Weed, pot, ganja, chronic: Cannabis is a drug with a lot of nicknames. That should make it easier for you to avoid the term marijuana this week if you’re discussing or partaking in 4/20 festivities.
Although “marijuana” is very commonly used, it’s a word with a racist history that traces back to efforts to demonize use of the drug in the United States. As with many things language related, there is not going to be universal agreement on the appropriate terminology, so we don’t think “marijuana” is going anywhere anytime soon. But, with so many widely understood alternatives at your disposal, we recommend choosing a synonym when possible. “Cannabis” is an especially easy choice, and “weed” and “pot” work just fine too.
