Glossary

Cannabis, in plain English.

The words that come up around cannabis (from THC and terpenes to greening out and T-breaks) with a short, honest definition each, and a link to the page that covers it in full.

Biphasic
When a drug does opposite things at low vs high doses. A little THC can calm; more can spike anxiety. More
Bong
A water pipe. The water cools the smoke so it feels smoother, but cooler is not cleaner; you still inhale combustion products. More
Cannabinoid
One of the 100+ active compounds in cannabis that act on the body’s endocannabinoid system. THC and CBD are the two best known. More
Cart (vape cartridge)
A pre-filled cannabis-oil cartridge for a vape pen. Illicit carts are a real risk: you can’t know what’s in them. More
CBD (cannabidiol)
The main non-intoxicating cannabinoid. It doesn’t get you high, and it’s sold legally as oils and gummies. More
CBG / CBN
Minor cannabinoids. CBG is the “parent” compound the others form from; CBN appears as THC ages and is mildly sedating. More
CBPM
Cannabis-based product for medicinal use: the prescribed medical cannabis legal in the UK since 2018, via specialists. More
Class B
The UK legal category cannabis sits in under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971: illegal to possess, supply or produce. More
Concentrate (dab, wax, shatter)
Cannabis extracts that can run 60–90%+ THC. A different order of strength from flower. More
Crossfading
Using cannabis and alcohol together. It sharply raises the odds of greening out. More
CUD (Cannabis Use Disorder)
The clinical term for problematic, dependent cannabis use, scored on questionnaires like the CUDIT-R. More
Decriminalisation vs legalisation
Decriminalised = still illegal but penalties reduced; legalised = a lawful, regulated market. Very different things. More
Dependence
When your body and routine have adapted so that stopping produces withdrawal and it’s hard to cut down. More
Edible
Cannabis you eat or drink. It comes on slowly (1–2 hrs) and hits harder and longer. The classic way to overdo it. More
Endocannabinoid system
The body’s own signalling network (involved in mood, memory, appetite, pain and sleep) that cannabinoids act on. More
Entourage effect
The idea that cannabinoids and terpenes work together to shape the effect. Widely claimed, thinly evidenced. More
Greening out
Taking too much: pale, sweaty, dizzy, racing heart, nausea. Frightening but not dangerous on its own, and it passes. More
Hash (hashish)
Compressed cannabis resin, typically stronger than herbal flower. More
Hemp
The same plant species bred to contain almost no THC. Grown for CBD, fibre and seed; it won’t get you high. More
Indica / sativa
Marketing labels for cannabis “types.” A poor guide to how a given batch will actually affect you. More
Munchies
The appetite spike THC tends to bring on. More
Novel food
The UK regulatory category for ingestible CBD: it legally needs safety authorisation to be sold. More
Sinsemilla (“skunk”)
High-potency, seedless herbal cannabis, now the bulk of the UK market, strong on THC and low on CBD. More
Set and setting
Your mindset and your surroundings: quiet but powerful levers on whether a session goes well or sideways. More
Spliff / joint
A cannabis cigarette. In the UK usually rolled with tobacco (a spliff), which adds nicotine and tobacco’s harms. More
Terpenes
The aromatic compounds that give cannabis its smell: myrcene, limonene, pinene and others. More
THC
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol: the main compound that gets you high, and the source of most of the risk. More
Tolerance
When the same amount stops doing the same job, so you need more to get the old effect. More
Tolerance break (T-break)
A planned pause to reset your tolerance, so less gets you high again. Different from quitting for good. More
Vaporiser (dry-herb vape)
A device that heats cannabis without burning it, avoiding combustion smoke. A lower-harm route than smoking. More
Withdrawal
The temporary symptoms when a regular user stops (irritability, poor sleep, vivid dreams) peaking in week one. More

Missing a word you've run into? The full picture on the plant's chemistry is in What's in it, and Cannabis, Explained is the plain-English guide to all of it.