Names Up in Smoke

Hello, readers!

In honor of St. Patrick's Day last month, I wrote a post on alcohol-related names. In honor of today, 4/20, the unofficial holiday of marijuana imbibers, I will be looking at names associated with everyone's favorite Schedule I drug, cannabis!

Again, this post is meant to be silly and fun, regardless of your personal feelings on marijuana. Check out what the laws are in your state/country surrounding this medicinal plant!

Indica
One common species of marijuana is Cannabis indica, named in 1785 by French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck after its location (India). With names like India and Indigo gaining notoriety, it's no surprise that the -ica ending (Angelica, Erica, Jessica) tagged along! While Indy is a cute nickname, Indica might be pushing a little too far.

Sativa
The other common species of marijuana is Cannabis sativa, named in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus, with "sativa" coming from Latin for "cultivated". I'm really surprised to see that this name has been in recorded use since 1970, and nothing is coming to mind that's particularly similar - Satchel? Satine? Akiva? Still, the same Indica warning applies.

Marijuana
That's right, friends, five little girls were named Marijuana in 1972. Either their parents had reefer madness, or there was a misprint of Mariajuana five times that year. There are MANY other ways to get the nickname Mari or Juana, so unless you're ready to make a political statement out of your child's life, I'd avoid this name.

Kush
Meaning "son of lord Rama" or "sacred grass" in Hindi, this name has a less-noble vibe in the United States. Kush refers to a substrain of Cannabis indica, found in the Middle East. Similar-sounding Cash or Kasey would be a little more wearable.

Related names with other connotations:

Herb
Maryjane
Bud

Names not used:

Cannabis
Hemp
Weed
Reefer
Grass
Pot
Ganja
Joint
Blunt
Dope