Indica vs. Sativa

I talk to people all the time, almost everyday - who say that they have tried smoking cannabis, but felt that it wasn't for them. Ever time my immediate answer is, "What strain did you smoke?"

This seems to be one of the biggest if not the biggest mistakes people make when using medical marijuana. There are endless numbers of strains, each are able to do different things for you. I find that people with anxiety and depression - who are using cannabis or are trying to use it to benefit themselves - are very sensitive to heave Sativa strains. More times than not the patient is going to have an increased heart-rate, possibly even paranoia. As we all know, these are not pleasant effects.

The main problem with this situation is not everyone knows the difference between Indica and Sativa strains. They are both marijuana, but do VERY different things to you. Here I am going to outline - from my experience how these two types of cannabis effect me, and will most likely effect you. Also, some physical characteristics of each type of marijuana as they grow from seeds to harvest.

Indica strains when in the grow room are typically smaller in stature, and have large, fat fan leaves. Inter-nodal spacing, or the amount of space in between each branch (node,) and the next is usually very tight - giving you a robust and heavy harvest. When smoking a heavy indica strain you are most likely going to notice your eyes first become a little heavier, and sit a bit lower. As the first few minutes pass you will begin to notice the "Couch Lock" effect shared by every cannabis connoisseur. Typical words used to describe the indica high are: relaxing, mellow, sedating, etc. If you're looking to relax after a long day of work, or just relieve everyday stress - Indica is what you want to ask for.

Sativa strains are known for their long, lanky fan leaves and sometimes insane height. There are strains known around the world to reach as high as 20ft naturally! Obviously, anyone growing indoors is going to be hard pressed to accomplish this. Sativa plants are also more likely to "stretch" or have a larger inter-nodal spacing than its Indica relatives. When smoking a sativa dominant strain of cannabis, typical effects include: euphoria, uplifting, energetic, creative, etc. These are the types of strains most people enjoy early in the morning to jump start your mind for the day, and to maintain throughout the day. Most sativa strains have a fairly long lasting high - due to high levels of THC and lower levels of CBD and CBN on average.

Many growers these days are breeding hybrid strains. Plants featuring the best qualities from two or more separate strains. This way, you can mellow the sedative effects of a super heavy indica strain, by breeding it with a mild sativa strain. This way the final product reflects that of both gene pools. These are known in the cannabis community as "Hybrid" strains.

Hopefully after reading this you can understand a little bit better how different cannabis strains actually are. An uneducated smoker can easily have an undesirable experience when smoking strains that are not tailored for them. I highly recommend you talk to your caregiver or budtender about why you smoke cannabis - so they can help you find the perfect strains for your needs. Also, a great resource for learning more about the differences between indica and sativa, and tons of general info on 1000's of medical cannabis strains, check out http://www.leafly.com.