marijuana

marijuana — noun

1. dried flowers and leaves from cannabis plants that people smoke, vape, or eat fo

1.nounB1
Definition

dried flowers and leaves from cannabis plants that people smoke, vape, or eat for their relaxing or mind-altering effects; many countries ban its possession by law

Example

Salma rolled a cigarette with dried marijuana and smoked it with friends.

collocation: rolled a cigarette with dried marijuana

In some states, doctors can prescribe marijuana to patients with long-term pain.

medical use: prescribed for pain relief

Common collocations
  • smoke marijuana
  • use marijuana
  • legalize marijuana
  • possess marijuana
  • marijuana laws
  • marijuana cigarette
Synonyms
  • cannabis

    more formal, preferred in medical and legal contexts

  • weed

    informal slang, very common in everyday spoken English

  • pot

    informal slang, especially in American English

  • ganja

    slang with Rastafarian and Caribbean cultural associations

Grammar Patterns

marijuana as a substance

marijuana + noun (marijuana laws, marijuana cigarette)

Usage Note

Frequently appears in discussions of law, health, and personal choice. In formal medical or legal writing, the term cannabis is often preferred over marijuana.

Common Mistakes

I smoke a marijuana every evening.
I smoke marijuana every evening.
marijuana is an uncountable noun and cannot follow the article 'a' when referring to the drug substance.

2. the cannabis plant itself, a tall strong-smelling plant whose dried flowers and

2.nounB2
Definition

the cannabis plant itself, a tall strong-smelling plant whose dried flowers and leaves are the source of the drug marijuana

Example

Henrik grew several marijuana plants in his backyard, hidden behind the garden shed.

collocation: grew marijuana plants

Darius identified the plant by its large green leaves with seven pointed edges.

collocation: identified the plant by its leaves

Common collocations
  • grow marijuana
  • marijuana plants
  • marijuana leaves
  • marijuana seeds
Synonyms
  • cannabis

    the scientific name for the plant genus

  • hemp

    a related variety grown for fiber and seeds, with lower THC content

Grammar Patterns

marijuana as a plant species

marijuana plant(s)

Usage Note

Often used in the countable phrase 'a marijuana plant' or 'marijuana plants' when referring to individual specimens. Uncountable when referring to the species as a whole.

Common Mistakes

He planted marijuana in his garden.' (ambiguous).
He planted marijuana plants in his garden.
adding 'plants' makes clear you mean the botanical specimens, not the drug.

Word family

  • cannabis
    nounB1
  • hemp
    nounB2
  • marihuana
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These terms all refer to the same psychoactive substance from the cannabis plant, but they differ sharply in register and context. Marijuana is the most common neutral term in everyday English, used in news reporting and general conversation. Cannabis is the scientific and medical name, preferred in formal writing, laws, and clinical settings. Weed is the dominant casual slang among younger speakers in both the US and UK — it sounds natural among friends but out of place in a courtroom. Pot is older slang, especially American, and can sound dated to younger listeners. Ganja comes from Hindi and carries cultural ties to Rastafarian and Caribbean traditions; using it outside those contexts may seem affected. For formal or neutral writing, choose marijuana or cannabis; for casual speech, weed is the most current choice.

cannabisweed ↗pot ↗ganja

Common collocations

Nouns

Etymology

NahuatlSpanishEnglish

The word marijuana comes from Mexican Spanish marihuana or mariguana, which may trace back to a Nahuatl (Aztec) source. It entered American English in the late 19th century but stayed a niche word until the 1930s, when anti-drug campaigns brought it into widespread use. The spelling with a 'j' became standard in English, while Spanish retains the 'h' or 'g' forms.