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Cannabis in Conversation Around the World

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Stoner Slang
PHOTO Capjah
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The weed lover’s vocabulary – aka stoner slang – is extensive, occasionally absurd, and sometimes practical. There’s a surfeit of nicknames to describe the color, quality, shape and psychoactive qualities of cannabis.

In fact, there are more than 1,200 different ways to refer to the cannabis plant. Bubonic chronic, doobie, dank, reefer, bud, grass, ganja… the list goes on.

Even so, how and why are there so many slang terms for the herb, anyway?

The answer, suggests Jonathon Green, author of Green’s Dictionary of Slang, relates to the illegal status of cannabis.

Slang, after all, is defined as an informal language, often used to conceal unmentionable words. In the cannabis community, it’s used as code; a linguistic way to get around authorities, or nay-sayers. But authorities catch on to slang, and eventually, new colloquialisms are needed.

“The terminology doesn’t really emphasize illegality: It is the illegality that created the need for the terminology,” Green told TIME in 2017. The creation of new slang, he added, is “seen as ‘fighting the man,’ it is also simply fun.”

In other words, stoner slang isn’t necessarily coined to be derogatory; it’s the jargon of cannabis aficionados.

Stoner slang is derived from different languages and cultures. For example, pot comes from the (Mexican) Spanish word for marijuana leave — potiguaya — or pot for short; Ganja from the Sanskrit word for Cannabis sativa, made popular by Jamaicans; and “gage” or “muggle,” both idioms for weed popularized by Jazz musicians in the 1920s and ’30s.

Reefer is said to derive from the Spanish word for weed, “grifa.” It’s also said to refer to the verb “reef,” which means to draw or pull.

Sometimes, however, the history of these slang terms is a more little complex or shrouded in stigma. One of the best examples of this is “marijuana.” Its origin is uncertain, but it became a widely used nickname for cannabis in the U.S. in the 20th century.

Per NPR, “A common version of the story of the criminalization of pot goes like this: Cannabis was outlawed because various powerful interests […] were able to craft it into a bogeyman in the popular imagination, by spreading tales of homicidal mania touched off by consumption of the dreaded Mexican “locoweed.” Fear of brown people combined with fear of nightmare drugs used by brown people to produce a wave of public action against the “marijuana menace.” That combo led to restrictions in state after state, ultimately resulting in federal prohibition.”

More recently, the word “skunk” is used to stimulate fear in the U.K. In America., skunk is a descriptor for its smell, or even strain names. But in the U.K., skunk is described as “super-weed,” and is often associated with psychosis. Recent headlines from Britain’s news sources reinforce the idea; “Most U.K. Cannabis ‘Super Strength Skunk” (BBC News), “Super Strength Skunk Could be to Blame for Spike in Lung and Heart Problems Among Women Over 40” (the Independent).

Like the term “dank,”  some words start out with unpleasant meanings but have come to define really good things. In stoner culture, it means high-quality bud.

What about the word “stoner?” That has also come to take on a more positive connotation, too. The typical stoner stereotype — lazy, couch-locked and sluggish — is far from the truth. Rather, “stoner” is a diverse term for any cannabis enthusiasts: mothers, CEOs, entrepreneurs… and well, everyone in between.

Of course, slang is ever-evolving. And as the industry goes global, stoners will continue to innovate irie idioms.

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Tyson 2.0 Launches New Mike Bites Cannabis Gummies

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Mike Bites

Nearly 25 years after he was disqualified from the World Boxing Association Heavyweight Championship for biting his opponent’s ears, Mike Tyson’s Tyson 2.0 cannabis brand has just released ear-shaped edibles, Mike Bites.

The new ear-shaped edibles are complete with a missing chunk where Tyson removed a portion of Evander Holyfield’s cartilage in what became known as The Bite Fight. After Tyson bit off a chunk of Holyfield’s ear, the 1997 match resumed. However, after attempting to snack on Holyfield’s second ear, Tyson was disqualified and his boxing licence was withdrawn. The Nevada State Athletic Commission handed Tyson a a $3 million fine for his actions and he didn’t fight again for over a year.

