When I initially began shopping the nearby cannabis dispensary, I wasn’ all that familiar with the different products available.
Beyond smoking a joint or eating a cannabis brownie, I had no idea there were so many options.
I noticed that the majority of products were divided into three categories. They were labeled as indicas, sativas or hybrids. I had no idea what those terms meant. I did some research and learned that indicas are associated with sedative, relaxing and calming properties. They tend to provide a full-body high and often provide higher percentages of CBD. Indica strains are recommended for nighttime use. Sativas are expected to create a more energetic, cerebral high. They are often used to promote creativity, productivity and focus. Sativa strains typically offer higher THC percentages and are recommended for daytime use. Hybrids are caret by cross-breeding sativas and indicas to target specific effects. They are sometimes bred to achieve especially high THC levels or for their curative properties. Hybrids can be sativa-dominant, indica-dominant or an equal ratio of the two. However, the terms originally referred to the origin of the plant. Sativas grow tall and slim while indica plants are shorter and stocky. Over the years, there has been so much cross-breeding to produce new strains that everything is now a form of a hybrid. I have now realized that I should pay closer attention to the chemical profile of the strain. The percentages of THC, CBD and other cannabinoids, as well as the terpenes, play the most significant role in the effects and enjoyment.