When browsing a cannabis dispensary or purchasing cannabis online, you’ll notice that products are commonly broken up into three groups: Indica, Sativa, and hybrid. Most consumers and budtenders use these weed types to predict the effects, but are they accurate?
The common understanding of Indica and Sativa is that Indica products are physically sedating- perfect for relaxing with a movie or as a nightcap, and Sativa products are energizing with uplifting cerebral effects that pair well with physical activity, social gatherings, and creative projects. Hybrid strains are thought to have a mix of Indica and Sativa effects. But Indica doesn’t always mean “couch lock” and Sativas don’t necessarily energize all consumers. The origins of the two terms are rooted in botany, not effects, and describe the plant's physical structure. On top of that, every person has different body chemistry, so same strain or product can affect each person differently.
However, most of the cannabis industry, including shops where you buy weed, is still stuck in classifying strains as either Indicas, Sativas, or hybrids for one main reason: It’s easy. Give a consumer three options—up, down, or in-between—and you can easily explain how a certain strain will make them feel and sell a product.
The origin of Indica and Sativa
In 1753, Carl Linnaeus published Species Plantarum, classifying all cannabis plants under one group, “Cannabis Sativa L.,” with “Cannabis” as the genus, “Sativa” as the species, and “L.” indicating Linnaeus’ system. “Sativa” comes from the Latin “sativum,” meaning “cultivated.”
French biologist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck updated the naming in 1785 with two distinct species: “Cannabis sativa,” a taller, lankier, and more fibrous plant, and “Cannabis indica,” a shorter, stouter, and more psychoactive plant, its name meaning “from India,” where it was thought to originate.
Conclusion
Science today is pointing to a better way of determining the effects a cannabis product will have on you: cannabinoids and terpenes, the compounds that make up the product's chemical profile. Other big factors will be the amount you consume based on your tolerance and your "(mind)set and setting".