Cannabis

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Cannabis \Can"na*bis\, prop. n. [L., hemp. See {Canvas}.]
     1. (Bot.) A genus of a single species belonging to the order
        {Uricace[ae]}; hemp.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. The Indian hemp plant plant {Cannabis sativa} syn.


        {Cannabis Indica}. See {Cannabis Indica}, below.
        [PJC]
  
     {Cannabis Indica}, the Indian hemp, now considered a variety
        of the common hemp ({Cannabis sativa}), originating in
        Asia but now grown widely around the world. It can be
        formed into a tough fiber that is used to make rope and
        tough fabric. The dried leaves and female flowers are
        smoked or chewed by people to produce a euphoric or
        hallucinogenic effect, caused mainly by the substance
        {tetrahydrocannabinol} (THC) contained in it. The
        THC-containing products of Cannabis are classified as a
        controlled substance, and posession and sale are illegal
        in most states of the United States. Once classified as a
        narcotic, the plant is now more commonly referred to in
        the category of euphoric or hallucinogenic agents.
        [1913 Webster +PJC]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  cannabis
       n 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 [syn: {hemp}]
       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 [syn: {marijuana}, {marihuana},
           {ganja}]