Indica vs Sativa: Understanding the Effects and Differences
Indica vs. Sativa
At most dispensaries you’ll find cannabis described in three different varieties: indica, sativa, and hybrid. Many times new patients will visit the dispensary and ask about indica vs. sativa strains and what are their differences. Understanding the differences associated with varieties of strains can help patients find products for the symptoms they’re looking to treat or the effect they’re looking to achieve.
Indica strains are considered most likely to produce a mellow cannabis experience. They’re associated with feelings of deep physical and mental relaxation, and some people refer to these effects as a “body high.”
People often choose an indica strain for nighttime consumption, especially when they want to enjoy a few snacks, unwind in front of the TV, and prepare for bed.
In medical applications, indicas are common for people who experience chronic pain, stress, or anxiety.
Cannabis Sativa plants are opposite of the Indica strains and grow tall and thin with narrow leaves. Sativa plants are also generally a lighter shade of green than their counterpart, the Indica strain. Sativa strains take longer to grow, mature, and require more light. Medicine produced from cannabis Sativa plants have lower CBD and higher THC counts.
Indica vs. Sativa Cannabis Effects
Indica cannabis is often the preferred type for night time consumption because it’s associated with all of the following effects:
Sativa plants, on the other hand, grow tall and thin. They may be harder to grow, but the effort is worth it for high THC potency, they yield the following reported effects:
At most dispensaries you’ll find cannabis described in three different varieties: indica, sativa, and hybrid. Many times new patients will visit the dispensary and ask about indica vs. sativa strains and what are their differences. Understanding the differences associated with varieties of strains can help patients find products for the symptoms they’re looking to treat or the effect they’re looking to achieve.
Indica strains are considered most likely to produce a mellow cannabis experience. They’re associated with feelings of deep physical and mental relaxation, and some people refer to these effects as a “body high.”
People often choose an indica strain for nighttime consumption, especially when they want to enjoy a few snacks, unwind in front of the TV, and prepare for bed.
In medical applications, indicas are common for people who experience chronic pain, stress, or anxiety.
Cannabis Sativa plants are opposite of the Indica strains and grow tall and thin with narrow leaves. Sativa plants are also generally a lighter shade of green than their counterpart, the Indica strain. Sativa strains take longer to grow, mature, and require more light. Medicine produced from cannabis Sativa plants have lower CBD and higher THC counts.
Indica vs. Sativa Cannabis Effects
Indica cannabis is often the preferred type for night time consumption because it’s associated with all of the following effects:
- Deep states of both mental and physical relaxation
- Decreased nausea and increased appetite
- Increased dopamine that makes the body feel better
Sativa plants, on the other hand, grow tall and thin. They may be harder to grow, but the effort is worth it for high THC potency, they yield the following reported effects:
- Enhanced mental states
- Bursts of energy, often linked to creativity and focus
- Increased serotonin levels to improve mood
What Creates Sativa or Indica Effects?
You already know that when you’re shopping for bud, you should follow your nose. That’s true thanks to terpenes, the chemical molecules in the plant that resemble cannabinoids such as THC and CBD in many ways. And while THC and CBD percentage are important, it’s actually the presence and amount of specific terpenes that allow a strain to produce indica or sativa effects.
On the other hand, limonene, in a strain may boost your energy levels and mood, along with lending it a familiar citrus-y smell.
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.
Growing Indica Cannabis Strains
If you are considering an indica plant, please note that they tend to grow short and bushy. A combination of high yields and short flowering time (as little as eight weeks), means that indica strains are normally popular amongst growers. With a much shorter flowering stage to worry about, indicas mature and finish growing faster than their sativa counterparts.
The main reason why they flower so quickly is that they are desperate to reproduce quickly before the winter arrives. As a result, you can grow Indicas outdoors in climates where fall turns into winter rapidly. If you grow indoors by marijuana grow tent and cannabis grow light, the short cycle can result in more harvests per annum if you’re prepared to put in the work.
The flowering stage of cannabis is when your plants start to produce the flowers that will eventually become the buds you harvest. The flowering stage of a cannabis plant occurs after light exposure is reduced. Where cannabis plants will stay in veg forever if they’re kept under grow light for weed for 18 hours a day, switching the light cycle to 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness will initiate the flowering stage.
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