About The Different Marijuana Strains and Their Effects

By Brooke Chaplan

Not all cannabis is created the same, and that's okay. In fact, different strains have their own unique effects that can meet your physical and mental needs. You can walk into a dispensary and find various aromas, flavors, and potency levels.

"Strain" isn't exactly a valid term today due to how marijuana has changed. However, it is still popular, so we'll stick with it here. Let's talk about the botanical science behind various strains and their effects.

WHAT IS A MARIJUANA STRAIN?

A "strain" is a classification that identifies a plant's chemotype (or chemical profile), possible medical effects, and phenotype (or physical appearance). They're sometimes called chemotypes, varieties, cultivars, or chemovars. There are at least 700800 strains out there, but there could be over 1,000 more obscure strains.

How New Strains Get Made

Growers can combine male and female plants and cross two strains to form a hybrid strain. For example, crossing White Widow with Blueberry makes Berry White. This just goes to show how creative you can get with new strains.

Marijuana Strains

There are three main strains: Indica, Sativa, and hybrids. Each has its own benefits, but its effects will depend on you and how well your body responds to a particular strain.

Sativa

Sativa is known for being high in tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentrations. As a result, they tend to be more energizing and invigorating. Sativa plants are tall and have narrow leaves, producing floral, spicy, and fruity aromas and flavors.

Indica

Indica tends to have less THC than Sativa but more cannabidiol (CBD). This elevated level of CBD gives Indica a more relaxing effect. This makes them ideal for sleep and works well before bedtime. These plants come from India and its surrounding areas.

Hybrid

If you go into a marijuana dispensary, you might find that there are a lot of hybrid options. In fact, hybrid strains are the majority of what you will see on the market. Even products labeled 'Indica' or 'Sativa' are actually hybrids. The best way to determine effects is to look at the terpene and cannabinoid content instead of relying on the label itself. Hybrids can be higher in THC or CBD and therefore have a greater variety of effects.

Which Strain To Choose

You might want to consider starting off with a strain lower in THC so that you do not get inundated with some potent effects. For example, you might want to start off at an 80:20 CBD: THC and work your way up to a 50:50 or 1:1 ratio once you've gotten used to the psychoactive effects of THC. You might also want to look into cannabinol (CBN) for its relaxing effects or tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) for its combination of anxiety relief and milder psychoactive effects. You'll want to think about the terpenes, aromas, and flavors.

You will likely need to try a few different "strains" before you find what works best for you. You might also want to mix and match for daytime and nighttime use. Remember, marijuana strains respond differently based on your unique physical needs, so something that works for someone else might not work as well for you.