With the seed season knocking on our door, we’ve tried to make the choice in the enormous diversity in cannabis seeds somewhat easier, by explaining the biggest differences between the plants. Out of the cannabis genus come the two most important species, the Cannabis indica and the Cannabis sativa. They have their own characteristics, differences in origin, composition, way of flowering, appearance and effect. Almost all of the seeds for sale are hybrids, combining specific indica and sativa traits until the ideal combination is reached. To help you choose between a dominant indicia or dominant sativa seed we have made the following fact sheet.
Indica
- This plant stems from the subtropical territories: Central Asia, the North of India, Morocco, Turkey and Nepal. The plant has a long history in the mountainous Hindu Kush region, stretching from Afghanistan to Pakistan. If you come across ‘Kush’ in the name of a weed or seed, you will very likely have an indica dominant plant on your hands.
- The plant has a traced out growth and blossoming period. After growing vertically, the plant starts gaining volume, becoming wider and shrub-like. She has broad, stout leaves that are quite close-knit.
- This makes the harvest of an indica more difficult than a sativa.
- The compact leaf makes for dense, bulb like buds.
- This plant is easy to grow indoors and doesn’t mind being close to other indica’s.
- She produces flowers between 45 and 60 days, which is is quicker than the sativa.
- The harvest in weight is higher than with a sativa plant.
- The plant and its final form, the weed, have a strong smell.
- The weed’s taste is fruity, but has less flavour than sativa weed.
- Indica weed has a high level of CBD which makes her the go-to strain for medical purposes.
- She works explicitly on the body. Its numbing effect leads to mental relaxation, diminishing anxiety and stress. At the same time, the senses are strengthened. The possible feeling of a certain slowness makes for the typical ‘stoned’ effect which, with higher dosages, makes it easier to fall asleep. The indica is best-used in relaxed settings: put on some music, then sleep like a baby.
Indica strains
AK-OG Kush by Amsterdam Genetics is an 80% indica, 20% sativa. Peyote Cookies by Barney’s Farm is a 95% indica. CBD Auto White Widow by Dutch Passion is another typical indica.
Sativa
- Originally this plant comes from the tropics.
- The sun rises and sets fast around the equator and the amount of sun-hours is pretty constant, about 12 a day. To catch as much sun as possible the sativa grows and blossoms at the same time.
- In the heavily forested jungle plants have to fight for their light. That explains why sativa grows as tall as a tree, reaching an average of 2 to 3 metres, but able to reach up to 5 under the ideal circumstances. This makes her fit to grow outdoors. Another jungle trump card are her long, thin leaves, able to catch a lot of sun rays.
- Thanks to her widespread leaves the sativa is easier to harvest than the indica.
- The buds are also elongated, grand but airy.
- Her growth spurt takes 60 to 90 days.
- The harvest per weight is lower compared to the indica.
- During the cultivation and drying process the plant doesn’t smell as strongly as the indica.
- Sativa weed has a sweet taste and has more flavour than the indica.
- She has a high THC-rate.
- She works mainly on the mind and can be slightly psychedelic. She tends to get you energized and stimulates creativity. The feeling of happy bliss makes it easy to use at social occasions. One might call the effect ‘a social high’.
Sativa strains
Golden Haze by Devil’s Harvest and Sativa's Sour Diesel by Nirvana are prime examples of sativa dominant seeds. White Choco Haze by Amsterdam Genetics is a 80% dominant seed.
Happy Growing!
Author: Maud
