Botanically, there isn’t one. Cannabis, marijuana, weed, pot, herb, and bud all refer to the same plant.
What differs is history, tone, and legal usage. “Cannabis” is the scientific name and the one the legal industry has largely settled on. “Marijuana” carries a complicated past. “Weed” is what most people actually say. And “hemp” is the one word on the list that does mark a real distinction, though it’s a legal line rather than a biological one.
Here’s where each name came from and when to use it.
Cannabis
What it is: the botanical name. Cannabis sativa L. was formally classified in the eighteenth century, and every product discussed on this page comes from that plant.
Why the industry uses it: two reasons. It’s precise, and it’s neutral. As US states began writing legalization statutes, many deliberately chose “cannabis” over “marijuana” in the legislative text, and dispensaries, trade groups, and regulators followed. It reads as clinical rather than criminal, which was very much the point.
When to use it: anywhere formal. Legal writing, medical contexts, product labeling, and business communication all default to cannabis now.
Marijuana
Where it came from: the word entered American English from Mexican Spanish, where marihuana was in common use. It began appearing in US newspapers in the late 1800s and early 1900s, largely through coverage reprinted from the Mexican press.
Why it’s contested: during the US anti-drug campaigns of the 1930s, officials leaned on the Spanish-language word rather than the already-familiar “cannabis,” which had appeared in American pharmacies for decades. Emphasizing the foreign-sounding term helped associate the drug with Mexican immigrants, and that association was used deliberately. The 1937 federal law that effectively prohibited it was titled the Marihuana Tax Act.
That history is why many people in the industry avoid the word. Others argue the opposite, that dropping it erases the Mexican influence on American cannabis culture rather than honouring it.
Why it persists: federal law still uses the term, spelled “marihuana,” in the Controlled Substances Act. So legal and regulatory documents continue to use a word much of the industry has moved away from.
When to use it: it isn’t a slur and most people use it without a second thought. If you’re writing for a general audience, it’s understood. If you’re writing for the industry, cannabis is the safer choice.
Weed
Where it came from: “weed” meant an unwanted plant as far back as the 1400s and was slang for tobacco by the 1600s. Its use for cannabis appears in the US in the early twentieth century. One plausible route is a shortening of “locoweed,” a plant found in Mexico and the American Southwest whose name was sometimes used interchangeably with cannabis, though the etymology isn’t settled.
Where it stands now: by a wide margin, the most common everyday term in American English. It’s what people search, what they say to each other, and what they say to their delivery driver.
When to use it: ordinary conversation, and anywhere you want to sound like a person rather than a compliance document.
Pot
Where it came from: genuinely uncertain. The most repeated theory traces it to the Spanish phrase potación de guaya, a wine infused with cannabis, but there’s little evidence for it. Another suggestion points to early cannabis-infused teas. Neither is well supported.
Where it stands now: it appears in the US in the early twentieth century and takes off culturally in the 1960s, which is roughly where it stayed. It reads as generational, and younger consumers rarely use it.
Hemp, and the One Real Distinction
This is the only term on the page that marks a genuine line, and it’s a legal one rather than a botanical one.
Hemp and marijuana are the same species. Under the 2018 federal Farm Bill, hemp is defined as cannabis containing no more than 0.3% delta-9 THC by dry weight. Above that threshold, the same plant is legally marijuana.
That’s it. One number, set by legislators, drawing a line through a single species.
This distinction matters more than it sounds, because it created the entire hemp-derived THC market. Products containing delta-8 THC, delta-10, and THCA are sold as hemp because they satisfy the delta-9 threshold, even though their effects can be comparable to conventional cannabis. It’s also why hemp-derived products still fail standard drug tests: the test detects THC metabolites and can’t tell which isomer produced them.
Bud and Flower
Both refer to the same thing: the flowering part of the plant, which is dried, cured, and consumed.
“Flower” has become the industry-standard term for the product category, appearing on menus and labels alongside edibles, concentrates, and vapes. “Bud” is the older colloquial version and means exactly the same thing.
Quality in flower is largely about trichomes, the resin glands that give good buds their frosted appearance and carry most of the cannabinoids and terpenes. You can browse our premium flower to see what that looks like, and if you’re deciding between varieties, our guide to indica vs sativa is a reasonable starting point.
Other Names You’ll Hear
The DEA maintains a list of hundreds of slang terms, so this is a small sample of those still in circulation.
Ganja comes from Sanskrit via Hindi and reached the Americas through Indian indentured laborers in the Caribbean. Strongly associated with Jamaica and Rastafari usage.
Chronic was popularised by Dr. Dre’s 1992 album of that name. It’s unclear whether the album coined it or amplified something already in use, but it’s rare in print before then.
Herb, grass, reefer, and dope are all older. “Reefer” belongs to the 1930s prohibition era. “Dope” is worth avoiding for clarity, since it more often means heroin or refers to performance-enhancing drugs.
So What Should You Actually Call It?
In conversation: weed. It’s what nearly everyone says, and nobody will misunderstand you.
In writing, professionally, or in any formal setting: cannabis. It’s precise, neutral, and the industry standard.
When accuracy about legal categories matters: be specific about hemp versus marijuana, because the 0.3% threshold has real consequences for what’s legal to sell where.
Marijuana is fine in general use and unavoidable when discussing federal law, though it’s worth knowing why some people prefer not to use it.
Practically speaking, whichever word you grew up with is probably the one you’ll keep using, and any decent shop will know what you mean regardless. Browse the full menu and call it whatever you like.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is cannabis the same as marijuana?
Yes. Both refer to the same plant, Cannabis sativa L. “Cannabis” is the botanical name and the term preferred by the legal industry and most state statutes. “Marijuana” is the term that entered American English from Mexican Spanish and still appears in federal law.
What’s the difference between hemp and marijuana?
A legal threshold, not a botanical one. Under the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp is cannabis containing 0.3% or less delta-9 THC by dry weight. The same plant above that figure is legally marijuana. They are the same species.
Why do dispensaries say cannabis instead of marijuana?
Partly precision and partly history. “Cannabis” is the scientific name and reads as neutral, while “marijuana” was emphasized in 1930s US prohibition campaigns in ways that traded on anti-Mexican sentiment. Many state legalization laws chose “cannabis” for the same reason, and the industry followed.
Where does the word marijuana come from?
Mexican Spanish, where marihuana was the common term. It appeared in US newspapers from the late 1800s onward, mostly via coverage reprinted from the Mexican press, and was adopted into official US usage in the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act.
Is it offensive to say marijuana?
It isn’t a slur, and most people use it without any objection. Some in the industry avoid it because of how it was deployed during prohibition. Others argue that dropping it erases Mexican influence on American cannabis culture. Cannabis is the safer default in professional settings.
Why is it called weed?
“Weed” meant an unwanted plant from the 1400s and was slang for tobacco by the 1600s. Its application to cannabis appears in the early twentieth century, possibly as a shortening of “locoweed,” though the etymology isn’t settled.
What’s the difference between bud and flower?
Nothing. Both describe the dried, cured flowering part of the plant that gets consumed. “Flower” is the industry-standard term on menus and labels; “bud” is the older colloquial version.
Will hemp-derived products show up on a drug test?
Yes. Standard tests detect THC metabolites and cannot distinguish delta-8 or delta-10 from delta-9. A product legally sold as hemp can still produce a positive result.
They All Mean the Same Plant
Five words, one species, and a hundred years of politics deciding which one sounded respectable. Cannabis for the paperwork, weed for the conversation, hemp when the 0.3% line actually matters.
For adults 21 and over.