Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (drugs) marijuana; thus herbed adj., intoxicated by marijuana; herbsman n., a marijuana dealer [orig. used in Jamaica, the religious role of marijuana for Rastafarians is emphasized in the ‘natural’ image of herb, also known as the ‘herb of meditation’ + a poss. ref. to Ps. 104:14, ‘He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man’].

1949		H.C. Bosman Cold Stone Jug (1981) II 28: They also spoke of it as ‘the weed’, or ‘the herb’. [Ibid.] 30: ‘Blue’ was the most usual way of talking about being under the spell of dagga, but there were other expressions like [...] ‘herbed’.
[1956		‘Raymond Thorp’ Viper 172: He seriously believed that hemp had been sent by God as His own herb for mankind to use].
1964		R. Abrahams Deep Down In The Jungle 38: The baboon stood with a crazy rim [...] Handful of dimes, pocket full of herbs.
1968		N. Heard Howard Street 96: ‘You been smokin’ herb at Two Day’s!’ Hip accused.
1973		Sun. Times Mag. 30 Sept. 41: After you buy your herbs.
1975		in B. Leonard Rastafarians (1977) 217: Man basically is God but this insight can come to man only with the use of the herb.
1980		M. Thelwell Harder They Come 300: Come sit wid I an’ smoke Jah blessed herb too.
1991		R.G. Barratt ‘Law is a Dope’ in What Do You Reckon (1997) [ebook] [I]t’s not as if I haven’t had experience with the ’erb.
1994		M. Montague Dread Culture 37: Why yuh tink him is a herbsman? Yuh tink selling ganja is di most important ting in life, eh? [Ibid.] 65: Rummaging through the drawer where Iration Dread kept the herbs, she picked a long bud.
1999		(con. 1979–80) A. Wheatle Brixton Rock (2004) 191: A nice yard wid a big garden so I can grow my own herbs.
2006		G. Pelecanos Night Gardener 209: I’d like to try a little herb again someday.
2010		K. Richards Life 217: I heard that a way of collecting [pollen] was to cover children with honey and run them naked through a field of herb.
2017		hubpages.com ‘Roadman Slang 4 Jun. 🌐 Green/dank/herb/ganja/tree/broccoli- the herb.
2020		D. Winslow ‘Paradise’ in Broken 234: ‘As long as it’s just herb, I’m good with it [...] But if it evolves into coke, ice, heroin—’.

2. (US campus) a cigarette.

1960

G. Swarthout Where the Boys Are 34: We put on our suit and trunks and stretched out sharing an herb. [Ibid.] 156: He chauffeured us everywhere, served our Cokes, lit my herbs.

3. a marijuana cigarette.

1971

H.E. Roberts Third Ear n.p.: herb n. (pronounced ‘erb’ with exaggerated emphasis) a marijuana cigarette. SYN. joint.