Everything You Never Wanted To Know – The Rocky Mountain Collegian

The world of cannabis can often be confusing and intimidating. Here has The Rocky Mountain Schoolboy, we often write articles that attempt to simplify and clarify these sticky details for the layman. It is not one of those articles. This will leave you even more confused.

For starters, the cannabis flower comes from the cannabis plant. Cannabis plants are selectively bred for certain traits – often their appearance, smell or feel. The cannabis flower that can be bought in dispensaries comes from generations of crossed varieties. Names often refer to their lineage, although there are no set rules for naming strains.

Basically, these strains fall into three categories: indica, sativa, and hybrid.

The buds of the Indica strain are often characterized by their dark color, bushy appearance, and earthy odor. These varieties are more likely to produce a drowsy and “stoned” effect when used. A common mnemonic device is “in-da-couch”, referring to the lethargy experienced by the user. It is generally medically recommended for insomnia, chronic pain or lack of appetite. It is recommended for recreational use for video games, movies or for falling asleep very quickly.

Sativa strains are generally defined as opposed to indica: they can have a lighter, almost yellow color. They can make you feel euphoric, energetic, and talkative. A distinction commonly made is that indica provides a ‘body high’ while sativa provides a ‘dizzying high’ and is good for exercise, hiking or chores.

“Personally, I don’t really call it (energizing) because THC isn’t a stimulant like caffeine or anything,†said Thomas, a budtender at Elite Organics who asked me to use. only his first name. “But generally when you smoke a sativa it won’t tire you as much as an indica. “

Hybrids are strains created by crossing indica and sativa dominant strains. They have varying effects, so it’s best to consult whoever gave them to you on what they’re supposed to do. They are generally classified as more than one or the other.

Here’s what’s about sativa and indica: While the cannabis industry goes to great lengths to make this all sound pretty scientific, it actually isn’t. These names are abstract terms that come from an often misunderstood scientific history.

This subject is still debated in the corridors of botany. Are vs. sativa and C. indica really different plants or the same plant adapting to different environments?

“Everything, technically based on genetics and chemistry, is hybrid,†Thomas said. “Genetics are very subjective … There haven’t been any studies to prove these things as a fact.”

He’s right: the genetics of cannabis in a post-ban world have become impossible to disentangle. Humans have apparently been using cannabis for long before recorded history. It was officially classified by Carl Linnaeus (the guy who invented modern taxonomy) as Cannabis sativa in 1753, from the Latin “sativum”, which means “cultivated”, and from the Greek “kannabis”, which means “this herb which makes you high”.

A few decades later, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck discovered cannabis from India, which he noticed had darker, wider leaves and was getting noticeably shorter. He determined that it was a separate species and called it Cannabis indica. Keep in mind, Lamarck also believed that giraffes have developed long necks by stretching very hard over time.

This subject is still debated in the corridors of botany. Are C. sativa and C. indica really different plants or the same plant adapting to different environments? Regardless, it doesn’t matter either.

Regardless of the taxonomic classification of plants, today’s North American cannabis has been crossed, crossed and thoroughbred into an unrecognizable monster of nature. Just like corn or watermelon, we have genetically modified it for our purposes to be larger than any natural plant.

All this to say that indica and sativa are fundamentally meaningless terms unrelated to their original scientific meaning. These are subjective judgments made by people who have tried the product themselves.

“Technically, I don’t think it’s a good ranking; that’s just what’s being used right now, â€Thomas said.

If you ever find yourself in a dispensary, or more likely an acquaintance’s house, and feel like being a fun drip, tell him about everything you learned in the journal. Or just ask, “Do you feel like it’s more of a day weed or a night weed?” And use your snoofer to guide you. If it smells good, you will probably vibrate.

Hayden Hawley can be contacted at [email protected] or on Twitter @hateonhawley.