Differences, effects and special features of cannabis strains
- Cannabis strains and weed types - what's the difference?
- What cannabis strains are there and what is the difference between sativa and indica?
- Medicinal cannabis strains
- How to recognize weed types and cannabis strains
Cannabis is one of the oldest cultivated useful plants in the history of mankind, which was already cultivated by ancient cultures many thousands of years ago. In addition to its use as a raw material, the focus was also on the psychoactive effect and therapeutic properties of the plants. The latter has led to the fact that various cannabis varieties are also increasingly used in modern medicine and weed has recently been legalized, or decriminalized by many countries.
Accordingly, there are now countless different cannabis strains on offer and new strains are coming onto the market every day. To help you find your way around, this article will give you a basic overview of the characteristics, effects and features of the most popular cannabis strains and weed types.
Cannabis strains and weed types - what's the difference?
To get started, let's take a closer look at the difference between cannabis strains and cannabis species. In fact, it is a common misconception that species and variety can be used as synonyms for each other. While these terms are similar, they have a fundamental difference:
Cannabis species have evolved naturally over time. Basically, cannabis is divided into Indica, Sativa, and Ruderalis species (more on that in a moment).
From these three cannabis species, man has then bred various new cannabis varieties with different characteristics through selective crossbreeding. A cannabis variety is therefore a specific breeding variant of one or more weed species.
What cannabis strains are there and what is the difference between sativa and indica?
Nowadays there are thousands of different cannabis strains, which differ mainly in their appearance, taste and effect. Very basically, all strains (apart from hybrids) can be classified into one of the following weed types:
- Cannabis Sativa
- Cannabis Indica
- Cannabis Regular
Each of these weed species has its own characteristics in terms of appearance and effect, by which they can be easily distinguished from each other.
|
Sativa |
Indica |
Regular |
Appearance |
light green, elongated leaves & slender, tall habit |
dark green, broad leaves & bushy, broad habit |
light green, small leaves & compact growth |
Maximum height |
3 to 4 meters |
1 to 2 meters |
up to 1 meter |
Flowering time |
9 to 12 weeks |
6 to 9 weeks |
about 7 weeks |
Preferred climate |
warm |
Mediterranean |
cold |
Effect |
mental high, dynamic, enhances concentration, can increase creativity |
physical stoned, analgesic, relaxing, stimulates appetite, may make tired |
weak effect, mainly used for breeding autoflowering varieties |
average THC content |
medium (~8-20%) |
high (~14-26%) |
low (< 3%) |
Cannabis Sativa - The Best Known Weed Species
Of all hemp species, Cannabis Sativa is the best known and most widespread. Sativa plants grow preferentially in warm regions such as Jamaica, Thailand, or Mexico. Characteristic for their appearance are light green, narrow fan leaves, as well as a rather tall growth. Thus, some sativa varieties can grow outdoor over 3 meters high and therefore have the highest average yield per plant of all weed species. However, sativa plants also take the longest to flower, with a flowering time of nine to twelve weeks before their buds are ready for harvest.
So if you want to grow your own weed and want a particularly high yield, sativa strains are the right choice for you. You can find many different feminized cannabis seeds of Sativa strains in our store. Among the strains that have an extremely high THC content of over 20% and on top of that can yield a proud harvest of more than 650 grams per plant are:
Amnesia Haze, Original Juan Herrer, Super Silver Haze and Strawberry Sour Diesel.
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Sativa cannabis strains and their effects and therapeutic use.
The buds of sativa plants contain on average a slightly lower THC than indica varieties. However, they have an intense psychoactive effect due to the very low CBD content. Consumers report an energizing and dynamic state of mind. Thus, the "high" from sativa strains is also said to increase creativity and stimulate the ability to pay attention. For therapeutic use, Sativa strains are primarily used to relieve anxiety or mental stress.
Cannabis Indica - The Most Potent Weed Species
Indica cannabis strains originated in East Asia, India, Nepal, Tibet, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Compared to Sativa plants, Indicas have a darker green color and a more compact, bushy habit. In addition, Indicas buds can be harvested much faster with a flowering time between six and nine months.
This fact, in combination with the lower height, makes Indica strains very popular with indoor growers. But also when grown outdoors, Indica strains have the advantage of reaching full maturity even in shorter summers due to their faster flowering time.
