CANNABIS

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does cannabis mean? 

• CANNABIS (noun)
  The noun CANNABIS has 2 senses:

1. any plant of the genus Cannabis; a coarse bushy annual with palmate leaves and clusters of small green flowers; yields tough fibers and narcotic drugs

2. the most commonly used illicit drug; considered a soft drug, it consists of the dried leaves of the hemp plant; smoked or chewed for euphoric effect

  Familiarity information: CANNABIS used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CANNABIS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Any plant of the genus Cannabis; a coarse bushy annual with palmate leaves and clusters of small green flowers; yields tough fibers and narcotic drugs

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Synonyms:

cannabis; hemp

Hypernyms ("cannabis" is a kind of...):

bush; shrub (a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems)

Meronyms (parts of "cannabis"):

cannabis; ganja; marihuana; marijuana (the most commonly used illicit drug; considered a soft drug, it consists of the dried leaves of the hemp plant; smoked or chewed for euphoric effect)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "cannabis"):

Cannabis sativa; ganja; marihuana; marijuana (a strong-smelling plant whose dried leaves can be smoked for a pleasant effect or pain reduction)

Cannabis indica; Indian hemp (source of e.g. bhang and hashish as well as fiber)

Holonyms ("cannabis" is a member of...):

genus Cannabis (hemp: genus of coarse annuals native to central Asia and widely naturalized in north temperate regions; in some classifications included in the family Moraceae)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The most commonly used illicit drug; considered a soft drug, it consists of the dried leaves of the hemp plant; smoked or chewed for euphoric effect

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

cannabis; ganja; marihuana; marijuana

Hypernyms ("cannabis" is a kind of...):

controlled substance (a drug or chemical substance whose possession and use are controlled by law)

soft drug (a drug of abuse that is considered relatively mild and not likely to cause addiction)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "cannabis"):

Acapulco gold; Mexican green (a particularly potent variety of marijuana)

dope; gage; grass; green goddess; locoweed; Mary Jane; pot; sens; sess; skunk; smoke; weed (street names for marijuana)

Holonyms ("cannabis" is a part of...):

cannabis; hemp (any plant of the genus Cannabis; a coarse bushy annual with palmate leaves and clusters of small green flowers; yields tough fibers and narcotic drugs)

Holonyms ("cannabis" is a substance of...):

joint; marijuana cigarette; reefer; spliff; stick (marijuana leaves rolled into a cigarette for smoking)

 Context examples 

This agent exhibits a lower psychotropic potency than delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9-THC), the primary form of THC found in cannabis.

(Delta-8-Tetrahydrocannabinol, NCI Thesaurus)

Cannabis contains active chemicals called cannabinoids that cause drug-like effects all through the body, including the central nervous system and the immune system.

(Cannabis, NCI Dictionary)

Nabiximols contains a standardized extract of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the non-psychoactive cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD), other minor cannabinoids, flavonoids, and terpenes from two cannabis plant varieties.

(Nabiximols, NCI Thesaurus)

Cannabis may help treat the symptoms of cancer or the side effects of cancer treatment, such as nausea and vomiting, pain, and cachexia (loss of body weight and muscle mass).

(Cannabis, NCI Dictionary)