You may think that if you have spent time on TikTok in the past, and have heard people discussing “gardening,” or recommended the “garden gum before bed” they’re talking about plants in the house, or herbal supplements. If you scroll down there’s something odd. It’s smart and subversive. You’re not watching a series of videos on wellness, you’re experiencing an linguistic revolt.
So, what is a garden gummy ? It’s not something you’ll find next to the fertilizer at a gardening store. TikTok has developed a clever way of referring to THC edibles but without referring to them as such.
How One Gummy Can Be an Access Point to a New Language
Garden gummies, as they appear on the surface, are little chewy candy that contains Delta-8 or Delta-9THC, which is often produced by hemp. They are used by those who are looking for anything from improved sleep to stress relief to just plain good old mellow feelings. The story starts by talking about them.
The term “cannabis” or “THC”, can cause your content to be removed, hidden or completely blocked. TikTok community guidelines don’t allow for a lot of nuance. Users created code words to get around this. “Gardening” was then was the new activity. The experience was an experience of a “garden”. Perhaps a garden gummy? It was a hidden stash, disguised as an innocent sounding name. A euphemism was born.
TikTok Moderation and the Language of Loopholes
This is not so much about THC and more about our adaption to the digital environment. TikTok, for example, is a popular social media platform which promotes freedom of expression while rigorously policing it. If you upload an image of cannabis, even if it’s legal in your state or country the video could be deleted. Instead of giving up, the users have become more sophisticated.
Garden gummies TikTok culture isn’t just about getting high. It’s a social thing and a method of working to solve problems, and a conversation that is coded. If someone writes, “I had a garden chewy last night, and slept like a newborn,” the audience understands exactly what they’re talking about. It’s an electronic nod. It’s a shared understanding.
What is it that makes Garden Gummies different?
There’s more to the product than just the name. The word “garden gummies” is often used to describe low-dose THC edibles that are legal and may be consumed in a relaxed way. For those who are new to cannabis, they’re less intimidating than other cannabis-based products. And because they’re often derived from hemp, they’re more easily accessible in areas where marijuana isn’t legally available.
The way people talk about their experience is interesting. There’s not a lot of social chatter or stereotypes about stoners. Users are more likely to speak about things like “It eased my anxiety after one-half of a garden gum,” or “This helps in my pain, but doesn’t make it feel weird.” That’s the real shift in the conversation: what exactly are garden-gummies? They’re a tool for wellness Social signals, social signals, and quiet acts of resistance all wrapped into one.
Connected Trends
This may sound funny however the concept is very deliberate. The environment has always affected the way we speak. Where certain words are banned, others emerge. This is the way that slang works. This is how subcultures endure.
The emergence of garden gums isn’t just about chewing gum. It’s about the need to connect, to share an experience that isn’t shut down by the algorithm. It’s an important issue in today’s digital world, in which everything is controlled.
This clip from TikTok is a great example of how far people will to go for a conversation even when the rules change. Because there are times when a gummy isn’t just a gummy. It’s a whole culture. A lifestyle. A garden.