Ganja is borrowed fromHindigāñjā (Hindi:गांजा, IPA:[ɡaːɲd͡ʒaː]), a name forcannabis in theIndo-Aryan language that descended from an early form of Vedic Sanskrit. TheSanskritgañjā refers to a "powerful preparation fromCannabis sativa".[2][3][4][5][6] But the word only refers to a certain product derived from cannabis plants.Gāñjā is the title given to the flowers, whereas “charas” refers to the resin, and “bhang” the seeds and leaves.[7]
The word ganja reached the Western world through victims of slavery. Victims of the Atlantic slave trade were brought from Africa to Jamaica in 1513. In 1845, the British Empire started to call for indentured Indians to come to the Caribbean to strengthen the workforce on sugar plantations. They brought with them elements of their culture, including ganja.[8]
One academic source places the date of introduction of ganja in Jamaica at 1845.[9] The term came with 19th century workers whose descendants are now known asIndo-Jamaicans.[10]
The word was used in Europe as early as 1856, when the British enacted a tax on the "ganja" trade.[11]
In 1913, Jamaica banned cannabis with the Ganja Law.[12]
Cultural figureheads such asBob Marley popularized Rastafari and ganja through reggae music. In 1976,Peter Tosh defended the use of ganja in the song "Legalize It".[14] Thehip hop groupCypress Hill revived the term in the United States in 2004 in a song titled "Ganja Bus", followed by other artists, including rapperEminem, in the 2009 song "Must Be the Ganja".[11][15]
Derivatives of the term are used as generic words for marijuana in several languages, such asIndonesian/Malay (ganja),Khmer (កញ្ឆា,kanhchha),Lao (ກັນຊາ,kan sa),Thai (กัญชา,gancha),Tiwi (kanja),[16] andVietnamese (cần sa).
