Common weed wisdom usually separates cannabis into two different kinds of high: the more cerebral, uplifting high of sativas, and the more sedating, body-centered high of indicas. While that categorization is rooted in some fact (as well as centuries of accumulated experience), scientific research points to it being a bit of an oversimplification. 

Is there really a difference between indica and sativa? Absolutely! 

Though it might not be the exact difference you think...

The Basics

Today, cannabis indica and cannabis sativa are regarded as the two main subspecies of the cannabis plant. However, that was not always the case.

One of the earlier writings on cannabis taxonomy, dating back to the 1500s in Germany, grouped hemp into two distinct categories — what the author, botanist, and physician Leonhart Fuchs, referred to as domesticated (or “sativa”) cannabis and wild cannabis. 

The classification of plants as either sativa or indica doesn’t begin until the late 1700’s when French biologist Jean Baptiste Lamarck allegedly coined the term “indica.” In 1785, his Encyclopédie Méthodique, Botanique proposed the existence of this new subspecies which he had identified from samples sent to him from India. In his entry on indica, he wrote:

“The principal effect of this plant consists of going to the head, disrupting the brain, where it produces a sort of drunkenness that makes one forget one’s sorrows, and produces a strong gaiety.” 

 

Modern understandings of the differences between sativa and indica haven’t evolved an enormous amount since Lamarck was writing. We know that physically, indica plants are typically shorter, with broad, dark green leaves while sativa plants are taller and have thin, pale green leaves. Genetically, indicas tend to have a higher amount of CBD, while sativas tend to have a higher amount of THC.

And that really sums up the major, scientifically accepted differences in the strains. Out of those differences have developed the more folksy (and less research-based wisdom) that sativas will get you ready for a deep conversation about the universe, while indicas are better for binging cartoons on the couch.

CBD and THC

Lamarck’s categorization of indica vs. sativa was mainly based on the plant’s physical attributes (height, leaf size, etc.), but modern research tells us that predicting the high of a given strain is much more about a plant’s chemical makeup than its appearance. Neurologist and psychopharmacology researcher Dr Ethan Russo wrote on the subject, “one cannot in any way currently guess the biochemical content of a given cannabis plant-based on its height, branching, or leaf morphology.”

The amount and balance of cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in a given strain is a much better predictor for the kind of high you will get. A higher amount of CBD will more likely produce a mellow high, while a higher amount of THC will more likely produce a more energetic high.

Indicas do typically have more CBD, and sativas typically have more THC — but it is not a hard and fast rule.

In addition, while the interaction between THC and CBD is one of the main factors in predicting the effect of a given strain of cannabis, it is far from the only factor. There are over 100 different cannabinoids found in various strains of cannabis, of which CBD and THC are only two. These other cannabinoids also can have an effect on a strain’s high.

Terpenes

Then there are terpenes — compounds that are largely responsible for a strain’s aroma but also thought to co-mingle with the other active compounds to affect the overall high of a strain. Terpenes may be one reason why two strains with the same amount of THC and CBD might have totally different effects when smoked. For example, a terpene called myrcene is known to have a sedative effect while another, called limonene is known for lifting mood and energy levels (as well as for having a citrus aroma). Another terpene, alpha-pinene, may be responsible for counteracting THC-induced short-term memory loss. 

These various interactions are often referred to as the “entourage effect” — a kind of compounding of effects that make predicting the high of given strains much harder than simply knowing if it is an indica or sativa.

Beyond that, the effect of a specific strain of cannabis will differ from person to person — the same way that alcohol and caffeine will affect different people in different ways. The same cup of coffee might give you the jitters or while someone else doesn’t feel the effects at all. Likewise, a user’s genetic profile will influence their reaction to THC, CBD, and cannabis in general.

There is still a long way to go to understanding cannabis and the different effects of various strains. 

