Terminology and Paraphernalia

Marijuana:  The buds from a marijuana or pot plant are crushed or “broken up” prior to smoking. The seeds and stems are not used, so they are usually trashed…but the lazy smoker will leave them lying around. If you suspect your kid of smoking pot heavily and you can’t find their stash, start checking the carpet in his/her room, vehicle floor, and bottom of their trash cans. A frequent smoker will usually have at least a couple seeds or stems they missed/dropped.

Marijuana Street Names: Maryjane, bud(s), grass, weed, trees, chiva, green, chronic, chron, gan, ganja, ganj, pot, bob, doobage, and/or bag.

Blunt(s): Blunts are oversized marijuana joints, rolled into cigar papers. The slang term originates from “Phillies Blunt” brand cigars, which are most often used.  

Bongs: A bong is a large tube usually made of plastic or glass with an attached bowl or pipe. The smokers lights the bowl, inhales and fills the chamber with smoke, then either pulls the bowl off or releases the “rush hole” to allow oxygen to enter the chamber so that they may empty or “clear” the bong.

Bowls/Pipes: A bowl is a squat metal version of your grandfather’s old fashioned tobacco pipe. Some have screw on caps, as not to spill during transport. They come in a multitude of different colors and designs and can be purchased at specialty smoke shops, but can also be found at an occasional coffee shop, liquor store, or concert kiosk.

A pipe is a glass version of the above noted bowl.

Clips: Most commonly referred to as “roach clips”, they are used to hold the end of a joint to avoid burning and/or leaving a resin stain on fingers. Alligator clamps or hemostats are a smoker’s roach clip of choice. However, other various household items can be used as a substitution. A few examples may include tweezers, paperclips, safety pins, needle nosed pliers, binder clips, earrings, etc.

Eye drops: An undercover smoker usually has a bottle of eye drops nearby. Some kids call the drops “white eyes”. The most common brand is Visine, whose ad boasts that it “gets the red out”.  Eye drops can be purchased at most convenient stores and all drug stores.  

High Times: It’s a magazine. It’s like porno for potheads. It includes full detailed pictures of prize-winning marijuana and every possible accessory dedicated to the habit of smoking it. It has detailed tutorials on growing, rolling, etc. If your underage kid has their hands on a High Times, they smoke for sure, and most likely have an interest in growing. 

Hitting: The act of inhaling marijuana smoke is referred to as “hitting”. Your kid might be asked to “hit it” or “take a hit” of marijuana.

Implements: A pot smoker who prefers to smoke out of bowls or pipes will usually have some type of implement to clean their bowl/pipe. After a period of smoking through a bowl or pipe, resin accumulates and may eventually cause it to clog. The quickest fix is to scrape out the resin with a thin metal instrument. This object could be anything from a key to an Allen wrench, but once it’s been used for this purpose it will forever be covered in thick, black, sticky resin.

Joint(s): A joint is a marijuana cigarette, one of the most popular ways to smoke pot.

Lighters: If you’re positive that your child doesn’t smoke cigarettes and yet you keep finding lighters in their clothing or rooms, accompanied by other pot smoking signs, you may want to ask what exactly they’re using the lighter(s) for.

Resin: Resin is the thick, black, tar like substance marijuana leaves behind once burnt. Resin accumulates on any item used for smoking pot. Some kids scrape or clean their bowls/pipes and collect the resin that is scraped out, roll it into a tarry ball and smoke it. This is called smoking a “resin ball”.

Rolling Machine: Rolling machines are used to roll joints, for those smokers who can’t roll by hand or “free hand”. They can be purchased at all tobacco stores.

Rolling papers: Some kids just call them rolling papers, but they may also be called papes, wraps, skins, zags, whites, etc. Papers are used for rolling marijuana cigarettes or “joints”. Papers can be purchased at smoke shops, most gas stations, and liquor stores. The most common papers used are Zig Zags, although there many, many choices. In lieu of actual rolling papers kids will occasionally use tampon wrappers, bible pages, or any other white, light-weight, slow-burning paper that’s laying around. 

In some cases, cigar papers are used for rolling larger joints or “blunts”. In some instances, a poor mans blunt may be rolled with a piece from a brown paper bag.  

Screens: Bongs, pipes, and bowls all have one thing in common. They all need screens so that the pot will not inadvertently get sucked into the mouth of the smoker. Screens are sold at smoke shops and wherever else bongs, pipes, and bowls are sold. However, some kids don’t have access to a smoke shop. In some cases, they may take the screen from your sink faucet(s) and use it as a substitute. If your faucet has suddenly started spraying water a little haphazardly, check and see if the screen(s) have been removed.    

Toke Blower: A Toke Blower is generally made from an empty toilet tissue or paper towel roll, stuffed with dryer sheets. A smoker will craft himself one of these and exhale his pot smoke into it in an effort to reduce the smell.

Tray/Box: Almost all heavy pot smokers have a designated tray or box that they keep their stash in/on. The tray/box holds the stash, papers, lighters, rolling machine, and discarded seeds and stems. It also serves as a convenient place to “break-up” or prepare weed to smoke.