The Real Meaning: "Crazy Tobacco" vs. "Numbing Weed"

While some mainland sites and news outlets translate Pakalōlō as "Numbing Tobacco," any local will tell you the translation is closer to "Crazy Tobacco."

1. The Etymology (Breakdown):

• Paka: The Hawaiian loan word for "Tobacco."
• Lolō: While it can mean "numb" or "paralyzed" in ancient medical contexts, in modern Pidgin, Lolo universally means "Crazy," "Stupid," or "Goofy."

2. Why "Crazy"? The name likely originated because the plant looked like tobacco but, when smoked, produced a psychoactive high that made people act lolo (silly, crazy, or stoned, far different from the effects of standard nicotine.

3. Pop Culture Note: The term gained international fame when former President Barack Obama (a Honolulu native) discussed his "Choom Gang" days in his biography, introducing the word Pakalōlō to the world. But in Hawaii, it's been the standard term since the mid-1800s.