Why don’t we have a better understanding of the different kinds of strains of cannabis and their potential effects? For one thing, both scientific and agricultural research into cannabis has been largely curtailed by the US government. Cannabis's long time classification by the government as a schedule 1 substance has made cannabis hard to study in a formal setting. Because of that, and the informal nature of the weed economy for most of its history, classifications and “research” have been left more to users, growers, and even dealers — to describe how a given strain affects someone.

In an interview with VICE, Sean Myles, a professor of agricultural genetic diversity at Dalhousie University and co-author of a 2015 study about cannabis genetics, summed up where modern science seems to leave the indica/sativa conversation:

“We may loosely call things "indica" or "sativa," and that's a fair rule of thumb for describing their physical traits and psychoactive effects. But since nobody was keeping track of marijuana with the methods of a modern agriculturist some 5,000 years ago, we don't know what a "pure" sativa or indica really is, DNA-wise, he said. Who's to say what the defining characteristics of a pure sativa or indica really are?”

So, the next time you find a strain you like, make note of the balance between THC and CBD and use that as a good starting point for choosing your next one. With that information in hand, don’t feel like you need to stay loyal to indica or sativa — feel free to branch out!

 

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As you may know, it can be difficult to explain the experience of getting high to someone who’s never tried weed. If you ask a seasoned stoner how many different ways cannabis can make you feel, they’ll generally tell you the myriad effects fall under a few umbrellas, such as energizing, uplifting, euphoric, relaxing, or sleepy. There are many different types of "weed highs" if you will.

If you ask a scientist how many different ways cannabis can make you feel, they’ll tell you an infinite amount that depends on multiple factors both relating to the strain and your mood. What is it about cannabis that makes you feel so many different effects?

General consensus is that the varied, subjective effects are due to THC causing different patterns of functional connectivity in the brain. The different effects come from how much these different patterns and connections talk to each other on any given day. 

So, once you consume THC, your brain changes the way it talks to itself. Some parts of it may become more active than usual, causing you to feel energized or uplifted; others parts of it may become less active, causing you to feel relaxed or sleepy. 

One interesting way to think of consuming marijuana and its effects is as a home stereo system. You’ve got one dial for the bass, one dial for the treble, one for the volume, and so on. Every dial is always tuned to something, and you’re just tuning them to different ratios depending on the strain you choose.

And with that, here are five of the best strains to set your dials to feeling energized, uplifted, euphoric, relaxed, or sleepy. We'll also categorize them by the types of weed highs they give off.

Energized Weed Highs

For those of you looking for weed to give you a sense of energy, look no further. This energized weed high feels like a green tea energy feeling.

• Green Crack

  • Green Crack is a great example of a cannabis strain that usually adjusts a person’s knobs to a more energizing experience. Initially bred way back in the 1970s, it’s a legendary sativa that tastes like earthy citrus terpenes and is great for daytime use. Its three most common terpenes are myrcene, pinene, and caryophyllene. 

• Jack Herer

  • Jack Herer was created in the Netherlands in the mid-1990s, where it was later distributed by Dutch pharmacies as a medical-grade strain. Since then, this spicy, pine-scented strain has taken home many awards for its quality.

• Durban Poison

  • Durban Poison has gained popularity worldwide for its sweet smell and energetic, uplifting effects. This is the perfect strain to help you stay productive through a busy day, when exploring the outdoors, or to lend a spark of creativity. 

Uplifting Weed High

Feeling like you need to be uppity when you're not feeling up for it. There are some strains that will help with that.

• Sour Diesel

  • If you want something uplifting, Sour Diesel is highly regarded by the medical cannabis community for its mood-blasting abilities. It’s a potent sativa-dominant hybrid created by crossing Chemdog and Super Skunk. Sour Diesel’s sour and gassy terpene profile features caryophyllene, myrcene, and limonene. 

• Super Silver Haze

  • Super Silver Haze is made by crossing Skunk, Northern Lights, and Haze. This creates a beautiful, sticky strain boasting an energetic, long-lasting body high. The uplifting effects are great for high stress or when suffering from a lack of appetite or nausea.

