A, B, C,

Which of the words would it be?

Hemp, Pot, Mary Jane?

Will Weed win the game?

Ganja for a more exotic spot,

But this takes us back to Pot.

A, B, C, D,

What's it gonna be?

Read on and find the key!

 

As mankind evolved, so did the names we use for various objects and plants that surround our day-to-day life.

When in comes down to this particular plant we’ve been babbling about, people use names such as “weed”, “hemp”, “marijuana”, “pot” or “Cannabis” but the question that pops up in the human mind (mostly) is: Are we talking about the same plant? 

If the word you tend to use as a contemporary human is usually “weed” then according to the Cambridge Dictionary you might learn that “weed” is used for “any wild plant that grows in an unwanted place, especially in a garden or field where it prevents the cultivated plants from growing freely" others use the term “weed” to refer to plants that have escaped cultivation. 

Photo Source: Clarke & Merlin - Cannabis Evolution & Ehnobotany (2013)

 

According to Clarke & Merlin - Cannabis Evolution & Ehnobotany (2013) it is true that Cannabis escaped from hemp fields and thrives as a feral plant or naturalized alien weed, especially in Central Asia, the place where it was discovered for the first time.

 

There are also people who use the term “weed” to talk about a plant that is unwanted because it is considered troublesome or useless.

What do you think about this affirmation? There might be some truth to it, right? Well, Cannabis is in fact a troublesome plant especially for farmers as well as officials enforcing laws prohibiting cultivation, possession and use.

But the truth is that Cannabis has been around for many centuries and it for sure provided mankind with lots of good stuff, making it a valuable resource in terms of food, medicine, fiber and religious sacrament, which would be the opposite of useless. 

We talked about “weed” or “Cannabis” but what about “hemp”? 

Photo Source: Clarke & Merlin - Cannabis Evolution & Ehnobotany (2013)

 

The word “hemp” originally and formally refers to Cannabis sativa, a tall Eurasian herb that is widely cultivated for its tough fiber. However, in contemporary and modern days, the term “hemp” has been used to as a collective noun to represent additional fiber-bearing plants. 

And last but not least, one other noun used quite much would be the famous “marijuana” or “Mary Jane” which is a common often notorious nickname offered to this particular plant, with tendencies of practice more towards the mind-altering area.

There are many other ethnic names that refer to this plant, more specifically its mind-altering products such as “grass”, “pot”, “hashish”, “ganja” and so on. 

Photo Source: Clarke & Merlin - Cannabis Evolution & Ehnobotany (2013)

 

To keep things quite simple, scientists placed all marijuana or true hemp plants in genus - Cannabis, which in the end, becomes our winner for the day!

What word you use most?