Last verified: April 2026
Definition
Gas (noun, sometimes adjective) describes cannabis whose aroma is sharply chemical, fuel-like, solvent-like — reminiscent of diesel fuel at a gas station. The term is nearly exclusively used for premium flower; mediocre flower isn’t gas. “That’s pure gas” is among the highest compliments a budtender or consumer pays.
Etymology & Origin
The aroma descriptor derives from the classic Sour Diesel lineage and its descendants (Chemdawg, NYC Diesel, Gas Face, GMO). Sour Diesel, believed to have originated in New York in the early 1990s, set the template: a skunky, harsh-pungent scent with a definite fuel note. As that lineage spread, “gas” became the shorthand for any flower with that terpene profile (high myrcene and caryophyllene, with a specific sulfur-compound note).
The term was in wide East Coast use by the 2000s and went national in the 2010s. By the 2020s it was universal enough that “gas” appears on menus at dispensaries that would never write “dank.”
Usage
- “Pure gas — don’t open that jar unless the window’s closed.”
- “The gas content in this cut is unreal.”
- “It’s loud but not gassy.” (distinguishing strong aroma from specifically fuel-type aroma)
Related Terms
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