{"id":2018,"date":"2020-08-19T22:04:50","date_gmt":"2020-08-19T22:04:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/?p=2018"},"modified":"2026-02-22T14:39:50","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T14:39:50","slug":"reefer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/cannabis-and-its-evolution\/reefer","title":{"rendered":"What does \"reefer\" mean?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"bsf_rt_marker\"><\/div>\n<p>Reefer is a marijuana slang term often referring to a joint. Reefer was simultaneously popularized and stigmatized by the 1930s melodramatic propaganda film \u201cReefer Madness,\u201d in which cannabis lures users down a dangerous rabbit hole. In the 1971 book \u201cCannabis Alchemy\u201d by R. Gold, he refers to \u201cimpregnated joints,\u201d or joints with added cannabis extract, as reefers.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image \">\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/HandsJoint-4-e1710379092736.jpg?ssl=1\" data-modal-open=\"lightbox_603\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/HandsJoint-4-e1710379092736.jpg?fit=640%2C275&ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/HandsJoint-4-e1710379092736.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/HandsJoint-4-e1710379092736.jpg?resize=300%2C129&ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/HandsJoint-4-e1710379092736.jpg?resize=768%2C330&ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/HandsJoint-4-e1710379092736.jpg?resize=1024%2C440&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/HandsJoint-4-e1710379092736.jpg?resize=1536%2C660&ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/HandsJoint-4-e1710379092736.jpg?resize=1080%2C464&ssl=1 1080w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/HandsJoint-4-e1710379092736.jpg?w=1280&ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 768px) 476px, (min-width: 1218px) 772px, 100vw\" alt=\"hands passing joint\" title=\"Click to see a larger version of the image\">\n\t\t\t<\/a><cite>Photo by: Gina Coleman\/Weedmaps<\/cite><figcaption>Reefer is a marijuana slang term often referring to a joint.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\t\t\t<div id=\"lightbox_603\" data-modal data-modal-hide-heading data-modal-manual-close hidden>\n\t\t\t\t<h2>Image lightbox<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/HandsJoint-4-e1710379092736.jpg?fit=640%2C275&ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/HandsJoint-4-e1710379092736.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/HandsJoint-4-e1710379092736.jpg?resize=300%2C129&ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/HandsJoint-4-e1710379092736.jpg?resize=768%2C330&ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/HandsJoint-4-e1710379092736.jpg?resize=1024%2C440&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/HandsJoint-4-e1710379092736.jpg?resize=1536%2C660&ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/HandsJoint-4-e1710379092736.jpg?resize=1080%2C464&ssl=1 1080w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/HandsJoint-4-e1710379092736.jpg?w=1280&ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"100vw\" alt=\"hands passing joint\">\n\t\t\t\t<button role=\"button\" class=\"a11y-modal__close-btn\" data-modal-close-btn>\n\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"currentColor\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M13.414 12l4.293 4.293a1 1 0 01-1.414 1.414L12 13.414l-4.293 4.293a1 1 0 11-1.414-1.414L10.586 12 6.293 7.707a1 1 0 011.414-1.414L12 10.586l4.293-4.293a1 1 0 011.414 1.414L13.414 12z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Slang for weed, the word \u201creefer\u201d was first tied to marijuana culture in the 1930s. According to the records of the <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.oxforddictionaries.com\/2017\/11\/09\/origin-reefer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Oxford English Dictionary<\/a>, the term first appeared in print back in 1931, when Time Magazine featured an article that noted marijuana leaves could be dried, ground, and then rolled into a reefer cigarette. These cigarettes \u201care bootlegged under the name of 'muggles,' 'reefer,' or 'Mary Warners'\u2009\u201d according to Time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Etymologists aren't entirely clear on how the term \u201creefer\u201d became so closely linked to cannabis, but some, including the OED, claim it's derived from the Spanish word for marijuana, \u201cgrifa.\u201d Others claim it was adopted from sailor slang; in sailing, to \u201creef\u201d is to roll up the sail \u2014 similar to how you'd roll up a joint \u2014 and a \u201creefer\u201d is the sailor who does the rolling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wm-article-table-of-contents-header\" id=\"reefer-madness\">\n\t\u201cReefer Madness\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The term reefer's biggest claim to fame is, without a doubt, the 1936 film \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Reefer_Madness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reefer Madness<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 1930s saw a huge push to demonize cannabis. A massive anti-marijuana campaign, spearheaded by <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Harry_J._Anslinger\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Harry J. Anslinger<\/a>, commissioner of the newly formed <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Federal_Bureau_of_Narcotics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Federal Bureau of Narcotics<\/a>, was launched in the United States, with Anslinger and other anti-marijuana activists claiming the plant made users violent. This anti-cannabis smear campaign was, in large part, an effort to simultaneously demonize Mexican immigrants, who used \u201cmarihuana\u201d for recreational and medicinal purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image \">\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/CRTV_1263_WMMW_Beauty-Shots_0189.jpg?ssl=1\" data-modal-open=\"lightbox_2019\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/CRTV_1263_WMMW_Beauty-Shots_0189.jpg?fit=640%2C427&ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/CRTV_1263_WMMW_Beauty-Shots_0189.