cannabis

noun

can·na·bis | \ ˈka-nə-bəs

Definition of cannabis

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 sense 1a —used especially for cultivated varieties having high levels of THC

2a : 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

b : cannabinoid

Examples of cannabis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Starbucks of the cannabis industry hasn’t been created yet. — Patrick Sisson, Curbed, "Cannabis, coworking, and the marijuana-industry land rush," 24 July 2018 The idea for Kikoko tea came from a mutual friend, Jan, who used cannabis as an alternative to pharmaceuticals to treat pain, nausea, anxiety, insomnia, and loss of appetite during her battle with ovarian cancer. — Steffi Victorioso, Los Angeles Magazine, "Local Women Are Hosting Fancy “High Teas” With the Help of a Cannabis Brand," 29 May 2018 Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made no secret of his virulent opposition to the legalization of cannabis in any form. — Fred Vogelstein, WIRED, "My Son Pioneered an Epilepsy Drug Derived From Marijuana. An FDA Panel Just Approved It," 20 Apr. 2018 And the third is the near-overnight creation of a legitimate cannabis industry, thanks to the spread of marijuana legalization. — Dan Nosowitz, Vox, "The super-popular cannabis compound, explained.," 1 Nov. 2018 Canada’s national approach has allowed for unfettered industry banking, inter-province shipments of cannabis and billions of dollars in investment — a sharp contrast with national prohibition in the United States. — Gene Johnson, The Seattle Times, "Canada is ready to open the door wide to legal marijuana," 16 Oct. 2018 This trend is not because teens are smoking cannabis more than ever. — Angela Chen, The Verge, "Teens are trying marijuana before alcohol and tobacco," 20 Nov. 2018 The fine print of the policy prohibits smoking, but allows patients to consume through vaping and eating approved cannabis products. — Danielle Corcione, Teen Vogue, "Three States Approved Legal Marijuana During Midterm Elections," 7 Nov. 2018 The combination of chocolate, coffee, and cannabis is unsurprisingly luscious. — Allure, "12 CBD Tinctures, Gummies, and Drinks That Help Calm Anxiety," 23 Oct. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cannabis.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

7 Jan 2019

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The first known use of cannabis was in 1783

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More Definitions for cannabis

cannabis

noun

can·na·bis | \ ˈkan-ə-bəs

Medical Definition of cannabis

1a capitalized : a genus of annual herbs (family Moraceae) that have leaves with three to seven elongate leaflets and pistillate flowers in spikes along the leafy erect stems and that include the hemp (C. sativa)

b : hemp sense 1

2 : any of the preparations (as marijuana or hashish) or chemicals (as THC) that are derived from the hemp and are psychoactive