Click on the types of weed plants above to view different strains and learn more about your cannabis options.
How to Choose Between Types of Weed Plants
These days, new cannabis strains come on the market just about every week. Each is genetically developed to create unique effects. The basis behind these strains and their different effects lies in two types of weed plants: indicas and sativas.
In our age of hyper-specific crossbreeding, knowing the genetic profile of a plant counts for a lot. The difference between sativa and indica strains creates huge changes when developing new strains. These changes transfer into the look of the plants, as well as how they make you feel.
This is similar to how a Merlot wine has different properties than a Pinot Noir. Choosing a dominant strain type tells you the effects the cannabis will likely have. For example, using a sativa versus an indica as the dominant plant can make the resulting weed more uplifting.
Similar to learning about how wine types can help you pair flavors and foods more, learning about the difference between sativa and indica strains can help you choose the best cannabis for your needs.
In fact, many people prefer having strains from both types of weed plants on hand for different situations.
Make smart choices for the type of weed you buy online. Consider the following points of difference between sativa and indica strains and how they can affect your experience.
The Difference Between Sativa and Indica Strains
You can quickly sum up the difference between sativa and indica strains like this:
- Sativa strains have bigger THC:CBD ratios, making them more uplifting and energizing. They grow tall and wide.
- Indica strains have lower THC:CBD ratios, making them more relaxing and effective for pain relief. They grow short and dense.
You can get even more specific by describing the situations each of the types of weed plants are better for.
Because sativas have an uplifting effect and tend to be mentally stimulating, they are best for daytime use. You can also find them beneficial when you have to be productive.
Choosing sativa, or sativa-dominant hybrids, can often help people suffering from depression, fatigue or migraines.
Indica strains have a much more sedative effect. They tend to make you feel calm and relaxed. However some can cause “couch lock”, making you feel so tired and lazy that you’re stuck to your couch.
Choosing indica, or indica-dominant hybrids, can often help people suffering from insomnia, stress, or chronic pain. They have powerful body high effects, opposed to sativa which provide a mentally stimulating high.
Sativa Strain Qualities In-Depth
Based on it’s Latin root, the name “sativa” means “cultivated”. This name stems from the fact that sativa strains are more likely to be grown in larger plantation-style operations.
Sativa strains originate from hotter, more tropical climates. For thousands of years, they have grown both wild and as crops in countries near the equator.
Thailand and Cambodia are known for their natural sativa crops. Since they tend to grow well in hot climates, Mexico, Jamaica, and Colombia are all common areas where sativa strains grow outdoors.
Sativa plants thrive under consistent sunlight and moderate to high temperatures year-round. They grow quite tall compared to bushier indica strains.
In addition, sativa strains generally have longer bud shapes. Some call the buds “grinch fingers” because they look like the fuzzy fingers of Dr. Seuss’ Grinch character.
The trichomes on the outside of sativa strains tend to also be more noticeable. They are more likely to “shimmer.” This is a reason that a majority of “haze” strain names originate from sativas.
Indica Strain Qualities In-Depth
Indica strains originate from sub-tropical regions of central Asia. In fact, the name “Indica” is an old Greek root meaning “India”.
Plants bearing indica lineage first came from India, Nepal, Pakistan, Tibet, and Northern Afghanistan. The Hindu Kush mountain region is famous for its “kush” varieties of indica weed. This fact explains why many indica-dominant strain types are given “kush” names.
Indica plants grow short, bushy, and in thick clumps. Since they don’t normally have year-round sunlight, or high growing temperatures, they tend to flower faster than sativa plants.
They are most often grown indoors, because they have sensitive properties. With a hydroponic setup, you can control plant growth and yield much easier.
The bushy properties of indica strains tend to produce “chunky” buds. They often have exaggerated terpene profiles that create fruity or tropical scents and weed flavors.
A closer THC:CBD ratio in indica strains typically leads to heavier doses of euphoria and relaxation. These strains also tend to induce appetite, giving you stronger munchies.
Hybrid Types of Weed Plants
Hybrid plants tend to have a “dominant” quality when their parent plants are both indica and sativa. Some crossbreeds may be indica-dominant and have a deeper “body” high. Others may be sativa-dominant and have a “heady” high.
You can also find unique crossbreeds where some properties are almost completely bred out. Durban Poison, for instance, produces almost zero sleepiness and tends to be great for treating arthritis. The Lemon Kush strain combines enough sativa to keep you from getting sleepy, but it offers powerful euphoria that can make you happy, relaxed and uplifted.
As you might imagine, all strain types can be equally useful in certain situations! A strain like Afghani Bullrider can be good for treating pain before you go to sleep, for instance. Then, a strain like Durban Poison can help manage pain during the day without making you want to sleep.
Just like a wine connoisseur chooses the perfect vintage to go with their mood, the setting and meal, you can have multiple types of weed plants on hand to complement the situation.
Keep sampling varieties to learn more about the difference between sativa and indica stains from a personal perspective, and you will soon discover some of your favorites!
Click on the Sativa, Indica, and Hybrid options at the top of this page to learn more about the specific strains available for each.
