Where the word ‘reefer' comes from
The etymology is disputed. One common theory links it to the Spanish ‘grifa' (marijuana), which slid into US English through jazz-scene Spanish speakers in the 1920s. Another connects it to sailors' ‘reef' (a rolled sail edge) applied to a rolled cigarette. Either way, ‘reefer' was common in 1930s jazz culture — Cab Calloway, Fats Waller, and Louis Armstrong all recorded songs referencing it.
Reefer Madness and prohibition
‘Reefer Madness' (1936) was a low-budget propaganda film financed by a church group and later picked up by federal drug regulators to build public support for the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 — the law that effectively criminalized cannabis in the US. The film depicted cannabis users descending into madness, violence, and death after a single joint. It was rediscovered in the 1970s as unintentional comedy and became a cult classic.
Is anyone still saying ‘reefer'?
Not really. In 2026, ‘reefer' shows up mostly in ironic or nostalgic contexts, in strain names (Reefer's Cheese), and in older-media references. The default modern words for a joint are ‘joint,' ‘pre-roll,' ‘jay,' or just ‘spliff.'
Modern equivalents — joint, pre-roll, spliff
A joint is a hand-rolled cannabis cigarette using rolling paper. A pre-roll is a professionally rolled joint sold at a dispensary. A spliff mixes tobacco with cannabis (common in Europe and the Caribbean). A blunt is a cigar-wrap-based cannabis cigarette. Pre-rolls at licensed NY shops come in 0.5 g, 1 g, and multi-packs, often with hash or kief added.
Buying pre-rolls in NY
At Good Grades — a licensed New York adult-use dispensary in Queens — every gram on the menu is lab-tested through the state's Office of Cannabis Management compliance chain, tagged from cultivator to shelf, and delivered same-day across Queens, Nassau County, and much of the NYC metro. 21+ with valid ID at delivery. Browse the live menu to compare THC content, terpene profile, and grow method before you order.