Should You Get Cannabis Indica or Cannabis Sativa?

by Jericho B. Photo-Writer

Medical cannabis is a term that is often left undefined. Is it an easy way to legalize weed and get high, or is it something more? In reality, there is a huge difference between the marijuana used just to get high a.k.a. for recreational uses and that for medical uses.

When we’re discussing medical cannabis, we need to make things easy to understand and grasp: this product comes from careful breeding, germination, pollination, cloning and manipulation of the plants, so that the chemical compounds in the end-product are in the exact ratio the patient needs.

The important thing in Medical Cannabis is not getting high, it’s the overall status of the mind and body that results from this. On many occasions, this type of treatment is realized not by evaporation or smoking, but through oils. It all depends on where and what kind of a health problem the patient suffers from.

THC, CBD, CBN? – What Makes Cannabis Medical?

There are certain things, specific for the Cannabis plant species, that make it so much useful when fighting mental as well as physical illness.

They are called cannabinoids and are the core of what makes marijuana able to cure depression, get rid of pain and even help people going through chemo endure its side effects, feel better, and even hungry; lack of appetite is a main problem of this treatment and it’s also very harmful to the body.

The three main cannabinoids (out of at least 60 active ones), whose special characteristics and the effect they have on the human body, which are most sought-after are Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), Cannabidiol (CBD) and Cannabinol (CBN). CBD and THC are the two on which the major part of the patients depend the most. The difference in how much THC and CBD a plant has is also the main difference between Cannabis Indica and Cannabis Sativa.

A recent study showed that C. sativa had 23.7% THC in it and <0.1% CBD. C. indica, on the other hand, had 19.6% THC and more than 0.1% CD. The CBD in both cases was under 0.5%.

Cannabis Sativa and Cannabis Indica – What Works Best?

With the different percentage of THC/CBD in the strain come different effects and characteristics. The main effects of Cannabis sativa is energetic and up. It’s a cerebral type of effect, as proven by multiple specialists and their studies. This automatically makes it the right strain for people who suffer from mental conditions such as depression and anxiety.

Indica plants, on the other hand, are extremely efficient against physical problems that need muscle relaxation and pain killers. This said, people who are undergoing chemotherapy are often prescribed Cannabis indica extracts or inhalations to ease the after-effects of the treatment they’re going through.

Growing Medical Cannabis at Home or Outside

The best practices of growing medical marijuana have proven that hydroponics is probably the most suitable way of growing. Anyway, soil and coco coir are also in fashion and many growers are looking forward to the latest news on how to grow medical cannabis in these mediums alongside with the hydro one.

After choosing your strain or hybrid, keep in mind that the different ones have different germination, flowering and growth. Indica plants will mature in 6-8 weeks while sativa ones in 10-16 weeks.

The difference is quite noticeable. Nonetheless, patients still have the chance to purchase the needed strain directly from a dispensary or a licensed grower if they don’t want to wait and care for the plants.