Cannabis is a wonderful plant that comes in many forms, but a lot of people don’t know the difference between different strains and their effects.

Today we’d like to talk to you about the different types of cannabis including Indica, Sativa and Hybrid and what to expect from each type.

Indica

Cannabis Indica is characterised by broader leaves than it’s Sativa counterpart, and the plants typically grow wider and bulkier, with some Indica strains also taking less time to grow.

The effects can be heavier than Sativa, focusing more on the ‘body high’, and it is good for stress/anxiety relief, chilling out and getting rid of insomnia.

Another great characteristic of indica strains is pain relief, leading to great medicinal value for patients.

Sativa

Cannabis Sativa plants are taller and more narrow than Cannabis Indica, with thinner leaves and take slightly longer in their growth/flowering cycles.

The effects of Cannabis Sativa are more head dominant, and it is known to lift the mood and sometimes give a more energic and inspirational high.

Sativa strains can be used to help depression due to the uplifting nature of the high.

Hybrid

Hybrid Cannabis strains come in all shapes and sizes, and this is because they are made up of all of the above – typically containing 60% to 40% ratio of Sativa and Indica, they will either be Sativa dominant or Indica dominant cannabis strains.

The effects vary wildly, but will depend on the effects of the parent plants – a lot of famous strains are hybrids containing the best of both sativa and indica.

In countries where medicinal cannabis programmes can legally operate growers and doctors are finding new strains all the time with specific effects leading to better medicinal strains for patients. One big focus recently has been on increasing the levels of another cannabinoid – CBD (Cannabidiol) – that is known for its anti-psychoactive and multiple medicinal properties.

Cannabis Ruderalis

There is another type of cannabis- Cannabis Ruderalis which is not often smoked due to its low THC content but has been mixed with Sativa/Indica/Hybrid strains to create ‘autoflowering’ cannabis strains. As the name suggests, these plants switch to the flowering mode automatically when the time is right making them good options for novice growers or people who have less time to tend to their cannabis plants.

Check out this video for more information on identifying Sativa, Indica, Hybrid and Ruderalis Cannabis strains: