Cheeba

Cheeba is a vintage slang term for cannabis flower that originated in the Chicano/Mexican-American community. The term likely first emerged in the early 1930s, derived from the Spanish word chiva meaning heroin, due to certain sticky, resinous cannabis strains bearing resemblance to gummy opium.

Despite its unsavory etymological connection comparing cannabis to heroin, over decades of cultural evolution cheeba lost any literal reference to opiates. Eventually the versatile slang term simply became shorthand for referencing cannabis generally, shaking off outdated stigmatic links to harder drugs.

The appeal and endurance of cheeba as cannabis slang owes partly to its rhythm and brevity as fun jargon. Brands like Cheeba Chews edibles modernized cheeba for new generations. After nearly a century, cheeba persists as memorable vernacular celebrating cannabis culture’s rich linguistic history.