When it comes to cannabis, there are a ton of terms that get thrown around in laws, in conversation and on products or advertisements.
To help you keep things clear and understand the naunces of Act 86, Vermont's new pot law, we've created a glossary of terms you might hear in conversations about pot.
Marijuana 鈥� The Plant
Marijuana 鈥� 鈥渢he dried flower of the cannabis plant, used as a drug for recreational or medical purposes.鈥� []
- A mature marijuana plant is defined as a female, flowering plant or flowered plant that has buds
- An immature marijuana plant is defined as a female plant that has not flowered and does not have buds.
Medical Marijuana 鈥� marijuana used for medicinal purposes. Vermont law gets more specific for therapeutic uses and defines to mean 鈥渢he dried leaves and flowers of marijuana, and any mixture or preparation thereof, and does not include the seeds, stalks, and roots of the plant.鈥�
Cannabis 鈥� the genus name for the plant, often used outside of North America. Why? There's the argument that 鈥渢he term marijuana was popularized in the United States in the early 20th century to stoke anti-Mexican sentiment.鈥� []
CBD 鈥� cannabidiol, another one of the chemical components of cannabis 鈥� though not intoxicating like THC.
Genetics 鈥� refers to the characteristics of a strain or variety of the specific cannabis plant. It's often used to refer to exchanges or swaps of plants.
Hemp 鈥� either the fibers of the marijuana plant used in paper or clothing products OR hemp oil (see 鈥淗emp Oil鈥� below). It contains .
THC 鈥� tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabis鈥� main psychoactive component.
Marijuana 鈥� The 'Made Froms'
Edibles 鈥� baked goods, foods or items intended to be ingested that are made from or with marijuana butter or oil.
Hashish 鈥� concentrated, resin-like form, extracted from marijuana. Can also be made into hash oil, which can be 鈥渟moked, vaporized or infused into edibles.鈥� [AP Stylebook]
The new law defines the volume of Hashish at 5 grams instead of the 1 ounce of marijuana allowed for Vermonters 21 and older. For more, .
The Others
CBD Oil 鈥� Cannabidiol compound mixed with an oil.
Hemp Oil 鈥� oil derived from pressing hemp seeds. It does not contain the levels of THC found in marijuana.
Marinol, Syndros and Epidiolex 鈥� FDA-approved drugs. Marinol and Syndros both contain strains of synthetic THC, while Epidiolex contains 鈥渁 purified drug substance cannabidiol, one of more than 80 active chemicals in marijuana,鈥�
Synthetic THC 鈥� or synthetic cannabinoids, are man-made to replicate the main psychoactive component of cannabis.
Act 86 Terms
Dwelling Unit 鈥� 鈥渁 building or the part of a building that is used as a primary home, residence, or sleeping place by one or more persons who maintain a household.鈥� []
Paraphernalia 鈥� the stuff used to smoke, ingest or use marijuana [] The full definition according to state law:
"All equipment, products, devices, and materials of any kind that are used, or promoted for use or designed for use, in planting, propagating, cultivating, growing, harvesting, manufacturing, compounding, converting, producing, process ing, preparing, testing, analyzing, packaging, repackaging, storing, containing, concealing, injecting, ingesting, inhaling, or otherwise introducing into the human body a regulated drug in violation of chapter 84 of this title." But does not include needles and syringes distributed or possessed as part of an organized community-based needle exchange program.鈥�
Public Place 鈥� 鈥渁ny street, alley, park, sidewalk, public building other than individual dwellings, any place of public accommodation as defined in , and any place where the use or possession of a lighted tobacco product, tobacco product, or tobacco substitute as defined in is prohibited by law.鈥� []
