When you begin to exhibit even a passing interest in cannabis, terms like “Indica,” “Sativa,” and “hybrid” will almost certainly come up. It’s difficult to find a cannabis product with high THC content that doesn’t employ these phrases, so understanding them is essential.
However, you should know the limitations of these CBD terms and why they should be taken with a grain of salt at times.
What’s The Difference Between Cannabis Strains That Are Indica, Sativa, or Hybrid?
The words Indica and Sativa have been used since the 18th century. Traditionally, they were used to distinguish between distinct plant species, most notably Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica.
Cannabis sativa refers to what is now known as hemp seeds, which is mostly forgotten in today’s cannabis market. Cannabis indica, on the other hand, was an intoxicating Indian strain.
Indica and Sativa are now more generally used to refer to two cannabis plant kinds distinguished by the form of their leaves, among other characteristics—Indica leaves are typically shorter and stumper than their Sativa counterparts.
Because these two plant varieties (using the “current” categorization) have been known anecdotally to provide various sorts of highs, producers and consumers use Indica and Sativa to help characterize the high you should expect from a strain today.
Many users will get a full-body high from Indica strains, recognized for their soothing effects.
Many users describe a more elevating experience with Sativa strains, referred to as a head high. After experimenting with Sativas, it’s usual to see a rise in inventiveness and even more energy.
A hybrid strain is, well, I’m sure you’ve figured out how to define it by now. Crossbreeding cannabis plants has been used for generations to create new strains. Hybrid strains have been produced from Sativa and an Indica plant, and they have a wide range of effects depending on the dominant parent strain.
Indica vs. Sativa
The difficulty with using these three labels is that they’re not accurate. User experience varies so widely that it’s difficult to anticipate the effects of an Indica or Sativa strain on a certain user with any certainty.
There aren’t any (or at least many) pure Indica or Sativa strains out there due to those above crossbreeding between Indicas and Sativas. Almost every strain you’ll be able to get your hands on is a hybrid.
There are also additional elements that determine how a strain affects the user. Each strain will have its distinct combination of cannabinoids and terpenes, which will have various effects on the body—and different effects on different bodies!
This isn’t to say that Indica and Sativa aren’t interchangeable; when you see these terms on cannabis packaging, it refers to the plant’s main strain.
Conclusion
The terms Indica and Sativa continue to play an important role in cannabis seeds marketing and consumption. The majority of users generally enjoy their distinct reported effects—just it’s not as clear-cut as it appears. Suppose you want to know exactly how a particular strain will affect you. In that case, there’s only one way to find out: go to your local licensed dispensary and get some product recommendations to take home and experiment with. Begin slowly and thoroughly.
Coffee Shop Seeds provides great value with the UK’s best quality cannabis seeds, marijuana seeds, and CBD. Contact us to learn about the many strains that are available to you!