What's the difference between weed and cannabis?

Weed, cannabis, marijuana are common in the Netherlands. Ganja, dope, 420, pot, Mary Jane: internationally, the list gets much longer. But is it all the same? 

​​​​​​We can be brief about that: yes. We are simply talking about cannabis. Although, of course, there are differences between them. But the question is: why are there so many names for it?

Cannabis goes by many names. Learn why and how the language evolved in the world of weed!

Legalization 

According to David Bienenstock, author of How to Smoke Pot (Properly): A Highbrow Guide to Getting High and author of the famous High Times magazine, it’s because marijuana has been illegal for so long. All those code names were a way to talk about weed without getting caught. 

As weed becomes legal in more and more places, cannabis is starting to become most prevalent. According to Bienenstock, it makes the most sense, since it is the scientific name of the three plants: Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica and its cousin Cannabis ruderalis.

Enough of the theory and time for some field work? Stop by our coffeeshop in Amsterdam Zuid!