Cheeba

Cheeba is a slang term for cannabis of Mexican Spanish origin popularized in the 1960s. 

“Is this cheeba sativa?”

“Roll me a joint of that cheeba.”

History of cheeba 

Cheeba is a Mexican Spanish word for cannabis dating back to the mid-1900s that derives from the word “chiva,” a Spanish word for heroin. The association with heroin is thought to come from the dark and sticky appearance of Brazilian-grown cannabis brought into Mexico after it was prohibited, which was said to resemble heroin. However, as cannabis spread through Latin America, cheeba took on less of a negative meaning. 

Is cheeba cannabis?

Despite squeamish origins, cheeba, even in the US, is considered a nickname for cannabis and not heroin, to the point where an edible company has adopted the moniker: Cheeba Chews. Cheeba does not refer to a specific cannabis cultivar or effects produced from smoking, despite that many of Mexico’s landrace strains are sativas.