Three terms those who use cannabis are likely familiar with are indica, sativa, and hybrid. For those who are just now learning about marijuana, however, these terms can be confusing. Each is used to describe a particular type of stain of cannabis. Here are the basics on what the terms mean.
Sativa is the first type of cannabis to be classified. It was identified in the 1700s and is one of the two major types of cannabis. These plants are fairly tall and thin with long branches. They grow to be between ten and twenty feet tall, and one plant can yield as much as a pound of cannabis. The leaves of the sativa plant are what most people think of when they hear the term marijuana. Using sativa makes one energetic and improves the user’s mood.
Indica was identified about thirty years after sativa. It was different enough that it was classified as a second type of cannabis instead of a subcategory of sativa. Indica plants look more like small trees or bushes and don’t grow more than three or four feet tall. They also provide much less marijuana per yield, with most plants providing less than three ounces. Smoking indica makes one feel relaxed and helps them sleep.
Hybrids are created by breeding a sativa plant with an indica plant. These crossbreed strains can combine the abilities of the two. They can result in tall sativa-like plants with fuller, fatter leaves from an indica plant. The effects of smoking a hybrid cannabis can vary depending on what two strains were used to create the hybrid. Users will want to ask one of the Medicine Man staff about these effects before buying a hybrid they are not familiar with.