Ganja (, ; ) is one of the oldest and most commonly used synonyms for marijuana. Its usage in English dates to before 1689.

Etymology

''Ganja'' is borrowed from Hindi/Urdu ( hi, गांजा, links=no, ur, , links=no, IPA: Help:IPA/Hindi and Urdu, [ɡaːɲd͡ʒaː]), a name for cannabis drug, cannabis, which is derived from Sanskrit , referring to a "powerful preparation from ''Cannabis sativa''". The word was used in Europe as early as 1856, when the British enacted a tax on the "ganja" trade. One academic source places the date of introduction of ganja in Jamaica at 1845. The term came with 19th century workers whose descendants are now known as Indo-Jamaicans.

Contemporary use of the term ''ganja''

English use

''Ganja'' is the most common term for marijuana in West Indies.

In popular culture

In 1975, Peter Tosh defended the use of ganja in the song "Legalize It". The Hip hop music, hip hop group Cypress Hill revived the term in the United States in 2004 in a song titled "Ganja Bus", followed by other artists, including rapper Eminem, in the 2009 song "Must Be the Ganja".

In other languages

Derivatives of the term are also used as generic words for marijuana in several language, such as Khmer language, Khmer (, ''kanhchhea''), Lao language, Lao (, ''kan sa'') and Tiwi language, Tiwi ().Dictionary
AuSIL

References

Cannabis Cannabis culture English words Etymologies {{cannabis-stub