No, the Leaf Emoji Doesnโt Have Any Special Meaning on TikTok
Published Nov. 10 2021, 3:09 p.m. ET
With the debut of each newfangled social media application and/or craze that hits the internet, it seems like there's also a totally new vocabulary that needs to be learned as well. Whether it's slang, code words, or the creative implementation of emojis that may or may not take a little bit of time to figure out, each platform has its own subculture. But does the leaf emoji on TikTok have a meaning that's particular to the app? Or is it the same "covert but not really covert" definition?
What does the leaf emoji mean on TikTok?
Generally speaking, whenever someone implements the usage of a leaf emoji in any text communication medium, they're not so subtly referring to weed. Mary Jane. Ganga. The Devil's lettuce. Chronic. Herb. Dope. Hash. Trees. Hemp. And of course, Sister Susan. That last one isn't really used that much and hasn't caught on, but I'm hopeful.
On TikTok, when folks use the leaf emoji they're generally commenting on marijuana or weed "culture." Like Miley Cyrus smoking one blunt and suddenly becoming like every teen who gets into a new band with 10 toes down, or cool new ways to ingest the stuff.
But why are people using the leaf emoji instead of just outright saying they're talking about weed?
Well, that's because despite the fact TikTok has been a haven for pedophiles to creep on youngsters, there are certain words, phrases, and references to drugs, alcohol, violence, pornography, and weapons that are banned from the platform.
So it's not uncommon to see the leaf emoji attached to particular weed lifestyle relatability posts. Like what it's like to date someone who's a stoner, or the wonderful occurrence of two stoners who happen to fall in love. Or maybe the pros of dating someone who is ready to spark up on a moment's notice.
And since we're talking about sparking said leaves to get shellacked, there are other emojis associated with the leaf one that relate to this particular emoji phenomenon, like the smoke emoji being appended to leaves. Sometimes the smoke emoji is just used by itself, but it all means the same thing: People are trying to talk about weed while avoiding violating community guideline restrictions on TikTok.
Oddly enough, people can freely append hashtags like #stonerTikTok without fear of repercussions, and many of these posts are still up on TikTok.
If you're looking for great weed related content on TikTok, CannaBound has compiled a list of users: AppleCrumbWill, Lakin.sky, MrBocaj, Jackey_420, SheSmokesJoint, MedicatedMarley, and TheHighWoman.
A lot of times individuals who create their own CBD and THC products will use TikTok as a means of marketing them on the platform. Sometimes the posts are just folks showing off their wares, other times they'll include lip-syncs, and then, of course, there are stoner comedy skits.
It's all marketing at the end of the day though, no matter what's being posted. And with more and more states legalizing and decriminalizing marijuana, it's only a matter of time before folks won't have to use a leaf emoji to indicate what they're subtly talking about.