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How Cannabis Indica Is Different Than Cannabis Sativa

As the use of both medical cannabis and recreational cannabis is gaining popularity and earning legalization status, so does the interest of individuals increasing in different types of cannabis, including Indica and Sativa. As of today, medical cannabis is legalized in 36 states, and recreational cannabis is legalized in 18 states.

The cannabis plant has two distinct species known as cannabis Indica and cannabis Sativa. They share many similarities, but each serves a different purpose and has distinct benefits. For example, many cannabis dispensaries and anecdotal evidence claim that Cannabis Indica provides more calming benefits than Sativa.

Therefore, in this guide, we will present the major distinguishing factors among the two species to help you understand their benefits, origin, and strains. Understanding the difference between these two will also help you choose the correct cannabis strain for yourself. So, let’s get started.

Understanding The Differences!

Basics of Cannabis Sativa

Plant’s Origin – The cannabis Sativa is found in places with long sunny days having hot and dry climates. Common places where this exists include Southeast Asia, Central America, Africa, and Western Asia.

Plant’s Appearance – These are tall and thin plants with finger-like leaves. On average, these plants can grow up to 12 feet in length and may take longer to mature than other cannabis plants.

CBC to THC Ratio – Typically, cannabis Sativa has a higher proportion of the THC compound and a lower proportion of the CBD compound.

Popular Strains – Durban Poison, Panama Red, and Acapulco are the most popular Sativa strains.

Basics of Cannabis Indica

Plant’s Origin – The cannabis Indica plants are native to Pakistan, Afghanistan, Indica, and Turkey. These plants have adapted to the Hindu Kash mountain’s turbulent, dry and harsh climate.

Plant’s Appearance – Unlike Sativa, the Indica plants are broad and short with chunky and bushy green leaves that grow wide. These plants grow much faster than cannabis Sativa and have more buds in each bush.

CBD to THC Ratio – Cannabis indica is rich in the CBD compound, but it does not necessarily mean less THC compound.

Popular Strains – The widely used Indica strains include Afghan Kush, Hindu Kush, and Granddaddy Purple.

Basics of Hybrids

Plant’s Origin – The hybrid plants are grown in greenhouses and farmhouses by using cannabis Indica and cannabis Sativa. The dominancy level typically classifies them. That is, hybrid dominant in cannabis Indica is known as Indica-dom (or Indica dominant), while if it has a dominancy with Sativa, it is known as Sativa-dom (or Sativa dominant).

Plant’s Appearance – The appearance of hybrid plants is not fixed since it depends on the combination of parent plants used by the greenhouses and farmhouses.

CBD to THC Ratio – The hybrid plants are grown with a goal to increase the proportion of THC compounds; however, not all are rich in THC, all hybrid plants have different THC to CBD proportions.

Popular Strains – Most used hybrid strains are Blue Dream, Pineapple Express, and Trainwreck.

Benefits of Cannabis Sativa

The most common benefits of using cannabis Indica strains are mentioned below:

  • Its uses may make you more creative and focused on your work.
  • It is an antianxiety and antidepressant typically prescribed to patients with underlying anxiety and depression issues.
  • It may also increase serotonin, a neurotransmitter responsible for controlling mood, learning, sleep, appetite, and anxiety in the human brain.
  • Moreover, it may also help in the treatment of chronic pain. Chronic pain is a condition in which patients experience pain for at least three months or more; this pain can be reoccurring or consistent and may negatively impact the day-to-day lives of individuals.

Best time to use – You should use cannabis Sativa strains during the daytime since it may make you more focused and increase your learning capacity by effectively managing your mood.

Benefits of Cannabis Indica

If you want to use strains produced from Indica, you should know about its features listed below:

  • It relaxes the mind to help patients have a better sleep at night by subsiding the troubling thoughts.
  • It increases muscle relaxation.
  • Help increase dopamine, i.e., neurotransmitters responsible for controlling the pleasure and reward centers in the human brain.
  • It may help improve patients’ appetite undergoing treatment for medical conditions like cancer. Moreover, dieticians also prescribe it to help people gain weight.
  • It also helps in controlling nausea for different types of patients.
  • It can also decrease acute pain because of its mind and muscle relaxation capabilities. That is the pain caused by an injury.

Best time to use – It should be used during nighttime since it generates more relaxing effects on the human mind and brain that may make it difficult to work with full focus during the day.

How To Find The Right Strain For Yourself?

Now that you have learned about the basics of cannabis Indica and cannabis Sativa, you might be thinking about choosing the right strain for yourself. Finding the right strain is not a random guess but a journey for every medical cannabis patient. If one strain works for a patient experiencing a long-time chronic pain, it does not mean that it will also help you treat your appetite, nausea, or sleep issues.

Several different strains are available at dispensaries for both cannabis Indica and cannabis Sativa. Generalizing all and making a random purchase is not a wise decision. Instead, identifying the answers to the following queries may help you understand your needs better:

  • For what purpose do you want to use Sativa or Indica?
  • If your need is medical-related, do you have a qualifying condition, and what are your medical concerns?
  • If you want to use it for recreational purposes, what type of effects do you seek?
  • How long do you want to experience the effects?
  • What time of the day can you use it?

Once you answer these questions, you will have a clear idea about your needs, and the next step will be to start trying strains to figure out which suits you best. If you wish to buy cannabis Indica or Sativa strains, head straight to a licensed Las Vegas dispensary and make your purchase.

Final Thoughts

In this guide, we explored the major differences between cannabis indica and cannabis Sativa in terms of their benefits, origin, plant appearance, and CBD to THC ratio. We discussed the famous strains for cannabis Indica and Sativa. In addition, we gave insight into hybrid plants grown by breeding cannabis Sativa and Indica to achieve the desired level of CBD to THC proportions. We also guided you on how you can decide which strain to go for by simply answering a few questions. After reading this guide, we hope you now understand why it is not right to generalize all types of cannabis, and their different strains since each strain have a different purpose of serving.

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