• Tangie

  • Tangie is a sativa marijuana strain made by crossing California Orange and Skunk-1. This strain is a very popular choice in Amsterdam and is spreading elsewhere.

Euphoric Weed Highs

Looking to get on Pink Floyd's level? These weed strains are your jam. They're more of a full-body high, which will have you feeling like you are floating to the Dark Side of the Moon.

• OG Kush

  • Though it can be extremely potent, OG Kush is still the perfect example of a long-lasting euphoric high that doesn’t much teeter toward feeling energizing or sleepy—you’ll just be stoned. OG Kush is the OG hybrid that swept California by storm in the 1990s and set the bar for many high-potency strains we smoke today. It has a flavor of earthy, sour, gassy, and skunky terpenes that we’ve come to identify as “kush,” which give way to an intense experience. 

• Girl Scout Cookies

  • GSC, also known as "Girl Scout Cookies," is an indica-dominant hybrid marijuana strain made by crossing OG Kush with Durban Poison. This popular strain produces euphoric effects, followed up by waves of full-body relaxation. One hit of GSC will leave you feeling happy, hungry, and de-stressed.

• Wedding Cake

  • The Wedding Cake strain provides relaxing and euphoric effects that calm your body and mind. This strain has a rich and tangy flavor profile with undertones of earthy pepper. Medical marijuana patients choose Wedding Cake regularly to help relieve symptoms associated with pain, insomnia, and appetite loss.

Relaxed Weed Highs

It's been a stressful day/week/month/year. Here are some full-body types of weed highs that will help relax you and your body. A muscle and mind-relaxing remedy.

• Blue Dream

  • Blue Dream is another legendary hybrid that people use for its relaxing qualities, morale-boosting euphoria, and overall quality that brings a smile to your face. It’s a cross of Blueberry and Haze that produces a sweet, berry, terpene profile. 

• Apple Fritter

  • Apple Fritter, a true hybrid strain, is known for its powerful and relaxing high. Put out by Lumpy’s Flowers, Apple Fritter is a strain with unknown origins. Those who enjoy Apple Fritter say this strain allows you to enjoy your evening without losing your cool.

• Purple Punch

  • Purple Punch is a delicious dessert strain best suited for after dinner. Its effects can help with managing nausea, stress, minor body aches, and sleeplessness.

Sleepy Weed Highs

Nyquil in a cannabis flower - that's what we're looking at with these weed strains. A head AND body high, these strains will cradle your entire nervous system to sleep.

• Granddaddy Purple

  • If you’re talking sleepy strains, Granddaddy Purple is one of many that will tuck you in for a few hours. This indica crosses Purple Urkle and Big Bud and is famous for its purple appearance, and maybe more famous for its usually sedative high. Its most common terpenes are myrcene, pinene, and caryophyllene. 

• Blackberry Kush

  • Blackberry Kush produces relaxing effects and is often recommended for pain management due to its strong body high. Blackberry Kush offers a hashy flavor profile with a jet fuel taste and aroma that is balanced out with sweet berries.

• Bubba Kush

  • Bubba Kush, also known as "BK," "Bubba," and "Bubba OG Kush" is an indica marijuana strain that has gained notoriety for its heavy tranquilizing effects. From head to toe, muscles ease with heaviness as dreamy euphoria blankets the mind, crushing stress while bringing happy moods.

Cannasaver: High Feelings, Low Weed Prices

As many of us know, legal marijuana can get expensive.

At Cannasaver, we help you find weed deals on bud, wax, edibles, concentrates, & any other marijuana products you can think of.

Right now, a couple of deals we have are $8 dollar eighths of flower (if you’re looking to try a new strain after this article) or $79 dollar ounces, if you’ve got a tried-and-true favorite strain.

