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Sativa vs Indica


Indica marijuana plants

Most species of indica have a short stature, an early maturation and a bushier look to them. They also have increased chlorophyll and less of the pigment that helps to protect the plants from too much sun, called accessory pigments. The increased amount of chlorophyll can help this variety of marijuana plant mature and grow more quickly. The mature size of an indica marijuana plant is typically under 6' (180 cm) tall and almost never get over 8' (240 cm). This variety produces leaves that are short and wide, with a bit of purple at the edges of the deep green centers. When an indica marijuana plant reaches maturity, you will often notice an increase in purple on the leaves. The short branches will be thick and heavy with marijuana buds. The maturity of this plant usually occurs around early September. The buds will be any color between dark green and purple, similar to the leaves themselves. If your plant was grown during colder conditions, you will see even more color on the leaves and buds. The buds on this variety of marijuana plant have a more difficult time reaching maturity if the climate is too cold, so it does not always grow well in Northern climates or higher elevations. Buds of indica marijuana often smell like horrible body odor and most smoke from them will induce coughing, but a good Indica will give you a relaxing social style high. This means you will not be analyzing your entire experience but rather increasing your senses within your environment.

Other forms of Indica will give you a high that will put you right to sleep. Most Indica varieties derive from Pakistan, Afghanistan and India, plus their surrounding areas. Due to where this variety began, it is used to the variable climates of many portions of the world. The gene pool for this variety of marijuana plant is heterogeneous. Each phase of growth is going to determine how the final product comes out. Some plants will do better while others will struggle, no matter how perfect the weather is when the plants are grown. This is part of why most UK growers choose Indica plants. The ratio of THC and CBD is also going to vary. The lower quality hashish or marijuana from Indica marijuana plants come from the plant having too much CBD. This is the same reason that a smoker may become instantly sleepy after smoking.

  • Indica leaf

The high of Indica marijuana

Most smokers of Indica marijuana plants tell of a stony, heavy high that is usually relaxing, and this form of marijuana also seems to help with many medical conditions. The common terms associated with Indica smoke is a "body buzz" that is quite pleasant. If you want to relax, relieve some stress and become more serene and calm, you are looking for an Indica high. Most smokers also notice that their high includes quite a bit of pain relief over the entire body and a relief from any insomnia. Many smokers have Indica to help them sleep through the night. A few of the varieties of pure Indica smoke can cause what is referred to as the "couch lock" due to the high THC levels, leaving the smoker totally still so they can revel in the experience.

Indica marijuana strains

Here are a few examples of welknown pure indica marijuana strains:

Sativa marijuana plants

The taller counterpart to the Indica variety is the Sativa variety. This marijuana plant matures more slowly, has increased accessory pigments over Indica, and they have a bit less chlorophyll. This lack of chlorophyll creates a plant that grows more slowly, matures more slowly and requires additional light. These marijuana plants can grow from 6 feet (180 cm) to 25 feet (7.5 m) or occasionally more. Most marijuana plants grow between 8 and 12 feet (240 and 360 cm).The leaves are thin and long, a pale green color and more yellow pigment than other varieties of marijuana plant. This is due to most varieties coming from near the Equator, where extra protection from the sun is a must. This variety of marijuana plant has long branches, with a reach of 4 or more feet (120 cm) from the main stalk. The shape is similar to that of a Christmas tree. The buds from this marijuana plant are also thin and long, and much more sparse than its counterpart, the Indica. Most growers report a purple stoma when this plant is grown in a colder climate and a red or orange stoma when grown in a hotter climate. Your marijuana plants can mature during many different times. Some varieties that have low THC levels can mature between August and September, while other, higher THC level varieties don't mature until November through January. Increased amounts of light will help these marijuana buds swell up and thicken with resin. Decreased light, such as what is found over most of the UK, will return skimpy or thin buds, but the resin is usually quite potent. The buds themselves smell almost fruity, like an Apple pie, and they are heavily perfumed. The smoke is easy to inhale with a smooth finish.

The Sativa variety of marijuana plant can be found in many locations around the world. Many commercial varieties are included in this list: South Africa, Nigeria, Mexico and Columbia. The high from a Sativa bud is considered highly cerebral. It gives you a rush of a lot of energy, where you whole body can feel the buzz. This is ideal for those who need a boost to get housework (or other chores) done. Many Sativa plants are used as industrial hemp. Artificial lights will better benefit an Indica variety of marijuana plant than it will with a Sativa. Typically a Sativa needs 4 or more additional weeks of light to reach full maturity. The weight of a Sativa plant is typically much less than that of an Indica plant. This is why most marijuana sellers grow Indica varieties instead of Sativa. Each grower is basically able to tailor their desires to their individual plant with the numerous varieties of marijuana plants available right now. It used to be much more difficult to grow good smoke because the seeds came from a place that had more natural heat and light, making quality growth more difficult.

Thankfully today that is no longer the case. You can buy seeds from plants that have a specific month that they will flower in to fit your schedule best. The marijuana business is growing quickly, so growers are doing what they can to try and keep up with specific customer demands. With indoor growing, people can now grow whatever type of marijuana they want, when they want, because they can recreate the plant's natural environment. There would not be a marijuana Cup or hybrids for seed companies to sell if not for crossbreeding. So if you get the chance to visit Holland (or just order from a company there), do yourself the favor of buying some seeds that are pure Sativa and Indica, and then buy a 50/50 hybrid seed to try out for yourself. You should be able to taste the different highs!

  • Sativa leaf

The high of Sativa marijuana

The high of a Sativa marijuana plant is quite cerebral, giving the smoker energy and stimulation to both the body and mind, potentially causing hallucinations. This type of high is considered both energetic and uplifting. The high gives smokers a feeling of well-being and optimism, and can help with many types of pain all over the body. Pure Sativa can also have incredibly high levels of THC, making the smoker quite hallucinogenic or spacey. This variety is ideal for smoking during the day.

Sativa marijuana strains

Here are a few examples of welknown pure sativa marijuana strains:

Crossbreed marijuana plants

When we say crossbreed, we mean a grower took two totally different strains of marijuana plant and bred them together. The grower is trying to combine optimal growing characteristics. The pollen comes from the male and the flowers from a different variety of female combine to make the new hybrid. Consider the combination of a Sativa that grows incredibly tall and an Indica that has incredible taste and outstanding yields. This will produce younglings that share some characteristics. The true-breed strains can either be:

Pure marijuana breeds:

These are species that have only ever been bred with similar varieties of marijuana plant so all of the genes are nearly identical.

Or stabilized hybrids:

Hybrids were created by specific growers that wanted specific characteristics, and then inbred for numerous generations until the grower was consistently able to get the same characteristics from each generation of seeds. An F1 will denote a seed or marijuana plant that has two parents who are true-breeders. This means the offspring will not have exact characteristics to either parent but they will share some similarities. Occasionally marijuana seed varieties will be bred hundreds of times in a row in an attempt to create the perfect strain of hybrid marijuana seeds. The overall shape that a hybrid's leaf will have is totally dependent on the ratio of Indica and Sativa in the plant.

The high of a crossbreed

The high you get from a hybrid will depend on how much Indica and Sative each plant has in it. When both varieties are used, both highs will be represented. One example would be the energy from a Sativa combining with the body buzz from an Indica variety of marijuana plant.