So if you are still looking for feminized cannabis seeds of Indica strains, you can find many popular strains like White Russian, Northern Light, Orange Bud or Super Skunk in our store.
Indica cannabis strains and their effects and therapeutic use
Even though the THC content of different indica strains varies, it can generally be said that indica weed is the most potent. However, due to the CBD content, which is also very high, the psychoactive effect is still less intense than sativa varieties. Therefore, the calming and relaxing effect of Indica-Weed is mainly felt physically.
Generally, the consumption of indica strains tends to make one drowsy, or "stoned", so that consumers lose all desire for physical activity and instead just want to sit relaxed on the couch. Because of this, indica strains are used for therapeutic purposes, primarily for chronic pain, muscle tension, or sleep problems.
Cannabis Ruderalis - The Natural Autoflower
The third weed species "Cannabis Ruderalis" is a wild growing hemp species that probably originated in Russia, but nowadays can also be found in Central Europe and Central Asia. Due to the harsher climate in these areas, Cannabis Ruderalis is characterized by high robustness. What also makes this weed species unique is that its plants are natural autoflower. This means that they automatically start flowering after a growing period of 21 to 30 days, regardless of the light cycle.
Ruderalis cannabis strains and their effects and uses
The effect of Ruderalis is much weaker than Indica or Sativa varieties, because the small-growing plants contain much less psychoactive substances. Therefore, ruderalis is mainly used only for crossing with indica and sativa varieties in order to breed potent autoflowers. Such autoflowers are especially good for beginner growers who want to grow cannabis indoors. They are easy to grow and can be harvested after 60 to 80 days. The best Autoflower strains for beginners in our store include Auto Grapefruit, Auto Wedding Cake, Super Skunk Automatic and Gelato Auto.
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Hybrid cannabis strains
Hybrid cannabis strains are a cross between two or more different weed species. The goal with these crosses is usually to combine the positive characteristics of different strains and species to develop better and better cannabis strains.
Depending on which parent strain a hybrid has, its indica-sativa proportion can be balanced or show a certain dominance. In our store you can find a lot of feminized cannabis seeds from hybrid cannabis strains that combine the advantages of several strains. Among our absolute bestsellers that delight growers with a particularly high yield and THC content are: Original Sour Diesel, THC Bomb, AK 47 and Cookie Puss.
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Hybrid cannabis strains and their effects
The effect of hybrid cannabis strains cannot be generalized, as it depends on the genetics of the parent strains. For example, there are sativa-dominant cannabis strains whose consumption induces a dynamic high, while they have a shortened flowering time, as is typical for an indica strain.
Medicinal cannabis strains
Cannabis plants have been used by various cultures to treat medical ailments for several thousand years ago. These primarily include nausea, sleep problems, pain, multiple sclerosis, and anxiety disorders and depression. This is because the cannabinoids contained in weed plants, of which tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are among the best known and best studied representatives, are believed to have a therapeutic effect. Therefore, in principle, almost all cannabis varieties are suitable for the treatment of certain medical problems.
Is CBD legal in Germany?
Yes, CBD products whose THC content is below 0.2% can be legally sold and consumed in Germany.
Medical cannabis in Germany
Medical cannabis (CBD) has been allowed in Germany since 2017 and may be prescribed by doctors, for example, for pain relief, or to help with sleep disorders and loss of appetite. So, in order for medical cannabis to be dispensed to patients in pharmacies, a diagnosis must first be made by a doctor and a corresponding narcotic prescription must be issued.
How to recognize weed types and cannabis strains
As we've already established, different weed species and cannabis strains differ greatly in appearance. Therefore, let's conclude by summarizing how you can recognize indica or sativa cannabis strains. The leaves and stature of cannabis plants will easily tell you what type of weed it is.
Indica strains, for example, have broad, dark green fan leaves with thick fingers. In comparison, the light green leaves of sativa strains are not only narrower and longer, but also have thinner fingers.
The growth of indicas is more compact and bushy, while sativa plants are more slender and grow taller. These characteristic features of stature can also be transferred to the buds. Thus, the buds of indica strains are typically wide and compact, while the buds of sativas are slightly longer, slimmer and fluffier.
|
Sativa |
Indica |
Leaves |
slender, light green fan leaves with elongated fingers |
broad, dark green fan leaves with thick fingers |
Growth |
tall and slender stature |
bushy and stocky stature |
Flowers |
elongated, fluffy buds |
compact, hard buds |