Click here for a full list of our deals at partnering dispensaries, and happy blazing!

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Spending time around cannabis is a much different thing when a dispensary is involved. As more and more states legalize cannabis, it occurred that many would-be legal or medical marijuana consumers and patients would have to learn the strains and products they are interested in and that provide the most benefit or experience. Naming weed strains is not always a good indicator for the experience or benefit, but in most cases, it can offer some clues. 

In this guide, we provide an overview of the top five things that can impact the naming of a cannabis strain: 

• Genetics

• Aroma

• Color

• The Year

• The Region

How Weed Strains Are Named

There are hundreds if not thousands of different strains. Some can be informative and others exist to be random or silly. There are more clues in the names as to what you can expect from certain strains than most people realize. These clues allow patients and consumers to approximate the experience or benefit a particular strain will have.

The Genetics of the Weed Strain

Naming a strain most often comes from a reference to the genetics of the two parent plants. By crossing or splicing the genes of two-parent plants, more robust flavors, complimentary experiences or benefits, and, in several cases, can contain larger amounts of THC and/ or other cannabinoids.

For instance, several strains can be found with “Kush'' somewhere in their name. This acts as a sort of suffix that can tell you a few different things. Generally, these strains are descendants of a subset of Indica plants that originally grew in the Hindu Kush mountain ranges between Afghanistan and India. Strains with the “Kush” qualifier will generally be more on the Indica side of the spectrum, known to produce a relaxed, euphoric side experience. 

This leads us to the question: What if a “Kush” strain was mixed with a Sativa strain, which is known for being energizing and uplifting. For example, the name of the strain “Lemon Kush” implies that both the strain has ‘“Kush” genetics, but that the strain Lemon G was crossed with it. 

This allows the strain to take on, for some consumers and patients, a relaxing yet uplifting, focused experience. This is what is known as a hybrid strain. 

The Aroma of the Strain

While we are on the topic of Lemon G, a Sativa strain, let’s begin the conversation on flavor as an aspect of naming a weed strain. 

In the strain Lemon G, the strain is named based on genetics, with the “G” comes from the strain “G13” and the “Lemon” comes from an unknown cross strain. But what is also very apparent is that lemon is a citrus fruit. Just by association, one could deduce the strain will have a citrusy, lemon-like aroma. 

While the aroma and flavor of a strain is entirely the work of the terpenes in the strain, these common associations to fruit, berries, and even candy are common in naming weed strains. And in most cases, you can smell and taste a bit of the fruit or food mentioned.

There are some less sweet-sounding strains as well. Sour, Diesel, Skunk, and Chem are common prefixes and suffixes of cannabis strains. 

These are some of the most common modifiers used in naming cannabis strains, as they imply a blend of earthy, pungent, and a “definitely going to fill the room with some funky” aroma. Moreover, these terms are largely references to strain genetics and can be (accurately) used as a selling point due to potency. These strains generally carry a high THC content and a bit more of an uplifting effect than some other strains, whether they lean more on the Indica or Sativa side. 

The Color of the Strain

Both genetics and terpenes impact the color of a strain. Color is not necessarily correlated to the aroma but can draw some inspiration. In the case of Grand Daddy Purple, known as “Grand Daddy Purp”, the leaves and buds are hued with the lush of lavender yet the aroma is something else entirely: a robust mix of earth, pepper, and berries or grape. 

In naming weed strains, the color is among the top modifiers. It allows for easy visual differentiation and is generally unique to each strain. However, only certain strains express purple or blue characteristics.  

The Year the Strain Was First Created

This is rare, but one popular strain that comes to mind is Pre-98 Bubba Kush. This hybrid strain utilizes the “Pre-98” to communicate to consumers and patients the strain has roots in cannabis history as one of the best strains around. While many strains consistently outmatch Pre-98 Bubba Kush, it is still a favored strain for its heavy body high and relaxing effect. 

