This is probably the first name given to the plant. The word appeared around 440 BC, with the ancient Greek kannabis. The word was used to designate the recreational use of cannabis, notably in some of Herodotus' writings during steam baths made from the smoke of cannabis plants.

In England, the first appearance of the word cannabis dates from the mid-16th century, and then became the scientific name for hemp.

Marijuana

The word marijuana comes from Mexican Spanish. It was the name of a mixture of herbs used by the Mexicans to treat certain illnesses.

During the Mexican Revolution, many emigrated to the United States, some with weed. The the American government introduced Prohibition which is still going on today, with the passage in 1913 of the first bill to criminalize the plant.

They then called cannabis «marijuana», in reference to the Mexican word. Even today, the United States uses this word mainly to designate weed, reserving the word cannabis for the scientific aspect of the plant. The French translation of the word Marie-Jeanne. Used in French, by the way, the word «marijuana» clearly takes us back to the 70s, with tonton Jacques and his glass of wine attacking «hakik» smokers.

Ganja

To talk about ganja, If you're looking for ganja, you'll need to travel to India, not Jamaica as many people might think. The word ganja is Sanskrit, and originally refers to the most common variety of cannabis, Cannabis Sativa.

Some people believe that the Indians named the Ganges after ganja, because of the cannabis fields that line certain parts of the river.

Pot and Weed

Pot« (pronounced pote) has been used mainly in the U.S. since the 60s, but is now also used in Canadian French. Its origins lie in the Spanish word potiguaya, which refers to mulled wine soaked in weed heads.

The word« weed »The term "weed" is more recent, having become popular in the late '80s and early '90s. Although it also refers to weeds that grow anywhere and often in difficult conditions (a fitting comparison for cannabis, a plant that grows all around the world in a variety of natural conditions), it was originally used to refer to "weeds". cannabis cigarettes, before being assimilated into the plant itself.

The word first appeared in 1929, at a time when Americans were beginning to smoke cannabis, between the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, The term first appeared in print in 1932. The Chicago Defender, a weekly newspaper dubbed «the most dangerous of the Negro papers», commented on the migration of cannabis in New York City from the slums to high society.

«The vile joint, weed, marijuana, or whatever you call this doctored cigarette, has moved from Harlem to Park Avenue.».

The term weed spread to the UK through the magazine Melody Maker. In 1932, this renowned magazine advised its readers to listen to «Song of the Weed» and «Reefer Man».

Unfortunately, there is no recording of «Song of the Weed», but Cab Calloway's rendition of «Reefer Man» still exists.

For years, the word weed has remained fairly confidential. If you look at the Ngram from Google (a tool that shows how often a word is used, only for US sources), weed became popular in France in the 1990s. Today, the word lives on in both the USA and Europe, and must be one of the most widely used synonyms for cannabis, along with weed.

Weed

The word beuh first appeared in France in the 1980s, under the influence of verlan, which transformed herbe into beuh (or beu). The word officially entered the dictionary in 2015, along with selfie and bitcoin.

The list of names given to cannabis can be extended indefinitely. All cultures and regions have appropriated the cannabis plant and given it a name, not to mention the use of different slang terms that have invented words to hide from prying ears, or regional variations. All of these words are used to describe the different forms of cannabis (dried flower, inhalant, etc.). powder, in resin, oil, etc.).