What is the difference between sativa and indica highs

If it's on the short side and wider, you're actually thinking specifically of indica. The broader leaves and shorter stature of an indica plant are due to their shorter flowering season. That flowering season can make them a more popular choice for growing, and a much easier choice for growing marijuana in an area with a less hot climate.

As one season turns to another, you're far more likely to have an in-bloom Cannabis indica than Cannabis sativa. The lore of indica is that it is supposed to be ideal for night-time use. Indica is sold as having similar effects to a sedative, good for relaxation or trying to sleep. That effect on the body can also be of great help for pain relief, and the relaxation element means it is often recommended for anxiety, important parts of the medical marijuana push.

It is also said to be an appetite stimulant for some. Thus, indica strains are known for giving users more of a body high than a head high. What is it about certain strains of cannabis that can cause these reactions?

The terpene myrcene, in addition to bringing an earthy aroma, may have sedating effects, according to a study. Another terpene that is common in strains that are advertised as an indica is linalool, which in addition to sedating is said to help relieve anxiety.

These may be found more often in marijuana advertised as indica, but as more crossbreeding leads to hybrids, they can potentially be found in some sativa strains as well. Think back to the pot leaf you imagined. Was it taller and more spindly than an indica? If so, you're imagining a sativa leaf. Sativa plants are far more indigenous to warmer climates with longer summers, and take a longer time to fully flower than an indica.

The plant grows far taller than an indica plant, and the leaves much thinner than indica leaves. That height can make it difficult for sativa to be grown indoors. Whereas indica's reputation is one of a sedative that gives you a body high, sativa is said to cause more cerebral effects, perfect for the day time. These effects are far more invigorating, helping one to feel more alert and uplifting to tackle a physical activity or creative endeavor.

Medically, these sativa effects are said to help not only with pain but anxiety, depression, and attention disorders. One explanation for a "sativa" strain causing these effects and potential medical benefits are cannabinoids like THC and CBD - specifically, that sativa strains are said to have higher concentrations of THC.

Another are the terpenes. Cannabis terpenes that could possibly produce these effects include limonene, which has shown potential for anti-depression benefits, and pinene, which has anti-inflammatory properties. With so many hybrid strains available to patients, many are a compromise that possess the ability to kill pain and fight inflammation while not putting a patient to sleep in the middle of the day.

Patients who must medicate in the morning or mid-day, typically for nausea and pain, often prefer a sativa-dominant hybrid, but will switch to an indica-dom strain in the evenings and for maximum pain relief. Landrace strains are those that evolved naturally within their native environments.

In fact, landrace strains are typically percent indica or sativa, the result of tens of thousands of years of inbreeding in a particular weather climate and geography. Heirlooms are landrace strains that have been grown outside of their native environment, such as plants or seeds professionally grown in Illinois that originated on the other side of the world. While sought for their pure indica or sativa characteristics, such strains lose some of their unique characteristics when grown outside the climate in which they evolved.

Landrace sativas appear in Asia, Anatolia, and Northern Africa. These climates provide the long summers and intense sun in which such strains have evolved and adapted to thrive. Indicas are located in Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan. Eastern Europe, the Himalayan region of India, and Siberia are home to ruderalis landrace strains and are among the least desired of these naturally evolved plants.

Often, as in the Himalayas, such plants are used to create traditional hand-rolled hash, with impoverished villagers in such regions subsisting on black market sales of the concentrate that eventually appears in smoking cafes throughout Europe. Readers have already learned that the sometimes pungent aromas produced by many strains of cannabis are the result of terpenes, the special molecules in the herb that are similar in many respects to cannabinoids like THC and CBD.

While many might guess that a particular strain of cannabis is categorized as indica, sativa, or hybrid based on the presence or absence of a particular cannabinoid, or a cannabinoid in a particular volume, it is actually a terpene that determines this important status of a strain.

Myrcene, the most common terpene in cannabis, is known to help patients sleep, battling conditions like anxiety and insomnia. If present in a specific strain in a volume greater than 0. If the amount of myrcene is under one half of one percent, then the strain is deemed a sativa.

This dynamic is a good example of the entourage effect, a theory that cannabinoids and terpenes work together in harmony to deliver medicinal efficacy to patients. Many terpenes buffer or enhance the effects of major cannabinoids like THC.

Traditionally, determining the answers to the following questions has helped a person find the correct strain of marijuana for them:. However, much more research into the categorization of different strains and their effects is now necessary. In an interview in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research , Dr. Ethan Russo — a psychopharmacology researcher and neurologist — suggests a strong case against what people generally believe about the indica vs. Anecdotal evidence suggests that sativa is more energizing and indica is more relaxing, but the scientific reality is far more complicated.

In fact, many different chemical compounds are involved in creating the medical and recreational effects of cannabis. Although there may be some truth to the differences between the two plants, it is important for a person to look at the biochemical content of the individual strains in order to choose the strain most suited to their needs. Even within the specific strains, research has proven that there is a huge possible variation in THC content, which suggests that the same is true for other cannabinoids.

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Learn about what being high on…. What's the difference between indica and sativa? Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph. Physical differences in strains THC and CBD Indica Sativa Hybrids Ruderalis Strains and effects Choosing a strain Summary As marijuana use for both medical and recreational purposes becomes legal in more and more states, there is a growing interest in the different effects that various types, including indica and sativa, can produce.

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