Translation guide
The English word 'marijuana' refers to the cannabis plant and its psychoactive products. In Japanese, the most common term is マリファナ, a loanword from English. There are also native terms like 大麻 (たいま) used in legal and formal contexts, and slang terms. This guide covers how to refer to marijuana in various situations.
The learner wants to refer to marijuana in everyday conversation or neutral contexts.
The most common and neutral loanword for marijuana. Widely understood.
彼はマリファナを吸っている。
He is smoking marijuana.
Formal or legal term for cannabis/marijuana. Used in news, laws, and official contexts.
大麻取締法
Cannabis Control Act
Slang term derived from 'ganja'. Used in casual or counterculture contexts.
ガンジャを吸うのは楽しい。
Smoking ganja is fun.
The learner wants to talk about marijuana in the context of drug use, legality, or effects.
Again, the standard term. Use this in most discussions about the drug.
マリファナは日本では違法です。
Marijuana is illegal in Japan.
Preferred in legal, medical, or formal discussions. Often used in compound words.
Slang term literally meaning 'leaf'. Can refer to marijuana in very casual speech.
May be considered crude or associated with drug culture. Not appropriate in polite conversation.
The learner wants to refer to the plant itself, not necessarily the drug.
Specifically the cannabis plant. Used in botanical or agricultural contexts.
大麻草の栽培は禁止されている。
Cultivation of cannabis plants is prohibited.
General term for hemp or cannabis plant. Can refer to non-psychoactive hemp as well.
Without context, 麻 (あさ) often means hemp (the industrial plant) rather than marijuana. Use 大麻草 for clarity when referring to psychoactive cannabis.
麻の繊維は強い。
Hemp fiber is strong.
マリファナ is the everyday loanword, while 大麻 is the formal/legal term. Use 大麻 when discussing laws, regulations, or in academic writing. In casual conversation, マリファナ is more natural.
友達とマリファナの話をした。
I talked about marijuana with a friend.
大麻取締法について調べている。
I'm researching the Cannabis Control Act.
Slang terms like ハッパ or ガンジャ are very informal and can sound like drug subculture jargon. Avoid using them in polite or professional settings. Stick to マリファナ or 大麻.
面接で「ハッパ」と言わないでください。
Don't say 'pot' in a job interview.
日本ではマリファナは違法です。
Marijuana is illegal in Japan.
彼は大麻所持で逮捕された。
He was arrested for possession of marijuana.
The use of medical marijuana is being debated.
Stop doing pot.