Ripped
Slang for being intensely high on cannabis, typically to the point of impaired coordination or cognition.
"Ripped" is just casual slang for very high — no clinical meaning, no specific dose, no chemistry behind it. It usually implies more intoxication than "buzzed" but less than "couch-locked." People use it inconsistently: some mean pleasantly high, some mean uncomfortably high. If you see it on a product label or in marketing copy, treat it as vibe, not information.
Definition
Ripped (adj.) — slang meaning noticeably or heavily intoxicated by cannabis. Usage examples: "I was ripped after two bong hits," or "Don't drive, you're ripped."
The word is not clinical and has no fixed threshold. Different speakers use it to describe anything from a strong pleasant high to being barely functional. Green's Dictionary of Slang records "ripped" in the sense of "intoxicated by drugs" from at least the 1960s, initially applied to a range of substances before settling into common cannabis usage [1].
Outside cannabis contexts, "ripped" can also mean drunk, or (unrelated) muscular and lean. Context usually makes the meaning obvious.
What it actually describes
The subjective state people call "ripped" is driven mainly by THC binding to CB1 receptors in the central nervous system [2] Strong evidence. Typical features at higher doses include:
- Altered time perception
- Impaired short-term memory and working memory
- Slowed reaction time and coordination problems
- Euphoria, giggling, or introspection
- Increased heart rate
- Dry mouth, red eyes, increased appetite
At the doses that get most people "ripped," motor and cognitive impairment are measurable and impact driving performance [3] Strong evidence. This is a state to sit out, not operate machinery through.
What it doesn't mean
- Not a dose. "Ripped" is a subjective label, not a milligram range. Tolerance varies enormously between people — a dose that leaves a novice ripped may barely register for a daily consumer [4] Strong evidence.
- Not strain-specific. Marketing sometimes implies certain strains reliably get you "ripped" while others don't. In practice, total THC dose, route (smoked vs. edible), individual physiology, and set/setting matter far more than indica vs. sativa labeling Disputed.
- Not the same as greening out. Being ripped is generally an enjoyable heavy high. Greening out involves nausea, anxiety, pallor, or dissociation — an overshoot, not a goal.
- Not a medical term. You will not find "ripped" in clinical literature. Researchers use structured scales like the Subjective High Assessment Scale or visual analog ratings instead [5].
Where you'll see it
"Ripped" appears throughout casual cannabis writing, dispensary conversation, and product reviews. It is peer language, not consumer-education language — reputable public-health materials avoid it in favor of terms like "impaired" or "intoxicated" [6].
On Weedpedia, we use "ripped" only when quoting or describing culture. When we're talking about actual effects, we describe doses in milligrams of THC and specific subjective effects.
Sources
- Book Green, J. (2010). Green's Dictionary of Slang. Chambers/Oxford University Press. Entry: "ripped, adj."
- Peer-reviewed Pertwee, R. G. (2008). The diverse CB1 and CB2 receptor pharmacology of three plant cannabinoids: delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol and delta9-tetrahydrocannabivarin. British Journal of Pharmacology, 153(2), 199-215.
- Peer-reviewed Hartman, R. L., & Huestis, M. A. (2013). Cannabis effects on driving skills. Clinical Chemistry, 59(3), 478-492.
- Peer-reviewed Ramaekers, J. G., et al. (2009). Cognition and motor control as a function of Delta9-THC concentration in serum and oral fluid: limits of impairment. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 85(2), 114-122.
- Peer-reviewed Schuster, R. M., et al. (2016). Measuring the subjective effects of cannabis: an examination of the Subjective High Assessment Scale. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 77(5), 787-793.
- Government U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health Effects of Marijuana. CDC Marijuana and Public Health.
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