cannabis

The word “cannabis” means the hemp plant, or the dried leaves and flowers of it used as a drug. In plain terms, the hemp plant and the drug made from it, also called marijuana.

“Cannabis” is pronounced KA-nuh-bihs (/ˈkæ.nə.bɪs/ in IPA).

Here is “cannabis” used in a sentence: “Several states have legalized cannabis for recreational use.”

“Cannabis” is a noun.

The word “cannabis” comes from Ancient Greek. A learned borrowing from Latin cannabis, from Ancient Greek kánnabis, "hemp." A doublet of "canvas.".

“Cannabis” is a fairly common word in modern English.

Both words can refer to the same plant, but they emphasize different uses. "Hemp" usually describes varieties grown for fiber, seeds, and industrial products, which contain very little of the plant's intoxicating compound, while "cannabis" is the usual term when the dried leaves and flowers are used as a drug. Many legal systems define and regulate the two separately.

"Cannabis" is the botanical and formal name, used in scientific, medical, and legal contexts, and it covers the plant as a whole. "Marijuana" is a common everyday name specifically for the dried leaves and flowers used as a drug. Official documents increasingly prefer "cannabis" as the neutral umbrella term.

"Cannabis" is an uncountable (mass) noun, so it takes a singular verb and is not normally used with "a" or in the plural: you say "cannabis is," not "cannabises are." To express quantity, use a measure phrase such as "an amount of cannabis."

"Cannabis" is the formal choice: it is the word used in legislation, medicine, and news reporting. Informal conversation tends to use slang names instead. In official, academic, or professional writing, "cannabis" is the appropriate term.