When you’re in an online weed shop, or even if you’re in a physical store, it can be difficult to know what you’re buying when you look at the descriptions of each product. Unless you’ve been trying different products for a while now, you may not know how to decide between Indica strains and Sativa strains, what hybrids are, or what different strain names mean, like Wedding Cake, Girl Guide Cookies, or Grandpa’s Stash.
You probably grew up believing that a high is a high, and that there’s really no controlling how you feel when you use marijuana. But in fact, that’s not true.
Weed Me and other growers and manufacturers have learned how to use different marijuana plant strains for our benefit, learning how the different components of each flower can provoke different feelings or effects.
That’s why learning about the differences between Sativa and Indica, as well as hybrid plants is so important if you’d like to consume weed, especially if you want to harness its benefits to help reduce anxiety or feel more creative, or for any other specific purpose.
First, let’s explore some terminology, so we’re on the same page.
Weed Terminology
Cannabis – Cannabis is a FAMILY of plants. The two most famous plants in the Cannabis family are Hemp and Marijuana.
Cannabinoid – a specific type of chemical compound that has the potential to affect our human endocannabinoid system that gives you a euphoric sense of ‘high’.
THC – A cannabinoid that gives you a euphoric sense of ‘high’ and could potentially help improve a person’s health and wellness.
CBD – A cannabinoid that does not give you a ‘high’ but that is sometimes used as a supplement that could potentially help improve a person’s health and wellness.
Hemp – Hemp is a plant that produces cannabinoids (THC, CBD, CBG, CBN, etc), terpenes, and flavonoids. Hemp produces very little THC but plenty of CBD and other cannabinoids. Hemp products can’t make you high.
Marijuana – Marijuana is a plant that produces cannabinoids (THC, CBD, CBG, CBN, etc), terpenes, and flavonoids. Marijuana produces very little CBD but a substantial amount of THC. Marijuana products generally have the potential to make you high.
Sativa – Sativa is a strain of the marijuana plant with long, pointed leaves. It tends to grow tall and thin.
Indica – Indica is a strain of the marijuana plant that appears short and stocky with chunky broad leaves.
Sativa and Indica are not their own plant species; instead, they are part of the cannabis family. Specifically, they are strains from the marijuana plant.
Now that we all understand the basics, let’s look at the differences between Sativa plants and Indica plants.
Tell Me the Difference Between the Different Weed Types
While some scientists claim there’s no molecular difference between the Sativa and Indica strains, users have something different to say. Customers tend to make their strain purchase depending on their end goal; that is, they choose their weed flower based on whether they would like to relax, relieve anxiety, improve energy, or if they’re looking for some other effect.
To be clear, each individual can experience their own reaction to different flowers. But these are some of the ways cannabis strains may affect you differently, and how other users typically feel when using them.
Sativas
Sativas are known for what is referred to as a ‘mind-high.’ It’s a euphoric feeling that may provide energy, even restlessness, and can lead to deep, long conversations and uncontrollable laughter.
Artists and creatives gravitate to Sativa strains to help them get into a creative flow and claim the high produces original thoughts that can’t be replicated without the high.
Sativa Strains for First-Timers
Looking for an easy-to-smoke Sativa strain? Try our Mandarin Cookie Flower. It’s available as a loose flower (for rolling yourself) or in pre-roll form. This popular Sativa strain is a blend of Forum Cut Cookies and Mandarin Sunset. With strong citrus undertones, it’s great for an evening high that leaves you calm but energized.
Indicas
Indica strains tend to contain more CBD than Sativas, possibly lending to their sedative, calming effects. Indicas are known to relieve insomnia and encourage deep sedation, providing a full-body buzz effect.
Those who suffer from insomnia, anxiety, or worry may enjoy the way Indica strains help take the worries of the world off their shoulders… at least for a little while. Indicas help us zone out and sleep, and provide the kind of high that might keep you glued to the couch.
Indica Strains for First-Timers
Powdered Donuts is an Indica strain with plenty of popularity and serious THC content. At 23-33%, this sweet citrus flavoured flower provides a pleasant user experience with a long-lasting, comfortable high.
Hybrids
Some of the products we sell at Weed Me are hybrid flower products, meaning they are a combination of Sativa and Indica plants. We do this to balance out the effects of each; to pull the best or most desirable parts of each flower and create a new type of effect, taste, or use.
Hybrids are very safe, and many grow naturally simply due to so many years of human cultivation and experimentation. Hybrids aren’t always 50/50 Sativa and Indica. They are blends of the two in varying amounts.
Grandpa’s Stash is a popular hybrid; it has a classic marijuana smell and flavour and is Indica dominant, so it will likely help you chill out more than party, giving newbies a chance to carefully discover what an Indica-dominant hybrid product will do for them.
Things to Consider
When you’re shopping in an online cannabis store, you need to understand what the listings say and how to distinguish between the different products. Keep these considerations in mind when shopping for your next marijuana flower.
- Know what you want to achieve.
How do you want to feel? Do you want to party? Sleep better? Feel more creative? Knowing your optimal experience will help you narrow down your product choices.
- Learn your tolerance.
Some strains are considered “entry-level” because their effects are usually quite mild. If you’re new (or newer) to marijuana, this is a good place to begin, since their effects are usually mild and quite tolerable for most people. The potency of strains with higher levels of THC may be too strong for a first-time user, giving you an unpleasant experience.
- Decide how you want to use marijuana.
There are pros and cons to different methods of cannabis use. For example, you can buy dried flower or you can purchase ready-to-use pre-rolls. If you plan to roll your own joints, you can buy loose flower but you’ll also need supplies like papers and a grinder. Pre-rolls are ready to smoke; just light up and you’re good to go. You might also opt for vapes, gummies or other edibles, or even oil that can be dropped under your tongue.
Once you start to use marijuana more frequently and begin experimenting with strains and methods of use, you’ll discover what you like best and what works best for your body. Like any time you begin a new diet, supplement, or routine, start slowly and cautiously, and listen to your body.
The Bottom Line
Indicas and Sativas are both marijuana plants. The plants have physical differences and the effects they have on users may range from deeply sedative to highly energizing. When deciding what’s best for you, consider what you would like your marijuana experience to do for you and choose a flower that has a good likelihood of providing those effects.
Shop our online cannabis store for your next favourite weed product. We sell loose dried flower, pre-rolls, vapes, grind, and edibles, so you have plenty of options, whether you’re a new or experienced cannabis user. Have questions? We’d be happy to help! Send us a message using our contact form and we’ll be happy to get back to you as quickly as possible.
