The Straight “Dope” On the Evolution of Drug Slang

Updated November 8, 2024

We’ve all heard terms like “dope,” “smack,” “speed,” and “nose candy” to describe illegal drugs on television in the schoolyard and recovery meetings and addiction treatment programs. Drug dealers and users have used drug slang, also known as drug street names, for decades, and it’s an integral part of the drug culture, both in the United States and abroad.

Why Does Drug Slang Exist?

Like all types of jargon, drug slang primarily evolved as a way for those involved in the illegal drug trade to avoid detection by the authorities. Giving specific drugs unique names makes communication easier between people in the drug culture while keeping the true nature of their conversation relatively confidential.

It’s unclear when slang terms for illicit drugs became the norm, but it’s likely that the military practice of assigning code names to covert missions to mislead the enemy inspired the practice of developing secret names for drugs.

Drug slang also serves as a way for drug users and dealers to identify those who are considered to be within the inner circle of the drug culture and keep law enforcement officials from penetrating drug circles. Drug slang often serves as a type of password that’s used to access illegal drugs. People who don’t know the latest slang terms are quickly labeled as untrustworthy and kept out of the loop.

Is There State-Specific Drug Slang?

Yes.

Drug slang is often specific to a certain city, state, or region. For example, cocaine can be called “flake” in California, “nose candy” in Washington, and “coca” in Texas. MDMA is coined “roll” in New York, “vitamin E” in Montana, Arizona and Michigan, and “moon rock” in California, Oregon and Idaho.

Some street drug terms are relatively universal, such as “speed,” which refers to methamphetamine.

Drug Slang in Popular Music

Drug slang is often present in song lyrics. The “yellow diamonds” in Rihanna’s hit song, “We Found Love,” are widely rumored to be a reference to methylenedioxy-methamphetamine, better known as “ecstasy,” “E,” “MDMA,” or “Adam.”

When the Beatles ruled the radio, the group penned “Got To Get You Into My Life,” a song that Paul McCartney says, “[is] actually an ode to pot, like someone else might write an ode to chocolate or a good claret.” More obviously, a year later, they penned [L]ucy in the [S] ky with [D]iamonds, a fairly blatant reference in the name, and in the song’s context, to LSD.

The Rolling Stones have recorded numerous songs with drug slang in the lyrics, the most notable ones being “Mother’s Little Helper” (Valium or diazepam) and “Brown Sugar,” also known as “Smack,” “Junk” and “Skag:” a cheap, semi-synthetic opioid created from extracted morphine and cut with a filler like chalk powder or zinc oxide.

Need Help?

Treatment can begin quickly and discreetly, get started now

Contact Us

Marijuana: The Drug Once Known as “Dope”

Slang terms for marijuana have been around since FDR signed the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937, which effectively criminalized cannabis possession in the United States.

“Dope” was used almost exclusively to refer to marijuana for decades. Other early slang terms for marijuana included “Mary Jane,” which is believed to be the English translation of the Spanish names “Mari” and “Juana.” Today, marijuana goes by countless names on the street, including “pot,” “weed,” and “tea,” and it’s common to hear marijuana referred to as the actual strain of the cannabis plant. “Bubba Kush,” “AK-47,” “Pineapple Express,” and “Green Crack” are all among the most popular varieties of marijuana.

How Has Drug Slang Changed Over the Years?

Many terms used to describe illegal drugs have evolved, and in some cases, this has simply been because the previous drug terms had become too well-known.

Active drug users make a point of knowing what the latest slang names are for their drugs of choice for two reasons: They need to know what to ask their dealer for, and they need to know what drugs they are taking to reduce the risk of accidentally overdosing.

For example, heroin was once commonly called “China White” or “China Red” because most heroin came from Asia. Today, those same terms are rarely, if ever, used on the street, and heroin now goes by a completely different name.

“Dope” – It Doesn’t Just Mean Weed Anymore

One of the clearest examples of how drug slang evolves is the term “dope.”

Throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, dope was synonymous with marijuana. Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong, better known as “Cheech & Chong,” often used the term in their comedy routine, and their final adult-humor audio album released in 1980 was aptly titled “Let’s Make a New Dope Deal.” Similarly. in re-runs of “That 70’s Show,” you may catch the iconic father figure, Red Foreman, referring to the kids’ usage of “dope,” clearly indicating the marijuana the gang was using.

