Rethinking Indica vs Sativa: A Modern Perspective on Cannabis Strains (2024)

Cannabis has been cultivated for thousands of years. However, some properties and effects of a few strains remain debated. Have you ever asked yourself why some marijuana strains make your whole body relax while others just lift your mood? It all depends on the strain of the Cannabis plant.

The two most well-known psychoactive plant varieties of Cannabis are Cannabis Sativa and Cannabis Indica, with differing structures, flavour, resin production, and chemical makeup.

What does this mean for the medical patient who’s looking for specific therapeutic benefits from marijuana? Generally, knowing the difference between Indica and Sativa allows the right treatments to be designed and developed to cater for the desired physical and cerebral effects.

Let’s first take a look at the major Indica vs Sativa differences:

Indica vs Sativa Plant Properties

There are several “hybrid” varieties, blends of various mixtures of Indica and Sativa. These have distinct properties specially created meant to have targeted effects on particular health conditions.

Sativa-dominant strains elicit a “mind high” or mood-enhancing, energizing effect that helps one to be alert. Often, Sativa will be higher in THC content and have very low CBD.

Indica strains give a more relaxed feeling and may help reduce pain, increase appetite, and aid sleep. The other difference usually comes with the THC level, and in this strain, the CBD levels are often higher.

For instance, relaxing terpenes are most likely to occur in the Indica plant, whereas invigorating ones frequently occur in Sativa. As mentioned above, hybrid strains are also available to marijuana users. These potent strains are often bred to have specific effects.

What is a Hybrid Strain?

Hybrid weed strains are the most cultivated Cannabis plants across farms and greenhouses, largely targeting medicinal use. The hybrids can be several different strains that may vary from each other, each with a unique ratio of THC to CBD.

It’s thanks to the hybridization of Cannabis over centuries that it’s believed that true pure Indica or Sativa barely exist today. Most ‘Indica strains’ and ‘Sativa strains’ are Hybrid strains with inherited genetics from both types.

What Type of Conditions Can Indica and Sativa Be Helpful For?

Regarding Indica vs Sativa, each strain has unique effects on every person experiencing it.

Benefits of Indica

• Indica is used for great pain relief and reduces anxiety
• It improves the quality of sleep
• Some Indica strains also enhance appetite and reduce nausea

Benefits of Sativa

• Sativa is useful in the fight against stress, fatigue, and depression
• The qualities of Sativa as an energizer could help in focus and alertness

Different Indica vs Sativa Strains

Some of the Indica strains are:

• Afghan Kush
• Northern Lights
• Purple Sunset
• Skywalker OG
• Guru #10
• L.A. Confidential

Here are some of the more popular of the Sativa strains:

• White Buffalo
• Super Silver Haze
• Maui Waui
• Dutch Hawaiian
• Jack Herer
• Dream N’ Sour
• Sour Diesel

Modern Changes in our Use of Strain Description

Nowadays, it’s been suggested that years of crossbreeding likely hybridized the Sativa and Indica strains to a degree that most of the Cannabis consumed today consists of a mixture of the lineage of the two species.

However, if the old classes of Sativa, Indica, and Hybrid strains no longer hold as much weight, what does?

Many nowadays working in the industry like to categorize Cannabis more or less within these categories, defined by the level of major cannabinoids CBD and THC, also known as chemotypes:

Type I: High THC (greater than 0.3% THC and less than 0.5% CBD)

Type II: High THC/CBD—High content of both CBD and THC

Type III: High in CBD (less than 0.3% THC)

We are starting to appreciate the value of terpenes, minor cannabinoids such as CBG and CBN, flavonoids, and other compounds that are part of the therapeutic potential of cannabis strains. Early research tells us that a whole-plant approach to cannabinoid therapies, using the full body of cannabinoids beyond THC and CBD along with the terpene profile of a cannabis plant, may be the most effective way to access its healing potential.

Cannabinoid Composition

Studies estimate that the cannabis plant has the potential to synthesize at least 80-100 different cannabinoids in addition to around 300 non-cannabinoid chemicals. Essentially, the effects created by these naturally-occurring constituents, which are most responsible for the effects of Cannabis, can also be attributed to the Human Endocannabinoid Systems.

Terpenes

Terpenes are naturally occurring plant organic flavor compounds that exist in the form of oils. This is, in a layman’s language, what gives a plant its peculiar taste and aroma. The terpenes are responsible for the aromatic diversity within the different strains and cultivars. Besides terpenes, the uniqueness in the taste and smell of the cannabis plant probably has to do with its contribution to the pharmacologic effects by interacting with cannabinoids and other compounds in cannabis.

Finding the Right Strain for You

The only sure way to establish which strain works well for you and the symptoms you may have is to get a valid prescription from a licensed health practitioner. A medicinal cannabis prescription from a qualified doctor is the best way to assure the safety, quality, and efficacy of your cannabis medicines. An important reminder is that both growing Cannabis and obtaining it without a prescription are illegal in the UK.