What’s the difference between Sativa, Indica and Hybrids?
Choosing the right weed is not an easy task. If you ever considered the purchase of cannabis which best responds to your demands, you might be familiar with the classification of all the strains available into the three major groups – Sativa, Indica and hybrids, combining the qualities of the former and the latter.
This classification helps consumers to navigate in the diverse world of cannabis, approximately predicting the effects of the strains before they spend their money.
Sativas are firmly associated with the cerebral energizing high. It’s perfect when you need to boost your creativity, engage in socializing or want to feel a push for physical activity.
Indicas are known for their sedative and hypnotic effect, ideal when you looking for full-body relaxation and a meditative calmed and relaxed state of mind.
Hybrids usually combine the effects of Sativa and Indica. The leaning of the hybrid strain towards a particular group of the Sativas or the Indicas is attributed to the balance between these two types of weed in the hybrid's phenotype.
Sativa plants usually grow taller in stature and require longer flowering cycles, while Indica plants look bushy. Their flowering cycles are also shorter.
This classification really might be helpful to a certain extent to navigate in the world of cannabis. You wouldn’t want to feel a heavy Indica relaxing body stone at a party, as you wouldn’t want to have a race of creative thoughts caused by Sativa strain just before you go to bed.
But according to the science behind weed, this classification is a very simplified description. Sometimes buds derived from short Indica-looking bushy plant might give a Sativa-associated effect – and vice versa, Sativa flowers or Sativa-leaning hybrid strain can give a heavy stoner that you’d expect from Indica plants.
The thing is that “Sativa” and “Indica” nowadays are just the tags to define the possible effects of strains. Most of the strains now are hybrids or the hybrids of the hybrids. Actually, the differences in impacts of different strains of cannabis depend not on the “Sativa” or “Indica” tags on them but rather on a combination of various factors. Let's inspect them closer.
Cannabinoids
There are more than a hundred chemical compounds of the cannabis plant known as cannabinoids creating the symphony resulting in the unique high of each strain. The two most well-known and researched today are THC and CBD. While THC is famous for creating the sensation of “high” or euphoria, CBD is a non-euphoric component of cannabis, interacting with THC in a very interesting way. The presence of CBD makes the effects of THC milder creating a mellow and pleasant high. At the same time such medical qualities of CBD as the ability to alleviate anxiety and soothe pain become more pronounced in the presence of a little THC.
From the perspective of cannabinoids, cannabis can be divided into three groups.
THC-dominant strains. THC-rich strains with very little to no CBD can give consumers an amazingly potent experience of instant euphoria. However, people prone to anxiety can find this kind of intense experience undesired as THC-rich cannabis can drive an uncontrollable flow of thoughts resulting in paranoia, anxious state or panic attacks.
Balanced THC/CBD strains have a considerable amount of CBD resulting in a mellow experience of pleasant high without undesired mind race side effects. These strains are widely used by people prone to anxiety, beginners and medical patients.
CBD-dominant strains usually contain only a very small amount of THC needed to activate a full extent of the medical potential of CBD. It can be the perfect choice for patients who require the benefits of weed for their health but are willing to retain an unaltered state of consciousness or for people who are extremely sensitive to THC. In fact, CBD-rich strains are not only a great solution for those susceptible to anxiety but also can undo the anxiety caused by consuming a THC-rich strain, so having this kind of weed in case of a paranoid emergency might be a good idea.
Evaluating the percentage of THC and CBD in a strain of your choice rather than relying on Indica-Sativa classification is a great option.
A person prone to anxiousness attacks would find much more pleasure in an experience with Sativa strain rich in CBD and having moderate THC level, than in Indica strain containing very little CBD or no CBD at all but heavily loaded with THC like a starting gun for the race of thoughts. The same methodology can be used when choosing hybrid strains. But that’s only a part of the story.
Terpenes
Terpenes are the aromatic compounds found in the essential oils of various plants including cannabis. Terpenes produce the distinctive aromas of berries, citrus, pine, pepper, lavender and so on. When you resort to aromatherapy, you are experiencing the healing effects of terpenes. Their qualities are substantially enhanced when consumed in cannabis – it’s called the entourage effect. When you pick up the strain rich in a terpene called linalool, commonly found in lavender, you will most certainly experience a deeply relaxing, calming and meditative feeling, that lavender itself brings with its aroma.
Limonene, producing a fruity citric aroma provides stress relief and lowers the level of anxiety.
Myrcene found in hops and responsible for beer fragrance, will likely bring you the same calming effect as you would feel from the sip of beer, bringing you a pleasant wave of cheerful relaxation.
Terpinolene, with its herbaceous uplifting aroma of the apple garden, is believed to bring a refreshing effect like a bite from the juicy apple.
Caryophyllene, giving the spicy warm peppery note to many herbs and spices, including black pepper, cinnamon, and oregano, is the only known terpene that acts as a cannabinoid. It activates our body, bringing warmth resulting in anti-inflammatory properties.
It’s quite a tricky task to keep in mind all these terpenes and their properties while ordering the strain of your dream. But there’s an easy test for marijuana. If you like the aroma of the buds, then, most likely you will find their effects are exactly what you need. For example, if you find pleasure in inhaling the heavy thick smell of diesel fuel then you most likely will appreciate the powerful high of the weed with such a pungent smell.
But if you prefer the lighter aroma of a flower meadow with optimistic floral notes, than you most probably search for an uplifting cheerful experience rather than for a heavy gassy meditative stoner, deep like a repair pit.
Anyway, finding the strain of cannabis that acts best for you is the task that only you can do best. Cannabis is all about having fun, so, read the descriptions of strains, evaluate testimonies, and have some good time, experimenting. And don’t forget to order the best cannabis in Canada online at Ladyjaneexpress.com.