Medical Marijuana Strains

Indicas originally come from the hash producing countries of the world like Afghanistan, Morocco, and Tibet. They are short dense plants, with broad leaves and often grow a darker green. After flowering starts they will be mature in 6 to 8 weeks. The buds will be thick and dense, with flavors and aromas ranging from pungent skunk to sweet and fruity.

The smoke from An Indic a is generally a body type effect, relaxing and laid back.

Combining different indicas, different sativas or a combination thereof creates hybrids. The resulting hybrid strains will grow, mature and smoke in relationship to the indica/sativa percentages they end up containing.

Cannabis Indica

The smoke from An Indica is generally a body type effect, relaxing and laid back

Indica is the wheelchair weed king. Usually a heavy smoke and extremely high in THC content with a lower level of CBD compared to Sativa Strains (more about this below). Indica has shorter, fatter leafs. Indica plants produce more bud weight than Sativa, flowers quicker and doesn't grow as tall. Almost all drug dealers grow Indica because it's more profitable and because it doesn't grow as tall as Sativa, it's easier to hide in corn fields.

Cannabis is the only plant that produces chemicals called cannabinoids. Cannabinoids are ingredients unique to cannabis; the psychoactive cannabinoids are responsible for the mind-bending effects of marijuana. Some cannabinoids get you high. Around 40 cannabinoids exist, but most are not psychoactive.

D9 THC, the main ingredient that gets you high, is called:
D9-trans-tetrahydrocannabinol. All cannabis, whether industrial hemp or drug marijuana, contains some D9 THC. Industrial hemp cannabis contains infinitesimal amounts while dried flower tops (buds) of potent marijuana can contain up to 25 percent D9 THC. In potent varieties of marijuana, perhaps all of the mind-bending effects are derived from D9 THC.

D8 THC is found in very low concentrations in cannabis. It also gets you high, but there is so little D8 THC in most cannabis that researchers, breeders and growers concentrate on the more abundant and potent D9 THC. To simplify matters we will refer to both D9 THC and D8 THC as THC.

Do you prefer Sativa or Indica, or a hybrid? Because there is large selection of strains, this can sometimes get overwhelming when trying to decide which one to choose. Choosing is not as difficult as you may think. There are really only two sides of the marijuana family we are talking about here. Indicas and Sativas. Sativas are just about the opposite of indicas. They are tall, thin plants, with much narrower leaves and grow a lighter green in color. They grow very quickly and can reach heights of 20 feet in a single season. They originally come from Colombia, Mexico, Thailand and Southeast Asia. Once flowering has begun, they can take anywhere from 10 to 16 weeks to fully mature. Flavors range from earthy to sweet and fruity.

The effects of a Sativa is cerebral, up and energetic

Cannabis Sativa - The effects of a Sativa is cerebral, up and energetic

Cannabidiol, known as CBD, also appears in all varieties of cannabis. The amount of CBD can widely vary, trace amounts to more than 95 percent of all cannabinoids present in a plant. CBD generally has a sedative effect regarding the high you experience. CBD, when combined with THC, tends to postpone the beginning of the high, but, the good part is that CBD can make it last twice as long. Whether CBD increases or decreases the force of the high is subjective and must be discerned by each smoker.

Cannabinol, or CBN, is produced as THC oxidizes or degrades. Only a trace of CBN exists in fresh bud. Stored and cured tops or hashish have higher levels of CBN, that has converted from THC. Marijuana with high levels of CBN generally make the toker feel disoriented and often sleepy or groggy, often referred to as a stupefying high. At best CBN contains only 10 percent of the psychoactive potency of the original THC.

Tetrahydrocnnabivarin, called THCV, is the shorter three-carbon propyl that replaces the five-carbon pentyl chain. This compound is associated with the fragrance of the plant. In other words, very pungent smelling marijuana normally contains THCV. Warmer temperatures bring out more smell. THCV is found in very potent marijuana that originated in Southeast and Central Asia as well as regions in Africa. Concentrations of THCV usually make the high come on quicker and disappear sooner. There is still much research to do on this cannabinoid. Cannabichromene, or CBC, may make up to 20 percent of the cannabinoid profile in a plant. Little study has been done on this cannabinoid. So far, researchers believe that it may interact with THC to make the high more intense.

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Here is a quote from Hilary Black of the British Columbia Compassion Society:

"Indica and Sativa are the two main varieties of the cannabis plant used as medicine. There are many strains that are crosses of those two varieties. Within each of those varieties and crosses there are a huge number of individual strains, each with a different cannabinoid profile and effect. According to anecdotal evidence, the Indica strains are a relaxant, effective for anxiety, pain, nausea, appetite stimulation, sleep, muscle spasms and tremors, among other symptoms. The Sativa strains are more of a stimulant, effective in appetite stimulation, relieving depression, migraines, pain and nausea. We are now aware of specific strains that are effective for specific conditions and symptoms."