Over the past few decades, however, as cannabis gains acceptance as a medicinal and legal recreational drug in many states, the slang word “dope” has evolved. Today, the term “dope” is mostly used in reference to heroin rather than weed, although “dope” can also mean crystal meth.

So, What Drug Is Dope?

Well, the answer is a little complex. “Dope” was originally used just for marijuana, but it now may refer to a number of street drugs and prescription medications.

What Is The Most Popular Drug Slang Today?

Here are some common names for drug dealers’ wares and often abused prescription drugs.

Amphetamines

Amphetamines are stimulants used in a clinical setting to treat conditions like ADD and obesity. When abused, they can produce a powerful high that speeds up messages between the brain and the body. Commonly used slang terms include “speed,” “sweeties,” “addys,” “zoomers,” “pixies,” “jelly babies,” “beans,” “chunk,” “cartwheels,” “French blues,” “horse heads,” and “black mollies.”

Barbiturates

These drugs are synthetically made in a lab and act as depressants, meaning they slow down the body’s functions to produce a calming sensation. They’ve been called “downers,” “yellow jackets,” “yellows,” “reds,” “blues,” “barbs,” and “bluebirds.”

Cocaine

The street drug cocaine is a stimulant and tropane alkaloid that produces a strong high when snorted. It’s very addictive and has been called by many names, including “coke,” “blow,” “dust,” “nose candy,” “white,” “gold dust,” and “Florida snow.” When the drug is mixed with heroin, it’s known by the street names “Speedball” and “Belushi.”

Crack Cocaine

Crack is a smokable form of cocaine that’s also highly addictive but offers a shorter, more intense high. It’s called “rock,” “applejack,” “ice,” “candy,” “dime special,” “chemical,” “bomb,” and “bump.”

Cough Medicine

Cough medicine is often abused by teens and young adults and can create psychoactive effects when abused. Common street names for cough medicine include “robo,” “triple C,” “purple,” and “red devil.”

Fentanyl

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that can cause effects similar to morphine but much more powerful. It comes with a high risk of addiction and dependence and can cause respiratory distress. Common slang for drug dealers includes “fenty,” “fent,” “jacket,” “butter,” “white,” “apache,” and “China.”

Heroin

Sometimes called “dope,” heroin is a highly addictive, illegal drug that can be sniffed, snorted, inhaled or injected. Common names for this street drug include “black tar,” “black,” “Capital H,” “Big H,” “antifreeze,” “salt,” “smack,” “wings,” “dope,” “black olives,” and “tootsie roll.”

What Is Gas Station Heroin?

Gas station heroin is the street name for the dietary supplement Tianeptine. Currently, this drug is legal in 43 states and can be purchased at gas stations and truck stops. Since the FDA does not strictly regulate dietary supplements, the drug has largely remained available to consumers even though its abuse has increased, as evidenced by calls to poison control centers and toxicology reports.

When abused (taken in large doses), Tianeptine triggers the opioid and glutamate receptors in the brain, producing an opioid-like high. Some people have found that it offers antidepressant properties, but it is not approved as a depression treatment. Tianeptine is addictive and once addicted, users will even experience withdrawal symptoms that are similar to opioid withdrawal symptoms, which are flu-like in nature. When Tianeptine is abused, users report that its effects are similar to heroin or morphine.

Like opioid abuse, Tianeptine abuse can be extremely dangerous and cause effects such as rapid heartbeat, increased blood pressure, reduced respiratory function, coma, and even death. Several states, including Indiana and Ohio, have recently banned the dietary supplement. Given its threat to public health and increasing abuse, it’s very likely that more states will follow suit.

Ketamine

Ketamine is a dissociative drug that is sometimes prescribed as an anesthetic. (An FDA-approved version of ketamine can also be effective at providing faster-acting relief of severe or treatment-resistant depression.) However, it is more widely used in veterinary clinics than in hospitals. People abuse ketamine for its sedative and hallucinogenic effects. It is also regarded as a date rape drug because it can incapacitate victims.

Ketamine and its use go by many names. Some of the slang associated with the drug include “vitamin K,” “kit kat,” “special K,” “kitty flip,” “green K,” “super K,” and “wonky.” Someone in the midst of a ketamine high may be said to have “fallen into a k hole.” In higher doses, ketamine can cause amnesia, depression, delirium, reduced motor function, and slowed respiratory function.

