What Is a Strain?

A strain is basically a specific variety of cannabis with its own unique mix of effects, flavors, and vibes. Think of strains like dog breeds – every one has its own personality, but they’re all the same species underneath.

Each strain is made up of a specific combo of:

• Cannabinoids (like THC and CBD)

• Terpenes (the aromatic compounds that give it flavor and feel)

So, where does Sativa & Indica come into the story?

Sativa vs Indica: Smoke & Mirrors

You’ve probably heard:

• Indica = in-da-couch (relaxing, sedating)

• Sativa = energizing, uplifting

That’s the classic rule-of-thumb, that’s not the truth. The truth is both of those terms are outdated and mostly bullshit.

The terms ‘indica’ and ‘sativa’ were coined around the 16th and 17th century – around the time the founding fathers were still using hemp for nearly everything. The terms originally referred to the plant’s shape and growing conditions, not their effects. Sativa plants were identified based on their tall, looser canopy. Whereas plants were labeled indica if they had a denser, stouter shape to them.

However, these shapes are mostly determined by the location and light offered to a plant. Landrace strains from colder climates tended to grow shorter – ones from hotter climates often grew taller and wider to mitigate the heat.

It was only over time – and selective breeding – that the divide we know today came about. Throughout the decades, people came to believe that indicas that made them sleepy were ‘good indicas’, and sativas that stimulated them were ‘good sativas’. 

But the truth is: a plant can grow either way. It doesn’t really matter.

I learned that first hand the first time I tried my hand at growing. By positioning the grow light a bit farther away and bumping up the heat a few degrees, I was somehow (accidentally) able to turn my ‘indica’ Chem-Dawg seed into a tall, wide-canopied sativa.

To put it simply, the terms ‘indica’ and ‘sativa’ are a classic case of humans judging a book by its cover. 

By using these visual terms and linking them to internal effects, we’ve essentially split the cannabis community in two - by relying on science that came from dudes in powdered wigs. Truth is the terms have become nothing more than an industry gimmick - shorthand used to simplify (or more likely, confuse) things for consumers.

Though typically, when people in the industry refer to sativa and indica, we’re not trying to trick you. Now, indica and sativa are terms refer to which way the strain’s particular effect profile leans, either more energizing or more sedating.

But wait, if the strain type doesn’t actually matter — what does? It all boils down to cannabinoids and terpenes.