As a medical marijuana patient, much of your treatment once you are certified depends on you! But figuring out which varieties and strains of medical marijuana work best for you can seem a bit overwhelming, I know. So today on The Green Leaf Clinic Blog we are going to discuss some major similarities and differences between indicas and sativas, the magic that is the hybrid, and the importance of knowing your meds.
Indicas and Sativas and the Importance of Knowing Your Meds:
Medical marijuana on the whole, regardless of strain or variety, tends to help with pain, nausea and food issues, anxiety and stress, and inflammation. But particular strains and varieties obviously have the potential to do more in some areas over others. Here, we will discuss some of the key ways in which indicas and sativas affect and help the body.
INDICA:
Popular strains: OG Kush, Granddaddy Purple, Afghan Kush, Blueberry, Purple Urkle
Indica plants are typically more stout and bushy, with thicker fan like leaves than a Sativa plant. The aromas and flavors can vary from sweet, musky Earth tones, to juicy fruit-laced flavors, to super skunky and pronounced scents and flavors that will indicate to everyone around you that you indeed have weed on you!
Indica strains are mostly known as being the "couch lockers;" this is because indicas tend to produce more of an overall body "high" as opposed to just a head "high." Indicas are great for treating chronic pain, muscle spasms, MS, Fibromyalgia, EDS, nausea, insomnia, CFS, anxiety, stress, Restless Leg Syndrome, migraines, seizures, and other disorders and symptoms that heavily affect the physical body. Indicas and Indica heavy hybrids are usually best for evening use, particularly right before bed, as some can give a feeling of physical numbness or sedation.
SATIVA:
Popular strains: Kali Mist, Durban Poison, Green Crack, Lemon Haze, Jack Herer
Sativa plants typically grow a bit more tall and spindly than indica plants do and their leaves are usually more thin and finger-like than fan like. The aromas are typically not as "skunky" as with indicas either, so hiding a sativa plant or bud is usually a bit easier than an indica plant or bud. Many of the flavors for sativas are bright, fruity, & spicy; some may have a bit of an "industrial clean" smell & taste to them
as well.
Sativas are known to give a more heady "high" as opposed to a body "high," but that does not mean that the physical state of the body is not altered whilst using a sativa; sativas actually can address pain and muscle issues in similar ways to indicas. Though the pain relieving aspects of sativas surely do not act as intensely, the mental/psychoactive effects are much more pronounced. Sativas are stimulants! Sativa strains are great for energy, happiness, arousal, relieving anxiety, depression, stress, migraines, and nausea, as well as inspiring creativity, productivity, and overall feelings of euphoria. Sativas are a great choice to smoke with other patients too, because they help stimulate the imagination and get conversation flowing.
HYBRIDS:
(AKA: The best of both worlds!!!)
Popular hybrids:
Chem Dawg, AK-47, Juicy Fruit, Pineapple Express, Blueberry Skunk, Headband, Tangerine Dream
Hybrids are great for people with chronic illnesses who have a plethora of symptoms or ailments, because hybrids have the ability to address key areas, hit on by sativas and indicas on their own, together at once! So a patient with high pain levels who also has an anxiety disorder, for example, could get maybe a 60 Indica/40 Sativa hybrid to better meet his or her needs.
Hybrids can also be great if you want the benefits of certain plant strain but don't want to wait to grow it! Some hybrids take key elements from notoriously hard to grow strains and put them in an easier, more accessible strain to grow, taking some of the headache out of things for patients who grow for themselves or caregivers who grow for their patients.
The Importance of Knowing Your Meds
Knowing your strains and what they do for you is very important, because as a patient, you are not just smoking, eating, & applying marijuana to "get high," have a good time, or recreationally get messed up with your friends. You are medicating with a natural, herbal medication in order to alleviate symptoms that affect your well being and life!
Look at it this way: If you were using traditional medicines and not medical marijuana and you had a headache, you would take ibuprofen, Tylenol, aspirin, etc. right? You wouldn't reach for the Tums and then wonder an hour later why you still had a headache, would you? Medical marijuana is similar in that there are particular varieties and strains that address certain medical issues better than others. Some are meant for severe chronic pain, some are meant to stop seizures, some are meant to ease anxiety and stop panic attacks... if you needed one of those and then got one that was an appetite stimulant first instead, you would be in a similar boat as the headache/Tums scenario... but with the munchies involved...
So do your research! Find the varieties and strains of medical marijuana that work for you! There will still be lots of choices, so you will still be able to mix it up from time to time (and avoid "strain lock") but you will have a better idea of what you need, what really works, and a slightly smaller array of plants to choose from in order to make the decision making process a little easier.
Good luck and stay medicated!
