How is Sativa cannabis different than Indica?
By Jeff Eckenrode
One of the most common questions you might hear when hopping in a cannabis dispensary is: “Sativa or Indica?”
In fact, some dispensaries go as far as organizing their entire stores based on these two types of cannabis. But why is that?
Where did Sativa and Indica come from? And how are they different?
Want to find out? Then you have come to the right place!
Where did cannabis come from?
According to cannabis researchers, the cannabis plant first emerged around 10,000 years ago in the Caucasus Mountains, most likely in current-day Kazakhstan.
Harsh environmental factors like wind and snow, as well as an unforgiving landscape typified by rugged and mountainous terrain, forced early cannabis plants to become hearty and, to a certain extent, inventive, in order to survive.
To grow quickly and reproduce before the short summer season ended, scientists believe that early cannabis plants evolved to tempt animals and birds to gobble up their seeds and then excrete them while migrating.
Humans did their part too, carrying seeds out of Russia through trade along the Silk Road.
How was Cannabis used in the past?
Cannabis was once an essential treatment for the ancient Chinese and the Indian Ayurvedics, as well as the Victorians who adopted it into the Western Pharmacopeia in the mid-1850s. It was even used in Europe and North America as a household tonic until its prohibition in 1937 in the United States.
What types of cannabis are there?
Cannabis, commonly known as marijuana, is a type of flowering plants that belongs to the family Cannabaceae. To date, there are three species of cannabis, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis Ruderalis.
Cannabis Ruderalis is rarely used for recreational purposes. Native to Central and Eastern Europe and Russia, Ruderalis contains a relatively low quantity of THC compared to Indica or Sativa cannabis. That is a major reason why it’s rarely found in dispensaries in the United States.
Where did Indica cannabis come from?
The seeds that moved east into the colder regions of the Himalayas developed into the so-called Indica or Kush strains.
When consumed, the psychoactivity these plants produced tended to be more physical than cerebral, bringing on a sleepy condition (commonly referred to today as “couchlock”).
Where did Sativa cannabis come from?
Seeds that went west to the Middle East and Africa are today commonly called the Sativa varieties.
They mature and flower much more slowly than Indica plants, sometimes up to 6 months! This is due largely because they grow comfortably in warm, humid climates between 0-30 degrees latitude.
When consumed, Sativa cannabis flowers could stimulate talkativeness, nervousness, and rapid-fire bursts of energy or creativity.
How are Sativa cannabis plants different from Indica?
Sativa cannabis plants are sinuous and can reach heights of as much as 20 feet tall!
They have narrow, finger-shaped leaves and airy, less-dense buds that take longer to mature.
Physically speaking, Indica cannabis plants are much shorter and bushier than Sativa plants. They have rounded leaves and produce dense buds that can appear green, purple or any shade in between.
Does Sativa cannabis feel different than Indica?
The highs between Sativa and Indica plants can be very different! But it’s not due to the shape of each plant or the type of THC they produce.
In fact, Sativa and Indica plants produce THC molecules that are identical to one another.
Some research indicates that the aromatic and flavor molecules, or “terpenes”, contribute largely to the different effects of Sativa and Indica cannabis.
Terpenes like limonene (found commonly in lemons), caryophyllene (found commonly in black pepper) and pinene (found commonly in pine trees), which are found in high amounts in Sativa cannabis, may contribute to the energizing effects of many Sativa cannabis strains.
Terpenes like myrcene (found commonly in mangoes) and linalool (found commonly in lavender), which are found in high amounts in Indica cannabis, may be responsible for the relaxing, sedative effects that are commonly associated with Indica cannabis strains.
Where can I find a pure Sativa or a pure Indica?
Today, the terms “sativa” and “indica” are, by and large, meaningless. Why is that?
Because cannabis plants in North America have been hybridized (ie- crossed with one another) for over 60 years!
To date, a “true”, un-hybridized sativa or indica is not known to exist.
So although the terms sativa and indica are unreliable at predicting effects, they are now used commonly in reference to different types of cannabis (known as “strains” or “cultivars”).
Want to learn more about Cannabis?
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