glossary

DC Cannabis Glossary: Terms Every DC Patient and Visitor Should Know

From ABCA to terpenes to 710, here are 50 essential cannabis terms every DC consumer should know — clearly defined without the jargon.

By DCWeedHub Editorial · Published · Updated

DC Cannabis Glossary: Terms Every DC Patient and Visitor Should Know

Definitions are descriptive, not medical claims. DC legal terms link to the governing source. Need to buy legally? Register first: start your ABCA registration.

  • ABCA: the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration, the DC agency that licenses and regulates the medical cannabis program. It's the place to verify any license (ABCA retailer finder; how to check a license).
  • Adult-use: sales to any adult 21+ with no medical registration. DC has no licensed adult-use sales. A congressional budget rider bars the District from funding recreational sales (rider explained).
  • Caregiver: a person registered with ABCA to buy for a patient (ABCA caregivers).
  • Delivery endorsement: ABCA permission for a licensed retailer to deliver (ABCA; DC delivery guide).
  • Gifting: Initiative 71 lets adults 21+ transfer up to 1 ounce to another adult 21+ with no payment (D.C. Code § 48-904.01). "Gifts" tied to a purchase aren't covered, and ABCA and MPD have closed unlicensed shops that operate this way (ABCA unlicensed establishment guidance).
  • Initiative 71 (I-71): DC's 2014 ballot measure. Adults 21+ may possess up to 2 ounces, grow limited plants at home and gift up to 1 ounce (D.C. Code § 48-904.01; I-71 guide).
  • Medical cannabis program: ABCA's program. Only registered patients and caregivers may buy at licensed retailers (ABCA patients).
  • Operational list: ABCA's list of retailers currently open to patients, which is separate from the license register.
  • Reciprocity: ABCA's rules that let qualifying out-of-state medical patients buy in DC (ABCA reciprocity; visitors).
  • Safe-Use endorsement: ABCA permission for on-site consumption at a licensed retailer (ABCA; licensed lounges).
  • Self-certification: registering as a DC medical patient without a practitioner's recommendation, open to adults 21+ (ABCA patients; guide).

Plant and chemistry terms

  • Anandamide / 2-AG: endocannabinoids the body makes (Russo 2011).
  • Bioavailability: the share of a dose that reaches the bloodstream. For THC, it varies widely by route and person (Huestis 2007).
  • Cannabinoid: a compound that acts on cannabinoid receptors. THC and CBD are the best known.
  • CB1 / CB2: the two main cannabinoid receptors. THC is a partial agonist at both (Russo 2011).
  • CBD (cannabidiol): a cannabinoid that isn't intoxicating. Its only FDA-approved use is the prescription drug Epidiolex, for specific seizure disorders (FDA).
  • CBG, CBN, THCV: minor cannabinoids. CBN forms as THC oxidizes (Russo 2011).
  • Chemotype: a plant's chemical profile, meaning its cannabinoids and terpenes (Smith et al. 2022).
  • COA (Certificate of Analysis): a lab report on a product's contents and test results (how to read a COA).
  • Cultivar / strain: a named plant variety. Labels don't consistently match chemistry (Smith et al. 2022).
  • Decarboxylation: heat converting THCA into THC.
  • Endocannabinoid system (ECS): the body's cannabinoid receptors, endocannabinoids and enzymes (ECS explained).
  • Entourage effect: the hypothesis that cannabis compounds act together. It isn't established in clinical trials (terpenes explained).
  • Hemp: under federal law, cannabis with no more than 0.3% delta-9 THC on a dry-weight basis (7 U.S.C. § 1639o). Check the current text, because Congress has amended this definition.
  • Indica / sativa / hybrid: traditional labels for plant types. They don't reliably predict chemistry (indica vs. sativa).
  • Terpene: an aromatic plant compound (terpenes explained).
  • THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol): the main intoxicating cannabinoid.
  • THCA: THC's acid precursor in raw plant material.
  • Trichome: a resin gland where cannabinoids and terpenes are made (Russo 2011).

Product terms

  • Concentrate: an extract such as wax, shatter, rosin, live resin or distillate. Potency is on the label.
  • Distillate: a refined extract.
  • Edible: a cannabis-infused food or drink (consumption methods).
  • Flower: the dried bud of the plant.
  • Full-spectrum / isolate: an extract with many plant compounds, versus a single purified compound.
  • Live resin: an extract made from fresh-frozen plants.
  • Pre-roll: pre-rolled flower.
  • Rosin: an extract made with heat and pressure, without solvents.
  • Tincture: a liquid extract.
  • Topical: a product applied to the skin.
  • Vaporizer: a device that heats cannabis without burning it.

Units and slang

  • Gram / eighth / quarter / half / ounce: 1 g, 3.5 g, 7 g, 14 g and about 28 g (1 oz ≈ 28.35 g).
  • Budtender: a dispensary staff member.
  • Dab: inhaling a vaporized concentrate.
  • 710: slang for oil ("OIL" upside down) and July 10.

General information, not legal or medical advice. Verify rules at abca.dc.gov. 21+.

Frequently asked questions

What is ABCA?

The Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration, the DC agency that licenses and regulates the medical cannabis program (ABCA).

What does Initiative 71 allow?

Adults 21+ may possess up to 2 ounces, grow limited plants at home, and gift up to 1 ounce with no payment (D.C. Code § 48-904.01).

What is self-certification?

Registering as a DC medical patient without a practitioner's recommendation. It's open to adults 21+ (ABCA).

What's the difference between THC and THCA?

THCA is the acid precursor in raw plant material. Heat converts it to THC (decarboxylation). See how to read a COA.

What counts as hemp?

Under federal law, it's cannabis with no more than 0.3% delta-9 THC on a dry-weight basis (7 U.S.C. § 1639o). Congress has amended this definition, so check the current text.

Sources