Glossary of Cannabis Terms

All industries have their own lingo and key terms that folks in the know splash around that may leave you confused. We’ve put together a glossary to help out with both basic and advanced terminology of the cannabis world.

  • 11-OH-THC: A metabolite abundantly formed after ingesting an edible. Delta-9 THC is converted within the liver to produce this powerful, psychoactive cannabinoid.
  • Analyte: A specific chemical substance or component that is being measured during laboratory testing, like THC or CBN.
  • Anthocyanin: A flavonoid naturally occurring in the cannabis plant that is responsible for wide range of blue and purple colors.
  • BDT: Botanical Derived Terpenes. A class of terpenes extracted from non-cannabis biomass.
  • Bract: Small, leaf-like structures that grow in pairs at the base of the cannabis flower. These structures are designed to protect the female plant’s reproductive organs and are often heavily covered in trichomes.
  • Bubble Hash: Ice and cold water extracted trichome heads that have been filtered by micron size and dried.
  • Butane Hash Oil (BHO): A highly potent cannabis concentrate created by using butane as a solvent to strip cannabinoids and terpenes from the plant material.
  • Cannabis Macronutrients: Nutrients essential for the cannabis plant’s health and growth. The three key macronutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK).
  • Cannabinoids: A group of chemical compounds that interact with the endocannabinoid system of the human body by binding to specialized receptors.
  • Carbon Dioxide (CO2): For the cannabis plant, CO2 gas can be used to increase plant growth. And in the lab, CO2 can be used as a solvent for extractions.
  • CBC: Cannabichromene
  • CBD: A non-psychoactive cannabinoid.
  • CBDA: Cannabidiolic acid.
  • CBGA: Cannabigerolic Acid. This “mother cannabinoid” is converted within the plant to become other cannabinoids, including THCA and CBDA.
  • CBN: Cannabinol
  • CDT: Cannabis Derived Terpenes. A class of terpenes extracted directly from cannabis biomass.
  • Closed-Loop Extraction: A fully contained system used for extractions (such as ethanol). It delivers a clean product and reduces waste by allowing the recycling and reuse of the solvent.
  • COA (Certificate of Analysis): An official laboratory report detailing the cannabinoid profile, terpene levels, and safety tests results.
  • Cold Cure: The curing process of rosin without the use of heat, typically done at room temperature or slightly below to preserve volatile terpenes.
  • Cola: The main flower/s of the cannabis plant.
  • Concentrate: A cannabis extract of a targeted potency consisting of an individual cannabinoid or a blend of cannabinoids and terpenes.
  • Crashed Out: A term in the cannabis industry typically referring to the crystallization of THCA out of a liquid solution.
  • Crystalline or Crystal: A highly ordered solid material that forms crystal lattices. Common examples are precious gemstones and table salt.
  • “Crystals”/ “Frost”: Usually referring to the crystal-like appearance of the trichomes, either coating the flower or at the bottom of a grinder.
  • Cultivar: A cannabis plant that was shaped through crossbreeding and plant training, resulting in a stable genetic line.
  • Curing: The process of carefully drying and aging cannabis flower or concentrates by controlling time, temperature, humidity, and airflow to preserve quality and enhance chemical changes.
  • Decarboxylation: The activation of a cannabinoid by the application of heat, which removes a carboxyl group from the compound.
  • Defoliate: The removal of excess leaves from a live cannabis plant to improve light penetration and airflow.
  • Diamonds: A cannabis concentrate consisting of THCA as a crystalline solid. They are formed by slowly evaporating the extraction solvent, and their size/structure is determined by the solvent used and the time allowed for evaporation.
  • Distillate or Refined Oil: Cannabis oil that has gone through a distillation process to be refined into a specific cannabinoid profile without contaminants or impurities. Often used in vapes and edibles.
  • Distillation: The chemical process of separating a crude cannabis oil into targeted, highly refined oils.
  • Dry Sift: The process of separating trichomes from plant matter through the use of fine-mesh screens by mechanical agitation. A popular method to create kief.
  • Emulsification: The mixing of two liquids that are normally immiscible (un-mixable) into a stable form. Often used in “fast-acting” edibles.
  • Entourage Effect: The synergistic effect that cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and other naturally occurring compounds have when working together to shape the psychoactive experience.
  • EtOH: The solvent used at Garden Remedies to make all our solvent based products.
  • Falling Film Evaporator: A device used during the ethanol extraction process. Crude oil mixed with ethanol flows down the inside of a tall, heated vessel. The ethanol vaporizes to be collected and reused, while the crude oil is collected for further processing.
  • Fan Leaves: The iconic typically 5 or 7-finger pointed leaves that are vital for photosynthesis and can aid in slowing down the drying process.
  • Flavonoid: Non-cannabinoid compounds naturally occurring in the cannabis plant that influence its color, taste, and aroma.
  • Foxtail: A structural growth pattern in cannabis flowers where the buds develop in elongated and irregular clusters. Often looking like a bushy tail or fingers.
  • Freeze Dry: A reliable and accurate process used to dry bubble hash. Wet material is frozen, and then a strong vacuum pulls the water out of the material through sublimation (turning ice directly into vapor).
  • Fresh Frozen: Cannabis flower that is immediately frozen right after harvesting to lock in and preserve its “live” state.
  • Fresh Press: Immediately after pressing live rosin is packaged and kept cold to arrest the curing process until it is in the hands of the consumer.
  • Full Spectrum: A term used to describe a product that captures the complete profile of the original plant, allowing the consumer to experience all its potential benefits and effects.
  • Genotype or Phenotype: The genotype is the genetic code inherited from the parent plants. The phenotype is the physical characteristics the plant expresses based on those genes and its environment.
