cannabis

[kan-uh-bis]

noun

1. a plant of the genus Cannabis, most notably hemp, C. sativa .

   They live where the cannabis grows wild, like an aggressive weed.

2. any of the various parts of the plant, especially the leaves and flowering tops of C. sativa , from which hashish, marijuana, bhang, and similar mildly euphorigenic and hallucinogenic drugs are prepared.

   The legality of possessing cannabis varies state by state.

3. marijuana.

cannabis

/ ˈkænəbɪs /

noun

1. the hemp plant, esp Indian hemp ( Cannabis indica ) See hemp

2. the drug obtained from the dried leaves and flowers of the hemp plant, which is smoked or chewed for its psychoactive properties. It produces euphoria and relaxation; repeated use may lead to psychological dependence See also cannabin hashish marijuana bhang

Other Word Forms

• cannabic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cannabis¹

First recorded in 1790–1800; from New Latin, from Latin: literally, “hemp,” from Greek kánnabis; hemp

Word History and Origins

Origin of cannabis¹

C18: from Latin, from Greek kannabis; see _hemp

Example Sentences

People who use both cannabis and tobacco show measurable differences in brain activity compared to those who rely solely on cannabis, according to new findings from a McGill University team at the Douglas Research Centre.

Read more on Science Daily

"I was a little bit nervous... Are they going to start thinking you come to work stoned?" said Jon, one of an estimated tens of thousands of people in the UK with private cannabis prescriptions.

Read more on BBC

But after total sales passed $1 billion last year, she proudly claimed that New York had “the strongest cannabis industry in the nation.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

France's second largest city is struggling to battle drug crime, with more than a dozen people killed since the start of the year in turf wars and other disputes linked to cocaine and cannabis dealing.

Read more on Barron's

Raymond Turner, a 29-year-old who grew up in public housing, aims to build a vertically integrated cannabis company and a real-estate empire that will repair run-down houses for rent or sale.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bhang 
• hashish 
• hemp 
• pot 
• tea