Hopheads

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals who passionately pursue the lifestyle and effects of cannabis use
2. People who have a strong enthusiasm for consuming cannabis and often identify with its culture
3. Individuals devoted to the use of marijuana and engaged in activities related to its enjoyment

Etymology: "Hopheads" is simply the plural of "hophead," and the word is a plain compound: "hop," the drug slang for opium or narcotics in general, joined to "head," meaning a person who is devoted to or addicted to something. A "hophead" is therefore someone whose head is taken up with hop, which is how the word has been used. The "hop" element is the notable part. Its use as slang for opium gave rise to a whole family of compounds in American English, and "hophead" belongs to that group. Its meaning shifted over time from the narrow sense of an opium user to the broader sense of someone devoted to cannabis and its effects, which is the sense given here. The word was built from elements that were already common in English, so no single coiner or event lies behind it. Its interest lies in how a short drug term of uncertain origin became the building block for a set of colloquial labels.

Synonyms: enthusiasts, aficionados