What is "a weed" slang for in 1962?

The term "weed" is slang for a tobacco cigarette in 1962. Although the setting of the novel The Outsiders takes place in the 1960's, much of the slang terms used throughout the novel are from the 1950's. In the 1950's, smoking tobacco became popular throughout America and cigarettes were referred to as "weed." It was commonplace for American teenagers to smoke cigarettes and race souped-up cars for fun, much like the greasers in S.E. Hinton's novel. In the following decade, the hippie movement and America's counter-culture revolution, which rejected societal norms, promoted widespread drug use. Marijuana became popular in the 1960's and Americans adopted the term "weed" to reference marijuana. Throughout the novel, Ponyboy and his gang mention smoking "a weed." In Chapter 4, Pony says, "Wish I had me a weed." Pony is referring to a rolled tobacco cigarette. In today's society, smoking marijuana is often referred to as "smoking weed." Notice the absence of the article "a" before weed. Slang terms and their definitions change with time, much like the cultures they reflect.