Why is marijuana also spelled “marihuana”?
Both spellings are commonly acceptable. In Canada, the spelling with the “h” goes back to 1961 when the predecessor statute, the Narcotic Control Act, was enacted. The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act also uses the spelling with the “h”. However, in its regular correspondence, Health Canada has decided to use the “j” spelling as it appears to be more consistently used. Legal documents refering specifically to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act will continue to use the “h” spelling.