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/CRTV_1263_WMMW_Beauty-Shots_0189.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/CRTV_1263_WMMW_Beauty-Shots_0189.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/CRTV_1263_WMMW_Beauty-Shots_0189.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/CRTV_1263_WMMW_Beauty-Shots_0189.jpg?resize=1536%2C1023&ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/CRTV_1263_WMMW_Beauty-Shots_0189.jpg?w=1280&ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 768px) 476px, (min-width: 1218px) 772px, 100vw\" alt=\"reefer madness anti-marijuana propaganda weedmaps museum of weed\" title=\"Click to see a larger version of the image\">\n\t\t\t<\/a><cite>Photo by: Gina Coleman\/Weedmaps<\/cite><figcaption>One of the tactics used to scare the public and alert them about the \u201cdangers\u201d of cannabis was propaganda films \u2014 the most visible being \u201cReefer Madness.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\t\t\t<div id=\"lightbox_2019\" data-modal data-modal-hide-heading data-modal-manual-close hidden>\n\t\t\t\t<h2>Image lightbox<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/CRTV_1263_WMMW_Beauty-Shots_0189.jpg?fit=640%2C427&ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/CRTV_1263_WMMW_Beauty-Shots_0189.jpg?w=1600&ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/CRTV_1263_WMMW_Beauty-Shots_0189.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/CRTV_1263_WMMW_Beauty-Shots_0189.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/CRTV_1263_WMMW_Beauty-Shots_0189.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/CRTV_1263_WMMW_Beauty-Shots_0189.jpg?resize=1536%2C1023&ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/CRTV_1263_WMMW_Beauty-Shots_0189.jpg?w=1280&ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"100vw\" alt=\"reefer madness anti-marijuana propaganda weedmaps museum of weed\">\n\t\t\t\t<button role=\"button\" class=\"a11y-modal__close-btn\" data-modal-close-btn>\n\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"currentColor\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M13.414 12l4.293 4.293a1 1 0 01-1.414 1.414L12 13.414l-4.293 4.293a1 1 0 11-1.414-1.414L10.586 12 6.293 7.707a1 1 0 011.414-1.414L12 10.586l4.293-4.293a1 1 0 011.414 1.414L13.414 12z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n<p>One of the tactics used to scare the public and alert them about the \u201cdangers\u201d of cannabis was propaganda films \u2014 the most visible being \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0028346\/plotsummary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reefer Madness<\/a>.\u201d The film follows a group of high-school students who attend \u201creefer parties\u201d at an unmarried couple's house \u2014 and find themselves in all kinds of trouble as a result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cReefer Madness\u201d was a melodramatic account of the dangers of marijuana and lacked any basis in fact or science. The film was poorly received upon its release, but thanks to it's over-the-top, campy nature, experienced a resurgence in the 1960s as a cult classic. Today, the film is embraced by the cannabis community as satire and is frequently screened at midnight showings across the country. The film was also satirized in musical form in 2005's \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0404364\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical<\/a>,\u201d starring Kristen Bell, Christian Campbell, Alan Cumming, Neve Campbell, and Ana Gasteyer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wm-article-table-of-contents-header\" id=\"other-pop-culture-references\">\n\tOther pop culture references<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While \u201cReefer Madness\u201d is the term's most well-known pop culture reference, it's by no means the <em>only<\/em> reference. The term reefer has been a popular term since the 30s \u2014 particularly in music. Popular references to reefer include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\u201cReefer Songs\u201d is a 23-track compilation set of jazz songs from the 1920s, '30s, and '40s primarily about marijuana but also other drugs. It was released in 1989 and includes 1932's \u201c<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=svoSSdsNhtA\" target=\"_blank\">Have You Ever Met That Funny Reefer Man<\/a>,\u201d recorded by Cab Calloway and his orchestra, and \u201cIf You're A Viper (The Reefer Song),\u201d released by Fats Waller in 1943<\/li><li>\u201cSmoke 2 Joints,\u201d released by The Toyes in 1983 and covered by Sublime in 1992<\/li><li>\u201cChampagne and Reefer,\u201d released by Muddy Waters in 1981<\/li><li>\u201cReefer Man,\u201d released by Cypress Hill in 2017<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reefer is a marijuana slang term often referring to a joint. Reefer was simultaneously popularized and stigmatized by the 1930s melodramatic propaganda film \u201cReefer Madness,\u201d in which cannabis lures users down a dangerous rabbit hole. In the 1971 book \u201cCannabis Alchemy\u201d by R. Gold, he...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":1701,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[180],"tags":[337,1027,1028,1050,1051,1052],"class_list":["post-2018","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cannabis-and-its-evolution","tag-cannabis-culture","tag-cannabis-slang","tag-weed-terminology","tag-reefer-meaning","tag-marijuana-history","tag-jazz-era-cannabis"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What is reefer? | Weedmaps<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What does &quot;reefer&quot; mean? 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