Etymology

schwag

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Today it means: Low-grade or commercial-grade marijuana. Full definition →

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The story

Unknown. Possibly related to shag (“shredded tobacco”). The "marijuana" noun sense is attested since the 1980s in the United States, the adjective since the 1990s. The "trinkets or items given away" sense is a variant of swag from 19th century thieves' cant.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.