Marijuana
is a drug of many names: pot, weed, smoke, Mary Jane, and so on.
There are around 100 names, although some are dubious and profane.
How marijuana got their alternative names is a mystery in itself.
However, some historical accounts point to how the most common names
came to be.
Pot
Don’t
worry; you’ll still look at your kitchen pot the same way. Contrary
to popular belief, kitchen pots have nothing to do with marijuana
being called “pot.”
First
coined between the late 1930s and early 1940s, “pot” is a
shortened term for “potaguaya,” which is a shortened term for
“potacion de guaya.” This refers to an alcoholic drink made from
marijuana leaves and buds in brandy or wine. The alcohol used is
usually guava-based, hence the term “guaya.”
Mary
Jane
This
alternative name may as well be a plain attempt at puns. Like pot, it
also has its Spanish origins, namely to the name “Maria Juana,”
which—not surprisingly—sounds like marijuana.
When
marijuana was brought into the U.S. after the Mexican Revolution, the
Americans added their own spin into the word. They began adapting the
name “Mary Jane,” which coincided with a sponge cake recipe and a
registered trademark for women’s shoes.
As
far as factuality is concerned, though, the veracity of these
etymologies is hard to tell. The Spanish language has hardly heard of
a “potacion de guaya”, for example. Nevertheless, pop culture has
engraved them permanently.
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