Mike Bites gummies will be sold at dispensaries in California, Massachusetts and Nevada.

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Wiz Khalifa Debuts New Taylor Gang x Stündenglass Collab

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Taylor Gang x Stündenglass
PHOTO | Stündenglass

Wiz Khalifa and his entertainment company Taylor Gang Ent. have collaborated with Stündenglass, the world’s first gravity-powered infuser, to introduce the iconic gold and black Taylor Gang x Stündenglass.

“I’m honored to have collaborated with long time friend Wiz Khalifa, who is as passionate about this product as I am. Our mutual admiration for Stündenglass made it a natural collaboration,” Stündenglass CEO Chris Folkerts said via a press release.

Taylor Gang x Stündenglass is an authentic collaboration developed after the multi-platinum-selling, Grammy-winning, Golden Globe-nominated Khalifa discovered Stündenglass and began enjoying it regularly as seen on his Instagram.

“I love my Stündenglass, and I’m pumped everyone gets to experience this with me now,” Khalifa.

The Taylor Gang x Stündenglass. PHOTO | Courtesy of Stündenglass

The infuser features a patented 360-degree gravity system that elicits a powerful and immersive experience. It generates kinetic motion activation via cascading water, opposing airflow technology and the natural force of gravity.

The Taylor Gang gravity bing comes in an exclusive black and gold colorway and features two glass globes on a metal base made of aircraft-grade aluminum, surgical grade stainless steel, and high-quality Teflon seals.

Taylor Gang includes artists Ty Dolla $ign, Juicy J, and Berner among others — the former of which has his own line Stündenglass collab with his Cookies brand.

“We’re very excited to launch the official Taylor Gang x Stündenglass. We use glass in our everyday lives, so it only made sense to team up and create an exclusive Taylor Gang collaboration for the fans,” Taylor Gang said.


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No Super Bowl for Brock Ollie

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Brock Ollie

With medicinal marijuana being legal in 37 states and recreational cannabis allowed in 18, we should be seeing commercials for companies, products, and services almost as frequently as commercials for sports betting, which is permitted in 30 states in some form.

However, mainstream cannabis advertising continues to be non-existent, as demonstrated in the recent news that NBC has rejected an ad by cannabis e-commerce and advertising platform Weedmaps from being shown during the Super Bowl LVI event his coming Sunday.

Weedmaps reportedly approached the network late last year about airing a Super Bowl commercial that would be “similar to a PSA,” according to reports. Execs volunteered to present some of their earlier educational-based programming, assuring NBC executives that it would not contain any direct-sell messages, which are still forbidden under federal law.

“The answer was a hard no — they wouldn’t even entertain the conversation,” Weedmaps Chief Operating Officer Juanjo Feijoo told Adweek. “We see ourselves as trying to be trailblazers in the industry and making new inroads where others haven’t gone before in cannabis advertising. So it was disappointing.”

The contentious ad personifies cannabis as Brock Ollie, a head of broccoli, the veggie emoji commonly used as a visual representation of cannabis in marketing. The 30-second ad takes viewers through a day in the life of Brock Ollie, whose superfood identity is in jeopardy as he is repeatedly misidentified as cannabis. The ad offers a lighthearted take on the industry’s issues, such as social media censorship and a lack of clear advertising standards, which limit cannabis-related commercials during nationally televised events like the Super Bowl.

“Despite three quarters of the country having legalized cannabis and the bipartisan enthusiasm we continue to see in support for change at the federal level, the industry continues to face roadblocks that inhibit competition in the legal market and stifle opportunities to educate,” Chris Beals, CEO of Weedmaps said. “There’s an irony in the fact that the biggest night for advertising will feature an array of consumer brands in regulated industries, from beverage alcohol to sports betting, yet legal cannabis retailers, brands and businesses have been boxed out.”

The game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams will be played Sunday in L.A.

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