  • Guttation: Occurring during periods of high humidity or rapid vegetative growth, the high pressure forces a sap mixture out of the plant that forms droplets on the surface.
  • Hemp: Generally referred to as cannabis that contains a delta-9-THC concentration that does not exceed 0.3%.
  • Homogenous: A mixture of substances that are completely uniform in its composition.
  • HPLC Testing (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography): A standard analytical laboratory technique used to identify and quantify analytes, for example, cannabinoids.
  • HTE: High Terpene Extract.
  • Hydrocarbon: Organic chemical compounds, composed of hydrogen and carbon, used as a solvent in cannabis extraction processes.
  • Infused: The addition of a cannabis extract or concentrate to a product to boost its overall potency.
  • Isolate: A highly refined form of a single, specific cannabinoid.
  • Kief: A mixture of trichomes and plant matter produced during the trimming or grinding of cannabis flower.
  • Light Cycle: The controlled timing of light and darkness used to activate the genes that trigger cannabis plant’s flower growth stage.
  • Lollipopping: A pruning technique involving the removal of the lower foliage and bud sites of the cannabis plant to force energy to the top canopy.
  • Low Stress Training (LST): A plant training method where branches are gently bent and tied down to manipulate the plant’s shape.
  • Micron: A microscopic unit of measure used to describe the pore size of filter bags or screens used to collect specific sizes of trichome heads.
  • Monoterpenes: The smallest and most volatile class of terpenes. Because they have a lower boiling point than other terpenes, they are often the first to evaporate during drying, curing, or high-heat extraction processes.
  • Oxidation: A natural degradation process caused by exposure to oxygen that can influence the color, aroma, and potency of trichomes and cannabis flower over time.
  • Phytocannabinoids: The naturally occurring cannabinoids produced within the resinous trichomes of the female cannabis plant.
  • Pistil: Hair-like structures on the female cannabis plant used for reproduction. They typically shift from white/yellow to orange/red during the flowering phase.
  • Potency: The concentration or strength of targeted chemical compounds (like THC or CBD) within a product.
  • Psychoactive: A substance that alters brain function, resulting in temporary changes in perception, mood, consciousness, or behavior.
  • Resin: A term commonly used for the liquid, sticky substance contained within the bulbous head of a trichome.
  • Rick Simpson Oil (RSO): A dark, full-spectrum extract made by processing the full cannabis plant in ethanol and then decarboxylating the liquid without any further heavy refinement.
  • Rosin: A solventless concentrate made by applying heat and pressure to bubble hash or dried flower. The term was coined because its look and texture mimic the rosin used for string instruments.
  • Rotary Evaporator: A “rotovap”; a device that rotates a flask of crude cannabis oil in a heated water or oil bath under a vacuum to gently remove volatile solvents and/or decarboxylate cannabinoids.
  • Seedling/Clone, Vegetative, and Flower Stages: The major stages of the cannabis plant’s life cycle where growth, structural development, and cannabinoid production are heavily influenced by nutrients and lighting cycles.
  • Sedative: A term used to describe the effect of certain cultivars that can induce relaxation, calmness, and sleepiness.
  • Solvent: A substance (like ethanol, butane, or CO2) used to dissolve another substance to isolate specific target compounds.
  • Stretch: The period of rapid vertical growth that occurs during the flip from veg to the flower stage.
  • Sublingual: The method of placing a liquid cannabis product under the tongue to allow cannabinoids to absorb directly through the mucous membranes into the bloodstream.
  • Sugar Leaves: Smaller leaves growing directly out of the buds that are heavily coated in trichomes. Often trimmed off after curing and used as lab extraction biomass.
  • TAC: Total Active Cannabinoids.
  • Temple Ball: A hand-crafted cannabis concentrate known for its unique aroma and taste achieved through its long curing process. Resin heads (bubble hash or dry sift) are typically compressed with heat and pressure using a glass bottle filled with hot water. The melted heads are then rolled into a ball and aged.
  • Terpenes: Aromatic chemical compounds produced in the trichomes that act as a natural defense for the plant. While also providing distinct flavor and aroma profiles during human consumption.
  • “Terp Pool”: The volatile terpenes in a mixture separate from the cannabinoids during the curing process. Due to the density of terps they rise to the top and collect on the uneven surfaces.
  • THC: Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. The primary psychoactive compound in cannabis.
  • THCA: Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid. The non-psychoactive precursor to THC.
  • THCV: Tetrahydrocannabivarin
  • Tincture: In the lab, an extract where target plant compounds remain dissolved in the extraction solvent. As a finished consumer product, it is a liquid, sublingual drop utilizing oil or alcohol as a carrier base.
  • Topping: A high-stress plant training technique where the main growing tip of a vegetative cannabis plant is snipped off, forcing the plant to grow more “main” colas.
  • Trichome: Small, hair-like appendages covering the surface of the cannabis flower. Cannabinoids and terpenes are produced inside these glands, particularly in the bulbous heads.
  • Trichome Head: A bulbous, liquid filled appendage. Sometimes referred to as “resin gland”. Act as the main production factory for cannabinoids and terpenes. It shifts in color from clear to milky white to amber as it matures.
  • Volatile: A property describing compounds that evaporate easily at room temperature.
  • Whipped: Altering the texture, color, and structure of a cannabis concentrate by vigorously incorporating air into it through repeated mixing.
  • Wiped Film or Short Path Distillation: A purification process where crude cannabis oil is thinly spread by wiper blades along a heated vessel under a strong vacuum to create a vapor, which is then immediately condensed into a highly refined oil.
  • Winterization: A multi-step lab process used to precipitate and remove fats, lipids, and plant waxes from crude cannabis oil using cold temperatures and filtering techniques.