The cannabis dictionary is long and diverse. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of words worldwide to describe marijuana – many of which have settled in the United States and become part of the local lexicon.
One such work is “mota,” a common word in Middle America and southern US states.
To better understand the jargon and the long history behind cannabis, let’s look at “mota”, where it came from, its uses throughout history, and other words to look out for.
Mota is the Spanish slang term for a small amount of weed, usually only enough for one or two standard size joints. The word mota means ‘speck’ in Spanish and is a good descriptor of how much weed a mota of weed refers to.
While the word is Spanish, it isn’t used in Spain or Spanish-speaking European regions. You’ll mostly hear “mota” being used in Middle America by Spanish-speaking people. It was later adopted by the cannabis culture in the United States, predominantly those in the southern States.
Many Spanish words are in the cannabis lexicon, some of which are so popular they’re understandable worldwide. A quick example is a churro, which can refer to a joint.
Like “churro,” “mota” made its way to the United States through Mexican immigrants.
The Americas have been using plants for their medicinal and psychoactive properties for centuries, so cannabis, which came with the Spanish, was met relatively openly.
Spaniards in the 18th century also used “mota” to describe the fuzz left behind when making linen, which could have been adopted by those harvesting and handling marijuana.
“Mota” could also have been a shortened term for marijuana, which appeared in the 1800s in Mexico. We often see a shortening in words in cannabis communities, like how a Ziploc bag of weed is shortened to a Zip of weed and a quarter pound to a QP of weed.
The exact thinking that led to a mota of weed might never be definitively proven.
We know that immigrating pot smokers used “mota” as a colloquial term, and it didn’t take long for it to spread to other sections of the US.
The history of cannabis and “mota” is long and complex. It involved a lot of politics and changing attitudes, which are still evolving today. To get the complete picture, let’s look at the timeline of mota, cannabis, and the Americas.
Cannabis has a very long history around the world. The first recorded use of marijuana is around 5,000 years old, with dozens of accounts from ancient Asia, Africa, and Europe. In these regions, cannabis was used as a recreational and medicinal ingredient.
Cannabis was said to help people with inflammation, pain, depression, asthma, and many other issues – some of which have proven true with modern studies. Oracles and other spiritual leaders also used it as part of rituals.
Cannabis, already known and used in Europe, was taken by colonizers like the Spanish when they made their way to the already-inhabited Americas. It was cultivated on American soil to produce textiles, hemp, and rope.
It was also adopted by indigenous communities, who already had well-developed traditional medicines. The plant was also used for its psychoactive ingredients.
Even though cannabis was used in the USA for many years, the early 20th century saw changing attitudes toward the substance. Prohibition laws soon followed, and cannabis was quickly made illegal.
People still readily enjoyed cannabis for its recreational properties and others for its medicinal properties – especially pain management while it was outlawed. People sold cannabis illegally, adopting code names like mota, Zip, etc., to buy and sell secretly.
For decades, the campaign against weed continued but never truly succeeded. Over time, laws slackened, especially regarding medicinal uses for cannabis. In recent years, cannabis has been legalized in many states, and the market has thrived.
Today, you can buy a mota from your nearest dispensary in almost every state without worrying about the law.
“Mota” describes a small amount of weed and isn’t traditionally affiliated with a specific weed strain. However, the term has been used for a strain of cannabis called “Motavation.”
The strain is bred from Magus Seeds and leads to a very heavy high – an ironic twist when considering the strand’s name. Motavation smokers will find they have very little motivation to leave the couch! However, the strain is supposed to uplift the mind and inspire creativity.
As mentioned earlier, Spanish has had a significant influence on cannabis terms. There are slang terms for weed, joints, and rolling paper, pretty much everything to do with weed.
Here are the most popular Spanish terms you’ll hear in the community.
“Mota” is a common slang term in Middle America, meaning a “speck” or small amount of weed. It migrated to the United States with Mexican immigrants and was adopted by US cannabis culture, especially in the southern states.
While a few theories exist on the word’s origin, no concrete evidence exists to substantiate one. Like the history of cannabis, it’s complex.
For your mota, visit your nearest Embarc location today. Embarc offers high-quality cannabis, culture, and community.
