cannabis

/ˈka-nə-bəs/

Latin, hemp, from Greek kannabis; akin to Old English hænep hemp

noun

  1. a tall Asian herb (Cannabis sativa of the family Cannabaceae, the hemp family) that has a tough fiber and is often separated into a tall loosely branched species (C. sativa) and a low-growing densely branched species (C. indica) : hemp —used especially for cultivated varieties having high levels of THC

  2. the psychoactive dried flower buds, leaves, or preparations (such as hashish) or chemicals (such as THC) that are derived from the cannabis plant; especially : marijuana

  3. cannabinoid

noun

  1. marijuana that is available only by prescription and is used to treat a variety of medical conditions (such as pain, anxiety, nausea, and glaucoma); also : any of various substances (such as cannabidiol) extracted from marijuana and used similarly

In the 14 states that allow medical marijuana, middle-aged baby boomers talk quite freely about filling their prescriptions at the local dispensary (of which there are nearly 1,400 in California alone).