LSD

LSD is a synthetic hallucinogen that produces strong psychedelic effects. Street slang for LSD includes “acid,” “purple haze,” “sunshine,” “zen,” “Lucy in the sky with diamonds,” “white dust,” “coffee,” and “dots.”

Marijuana

Marijuana is a drug that doesn’t fit neatly into any one category but acts as a hallucinogen, stimulant and depressant. It’s most often smoked or ingested by users. Some of its common slang names include “dope,” “weed,” “Mary Jane,” “leaf,” “hash,” “catnip,” “blue crush,” and “broccoli.”

MDMA

MDMA is a synthetic club drug that can be very dangerous because of its addictive properties. It’s been called “E,” “ecstasy,” “molly,” “bean drug,” “love drug,” and “love potion.”

Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine acts as a central nervous system stimulant and is used legally as a medication for ADHD and related disorders. As an illegal street drug, it’s known as “meth,” “crank,” “chalk,” “zip,” “bump,” “aqua,” and “fizz.”

Synthetic Cannabinoids

Synthetic cannabinoids produce effects similar to those of marijuana but are made from man-made chemicals. These chemicals can be extremely dangerous to users and can cause effects such as increased heart rate, hallucinations, vomiting, and confusion. People generally smoke these drugs and begin to feel their effects within about five minutes.

While the effects of synthetic cannabinoids seem to mimic those of marijuana, the drugs do not contain THC or truly mimic it. In this sense, their name, “synthetic cannabinoids,” is a misnomer as they are not actually synthetic cannabis. The drugs are associated with cannabis because they target the same receptors in the brain to produce similar effects.

Synthetic cannabinoids can go by many many slang terms, including “K2,” “Northern Lights,” “Zombie,” “Kush,” “Cowboy Kush,” “Krazy,” “Bliss,” “G-Force,” “Kryp2nite,” “Layer Cake,” “Scooby Snacks,” “Genie,” “Snake Bite,” “Chill,” “Spice,” “Sweet Leaf,” “Clockwork Orange,” “Wazabi,” “Pandora’s Box,” and “Potpourri.”

Xanax

Xanax is a prescription drug that’s commonly used to treat symptoms of depression, anxiety, and insomnia. It can be very addictive when abused. Common slang terms include “zannies,” “xanies,” “school bus,” “z-bars,” and “bars.”

The terms used on the street to describe illegal drugs are constantly changing and evolving, and to help law enforcement officials keep up with drug trends, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) released a publication titled “Slang Terms and Code Words” in July 2018.

Another emerging trend in street drug linguistics is slang that describes drug combinations. For example, “love flip” refers to ingesting both mescaline and ecstasy, while “speedball” is heroin mixed with cocaine. Other drug combinations include “Anestesia de Caballo,” heroin mixed with the large animal anesthetic xylazine, and “Goofball,” heroin mixed with methamphetamine.

Slang Terms for Measurements

The street slang associated with drugs can be highly creative, and it even extends to measurements or quantities of the drugs as they are sold and used. Some slang terms for drug measurements include:

Quarter gram: “cuartito”

Half gram: “50”

Gram: “bump”

10 grams: “pencil” or “finger”

1 ounce: “pie,” “onion,” “small tire”

⅛ ounce: “8 ball”

18 ounces: “half key”

1 pound: “California roll,” “bowl,” “large window”

1 kilogram: “brick,” “pillow,” “can of paint,” “pelican,” “cuadro,” “short,” “plate”

Some slang measurements are specific to the drug being purchased. For instance, a gram of marijuana might be referred to as a “dime bag.” 3.5 grams of marijuana might be called “a slice.” 50 rocks of crack is sometimes called a “biscuit.” A thousand pills of ecstasy can be referred to as “a boat.” An ounce of LSD is called a “cube.”

Do You Need Help Dealing With a Drug Addiction? We’re Here for You

No matter what the slang is for the drug you use, if you are struggling with substance abuse, we’re here to help. Our fully licensed and accredited residential treatment center uses cutting-edge testing and interventions to help you achieve freedom from your addiction to drugs and alcohol.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you learn how to kick your drug habit. We’re here for you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.