Alternative Dope Names

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large storage glass jar filled with cannabis buds on a white background

Forget those whacko, must’ve-been-stoned-when-they-named-them strain names like Diesel and Slurricane. How about a few of those words for weed itself that have graced the annals of slang vocabulary throughout the ages? Forget the tried-and-true ganja, dope, weed, Mary Jane and the like…following are a few that hit closer to home in a mountain town:

Happy Hay: This might well stem from western slang among the subset of old-time cowboys who might have had a friend who had a ponytail in the ‘60s. They’re known to listen to Willie Nelson in an old beat-up truck on an eight-track while feeding horses. How you might hear it: You might hear, “Let’s go feed the horses before dinner. Got any happy hay?”

Trail Shortener: This reference moseyed on down from somewhere in the Gros Ventre Mountains of Wyoming as a way for a long trail to pass by more quickly. It also works for skinners, backpackers, long-distance riders and more—anywhere there’s a trail that seems to be going a hair too far. How you might hear it: One old cowboy might say to another old cowboy before riding on a horse for hours in the dark back to camp, “Hey Bob, you’re not toting any of that trail shortener, are you?” 

Back Medicine: Mogul-pounding ski bums have known for years that marijuana can often be better than Ben-Gay on a sore back. How you might hear it: Picture yourself in a ski bum’s living room with two stained sleeper sofas, a milk crate table, a play station, and a 50-inch TV: “Man I can’t wait till pay day and I can pick up some back medicine so I can get back on the hill.”

Fish Whistle: This one we think was first mumbled by a couple of fish heads floating on the Colorado River between Radium and Rancho Del Rio sometime around y2k. Coined to pass the time and hopefully bring the fish in, we just found it never helped with tying that aggravating tippet knot. How you might hear it: After about two hours of floating and casting without any bites one dude in the boat might utter “Anyone got their fish whistle?” 

Devil’s Lettuce: Usually a term used in jest, but sometimes used by those that disapprove of an illicit smile. How you might hear it: You might overhear one concerned friend say to his other red-eyed friend, “Dude, you’ve got to lay off that Devil’s Lettuce. A torn paper bag full of rusty doorknobs has more motivation than you.”Snow Softener: Yep, this one was coined to help turn any boiler-plate or breakable crust outing into a full-blown powder day (minus the pictures as proof). How you might hear it: Perhaps you’ve overheard this convo at a base-area bar during apres: “How was your day?” “Well, we made the most of it…. we had a little snow softener.”