How Should We Name Medical Marijuana In Canada?

[Robert Celt]

After someone named a strain of marijuana after former Toronto mayor Rob Ford, a battle over what to call the new prescription drug is lighting up.

Bubbling quietly like each toke from a water bong, there's a new war brewing in the world of pot.

This one's not about where you can buy it, who's standing behind the counter or who's doling out prescription.

It's about what to call the actual products lining the shelves.

For some producers, there's no place in the industry for names like Green Crack, AK-47 or, for that matter, Rob Ford Kush.

"We're starting to see a delineation between the recreational use and medical use of marijuana. And when we look at something we want to use as a medicine, we expect there to be a certain amount of professionalism and discipline surrounding those drugs," said Brent Zettl, the CEO of CanniMed, a licensed medical marijuana producer in Saskatchewan.

CanniMed's catalogue doesn't contain reference to toking politicians or terms like haze. Instead, their products are named for numbers that denote the concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) in each strain.

For example, their most potent product is called 22-1.

"If patients are going to utilize the material and doctors are going to prescribe it they have to know what's in it," Zettl said. "Our goal is to demystify the components so that people can use it as a true medicine."

At Tweed, an Ontario-based marijuana producer, common names for different strains have been rebranded to fit the company's fabric-inspired image. So, what might be called AK-47 on the street is dubbed Herringbone.

"We're first and foremost a medical marijuana producing company," said Tweed's communication manager, Jordan Sinclair, who noted many recreational names for marijuana strains don't exactly conjure up images from the doctor's office.

Nathaniel Morris, a former marijuana grower in California's Humboldt County — what he referred to as "the Silicon Valley of weed" — said new strains of marijuana are typically named for their lineage.

"If you take the Trainwreck varietal and cross it with a hash plant, you'd call it something like Hashwreck," he said. "But for the recreational market, it's all fun and games and it doesn't matter if someone wants to call their stuff Rob Ford Kush."

News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: How Should We Name Medical Marijuana In Canada?
Author: Luke Simcoe
Contact: Metro News
Photo Credit: None found
Website: Metro News

 

[stones55]

If we want to be taken seriously as a community of law-abiding citizens who take this plant and issue seriously, then a move to a change in nomenclature around medical strains is most appropriate AND overdue, in my mind. If one wishes to be taken seriously, then one must portray and convey appropriateness and professionalism.

How can one be taken seriously if one's approach is to employ a "light-hearted" vocabulary ????

Peace.
Suffering in New York State

 

[Radogast]

If we want to be taken seriously as a community of law-abiding citizens who take this plant and issue seriously, then a move to a change in nomenclature around medical strains is most appropriate AND overdue, in my mind. If one wishes to be taken seriously, then one must portray and convey appropriateness and professionalism.

How can one be taken seriously if one's approach is to employ a "light-hearted" vocabulary ????

Peace.
Suffering in New York State

Computers named Apple, MacIntosh and Lisa were taken just as serious as PC1 and XT.

The frivolous sounding safety warnings by Southwest Airlines flight attendants are listened to more carefully than any other airline.

The arguably childish strain name "Charlotte's Web" has been written into law in at least one southern state.

- - -

If they object to the name Green Crack, they can use some of the older names Green Cush, Cush or Lillie Coy.

22-1 is a stupid name. No strain reliably produces exactly 22% THC and 1% CBD - and knowing THC and CBD is nowhere near enough information to choose what to purchase. 22% THC could be Green Cush, AK-47, Presidential Kush, White Russian ... or over half the award winning strains out there.

Besides, how is Cannatonic any less respectable sounding a name than Celebrex or Xanex?

And please don't pretend that Lipitor, Crestor, Famvir, Avandia and Rilestera are easier to remember or more descriptive than Mountain Temple, Lemon Mango OG, Presidential Kush, and Golden Triangle. The only thing those expensive drug names prove is that corporations attempting to invent names not already used or obscene in multiple languages come up with some stupid names.

When push comes to shove, stock investors, and clients both prefer a name with a clear image to an obviously fake name that requires a ton of advertising money to make it sound famliar.

If doctors are forced to say a word that invokes a pleasant or silly association, I believe having a little fun in life far outweighs the preserving their dignity with weighty word salad names.

One of the worlds most respected playwrights, William Shakespeare, made up a lot of fun words that are now taken seriously.

 

[stones55]

Then everyone can go ahead and do what they're doing, and its playing right into the strong opposition's hands. It's feeding the fire that this side wants to put out. Yeah, "silly" names do make it into our vocabulary but it doesn't mean that's that best approach to dealing with staunch opponents on such a serious issue. When people start treating this as a life matter and speak appropriately with this issue, then maybe, just maybe some of those naysayers will change their tune. But when you have the likes of AK-47 and all the other "ear-catching names that are tied to not the most comfortable labels, then don't expect your enemies not to use this crap against you.

If you think this is the best that can be done in the medical community regarding legitimate medicine for legitimate issues, then we'll never get to where we want to get ------------- and that's total legalization ------------ for whatever reason is behind the use.

Just remember ----------- to many opponent, users are just lost souls that need a way to escape reality. And the fire is just fueled even more with names and labels that fire the ire of the opponents. Why feed the fire, and let's see if we can be a bit more professional and "appropriate" in how we go forward with an issue that deserves to go forward. Don't toss in hurdles.

Peace.