420 — April 20, the cannabis culture holiday. Origin: a 1970s San Rafael, CA high school group's meet-time.
710 — "OIL" upside down. Concentrate culture's holiday (July 10).
Bowl — the cup of a pipe; a single packed serving of flower.
Bud — the dried flower of the female cannabis plant. Synonym for flower.
Blunt — flower rolled in a tobacco-leaf wrap.
Cannabinoid — a chemical compound that interacts with the endocannabinoid system. Includes THC, CBD, CBG, etc. 100+ identified.
Cart — short for cartridge; a pre-filled vape oil container that screws onto a battery.
Chronic — slang for high-grade flower. Originally from the West Coast.
COA — Certificate of Analysis. Third-party lab test of a batch.
Concentrate — any cannabis product where the cannabinoids have been extracted from plant matter. Hash, rosin, shatter, wax, etc.
Cottonmouth — dry mouth, a cannabis side effect.
Cure — the controlled drying process flower goes through after harvest. Affects flavor, smoothness, and shelf life.
Dab — a small amount of concentrate vaporized at high temperature on a "dab rig."
Decarboxylation — heating raw THCa to convert it to Delta-9 THC. Happens automatically when you smoke or vape; required for edibles.
Delta-8 / Delta-9 / Delta-10 THC — three molecular variants of THC. Delta-9 is the classic form. Delta-8 and Delta-10 are milder, lab-converted from CBD.
Dispensary — a licensed cannabis retailer.
Distillate — highly refined, near-pure THC oil. Tasteless without added terpenes.
Edible — any cannabis-infused food or drink.
Endocannabinoid system (ECS) — the network of receptors (CB1, CB2) and natural cannabinoids (anandamide, 2-AG) in your body that cannabis interacts with.
Entourage effect — the synergy between cannabinoids and terpenes; full-spectrum products produce different effects than pure isolates.
Flower — the smokable bud of the cannabis plant.
Full-spectrum — extract that retains all of the plant's cannabinoids and terpenes.
Gram — 1g of flower. The standard small unit. An eighth = 3.5g; a quarter = 7g; a half = 14g; an ounce = 28g.
Hash — compressed kief. One of the oldest cannabis preparations.
HHC — hexahydrocannabinol. Hydrogenated, lab-stable variant of THC.
Hybrid — strain genetically a mix of indica and sativa. Most modern strains.
Indica — strain type associated with body-leaning, relaxing effects.
Joint — flower rolled in cigarette paper.
Kief — the trichome dust that falls off bud. High in cannabinoids.
Live resin — concentrate made from flash-frozen (rather than dried) flower; preserves volatile terpenes. Strong flavor.
Microdose — a sub-perception dose, typically 1–2.5mg THC.
Pre-roll — a pre-rolled joint, ready to smoke.
Rosin — solventless concentrate made with heat + pressure. Premium category.
Sativa — strain type associated with head-leaning, energetic effects.
Schedule I — federal classification of substances with "no accepted medical use" and high abuse potential. Marijuana is here; heroin and LSD too. Hemp was removed in 2018.
Shatter — solvent-extracted concentrate with a glass-like consistency.
Solventless — concentrate produced without chemical solvents (no butane, no ethanol). Rosin, kief, hash. Premium.
Strain — a specific genetic lineage of cannabis. e.g. "OG Kush," "Northern Lights."
Sublingual — under the tongue. Absorption pathway for tinctures.
Terpene — aromatic compound responsible for cannabis's smell. Modulates effects.
Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCa) — the acid form of THC found in raw flower. Becomes THC when heated.
Tincture — cannabinoid extract in a liquid carrier (alcohol, MCT oil), dosed with a dropper.
Tolerance break (T-break) — pausing use for 7–14 days to reset cannabinoid receptors.
Top-shelf — premium-tier flower. The good stuff.
Trichome — the resinous, mushroom-shaped glands on cannabis flower that produce cannabinoids and terpenes. Look like frost.
Vape — vaporizer. Heats cannabis (oil or flower) to release cannabinoids without combustion.
Last reviewed: 2026-05-06. Maintained by Nature's Care Dispensary. For corrections or additions, contact the operator.