The Region the Strain Was Grown

Concerning “OG”, as is seen in California OG, OG Kush, and many other strains, the most commonly pointed reason for naming marijuana strains with “OG” is that landrace Afghani genetics were grown in the climate of California, managing to grow in a much different climate than the Afghan mountains. 

Much like how wines, scotch, and other foods or beverages must be from a region to be considered authentic, OG is thought to explain the plants were not mountain-grown, as Afghani had been traditionally, but were “Ocean Grown”, relaying details, not about the strength of the strain, but the environment which it was grown. 

A Blend Of Terms Make Up Modern Strain Names

As noted above, naming marijuana strains is often a blend of not only genetics but generally several other factors.

And other good news: YOU CAN BLEND YOUR VERY OWN MIXES OF STRAINS!

Whether choosing to grow your own or buying a few different strains of dry flower from a local dispensary to mix to your flavor, color, aroma, and effect preference is what the legal market for cannabis allows. So we encourage you to shop not just based on any one single quality, but on many of the above naming criteria. 

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When people think of stoners, the stereotype is usually that we sleep, eat and laugh…. A lot! While cannabis can be very sedating and relaxing, the reality is that not all strains have these ‘stoney’ attributes. 

There are countless reasons why people love and use Cannabis. While some people use it to help themselves relax, others use it to boost focus, creativity, and mental clarity -- like a cup of coffee.

A misconception about weed is that it makes people lazy. Sure, some strains are more sedating than others, but there is also a plethora of strains known to increase focus, energy, and creativity.

It all depends on how you pair your strains with particular activities.

If you’re unsure about which strains will help with your day-to-day productivity, seek the help of your budtender and they might just point you to the perfect strain for your needs.

Here are some of our favorite strains known to boost productivity:

Sour Diesel

Sour Diesel is known to produce a fast-acting and energizing cerebral high. Its uplifting effects make it popular for daytime use. Additionally, Sour Diesel can help relieve symptoms of depression and pain without the sedating side effects. You can rely on this strain to keep you productive and spark creativity.

Green Crack

Green Crack is a Sativa-dominant strain that is famous for its upbeat and energizing effects. This strain won’t leave you burning out and can instead be a little boost to help keep you afloat. It’s a great strain with strong Sativa effects and can help relieve symptoms of fatigue. 

Jack Herrer

Jack Herrer is loved for its ability to produce mental clarity. It’s a good Sativa that won’t leave you spacing out. Aside from helping with stress, anxiety, depression, and fatigue… Jack Herrer is also known to produce a euphoric and uplifting mood, users even report a boost in creativity when using this strain.

Durban Poison

Durban Poison is known for its uplifting effects and is great for when you need to get things done. The pure Sativa strain has a sweet smell and users report feeling focused and energetic, without the stress when using this strain.

Chemdawg

Chemdawg is a potent strain known for its strong cerebral effects. It’s also known to increase focus and can make you feel more social. The hybrid strain is rich in THC (15-20%) and low in CBD, it’s also known to be fast-acting, so be ready to get hit with that energizing high.

Sativa vs. Indica

If you feel like it’s hard for you to focus or remain productive after a smoke sesh, try switching strains, or saving that specific strain for the nighttime. Some people like to smoke Sativa dominant strains during the day and Indica strains at night. This is because Sativa-dominant strains usually contain higher percentages of THC compared to CBD, whereas Indica-dominant strains are the opposite. 

Typically, Sativa strains are more stimulating and are known for producing a “head high,” that increases creativity and focus, while Indica strains are more sedative, producing more of a body high with increased feelings of relaxation.

Productive Deals at Cannasaver!

At Cannasaver, we want to help you save while giving you access to a variety of Cannabis products in your area. We have new deals every day and continue to work with some of the best dispensaries in the country!

Type your favorite strain into our search bar to find the closest deal to you.

Boost your focus, enjoy your weed and save money all at once with Cannasaver.

Doesn’t that sound productive?

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