The Best Marijuana Strains to Start and End Your Day

The Best Marijuana Strains to Start and End Your Day:

Medical marijuana can be very useful in helping relieve and/or treat pain, anxiety, depression, nausea, muscle spasms, ADHD, restless leg syndrome, cancer, glaucoma, etc. But as we discussed here:  Indicas and Sativas and the Importance of Knowing Your Meds, not all medical marijuana strains are created equal, nor do they all address the same medical issues. So, it is important, as a patient in the medical marijuana program, that you do some research in order to find the best strains for you!

We here at Green Leaf Clinic want to keep helping you with your research efforts by putting as much medical marijuana information together that we can for you, here on our blog! We already gave you a great list of strains to medicate with during fireworks displays: 10 Marijuana Strains to Smoke Before a Fireworks Show, but now we want to provide you with a bit more practical information for day to day use. Hence: The Best Marijuana Strains to Start and End Your Day

10 Best Medical Marijuana Strains for Morning:

Morning strains are meant to be a bit more uplifting, cerebral, and energizing. Though they can help with pain, they are not major sedatives, so a patient can still be highly functional on these. Many of these strains ease anxiety, stress, and depression, cultivate focus and clarity, and offer the patient euphoric feelings of well being to help get through the day. Almost all of them will assist with nausea and help patients eat a solid breakfast as well. What a perfect way to start a day!

1. Peacemaker

2. Super Cheese

3. Durban Poison

4. Cinderella 99

5. Power Plant

6. Jack Herer

7. Super Lemon Haze

8. Killer Queen

9. Blueberry Yum Yum

10. Kushage

More great morning strains: Pot of Gold, Kandy Skunk, Super Sour Diesel, Blue Dream, Green Crack, Platinum Bubba Kush, Lemon Drop, AK47xBubblegum, Purple Haze, White Fire, CheeseWreck, White Widow, Headbanger, Emerald Jack, Tangerine Dream, Super Silver Haze, Pineapple Express

10 Best Medical Marijuana Strains for Night:

Night strains are meant to be more relaxing, soothing, and calming than morning strains. Medical marijuana strains that are best used after dark also act more like sedatives, muscle relaxers, and high dose painkillers than the morning strains do.  They also assist with insomnia issues. Many recreational "stoners" will claim that these strains will give you "couch lock," (as if it is a bad thing) and they will actually steer people away from these strains; but as a patient and a budtender I can tell you right now: if you are in massive amounts of pain after a long day of work, "couch locked" is exactly what you need to be - and these strains will help! Offering full body relaxation and with just enough added oomph to happily buzz the brain, these nighttime strains are the perfect end to a long day.

1. Granddaddy Purple

2. Northern Lights

3. Purple Urkle

4. Lavender

5. Grape Ape

6. Blue Cheese

7. G13

8. Blackberry Kush

9. Afghani

10. White Rhino

More great nighttime strains: Dr. Funk, Brand X, Deathstar, Purple Rhino, Critical Kush, Skywalker OG, Purple OG Kush, God's Gift, MK Ultra, Purple Passion, Hindu Kush, God Bud, Blueberry, Bubba OG, Deep Purple, Power Kush, Grunk, Blueberry Skunk, Romulan, Vanilla Kush, Ogre Berry

10 Marijuana Strains to Smoke Before a Fireworks Show

10 Marijuana Strains to Smoke Before a Fireworks Show

 By J.W.Photography from Annapolis (Flickr) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Marijuana is a great medicine. But it's also a lot of fun. 

So why not combine medicating and having fun by finding the very best strains for all your favorite activities? I'll start: with fireworks!

These are (in my humble opinion) the best strains to smoke before a fireworks display because they will heighten the good (the colors, the patterns, the haze) and diminish the bad (the anxiety, the stress of the crowds, the pain). Enjoy!

10 Marijuana Strains to Smoke Before a Fireworks Show

1. LSD

NOT the one you're thinking of...

This hybrid marijuana strain is high in THC, provides intense feelings of euphoria, and is very psychoactive. It is an incredibly powerful strain that could hit beginners a bit too hard, but would be a GREAT hit for experienced smokers about to get their firework watchin' on.

2. OG Kush

This Indica strain is a THC heavy, long lasting smoke. Euphoric effects can be expected as well as possible visuals. It is slightly sedative to the body and provides massive pain relief. But what do you expect? It's an OG, baby!

3. Girl Scout Cookies

With it's sweet taste, high THC content, and silly name, this Indica dominant hybrid is a popular strain - but only smoke it if you want to be "zoned out" for the fireworks as it is a VERY sedative and "body high" strain of marijuana.

4. Satori

This Sativa strain is a great stress reliever; it provides a heady and soaring "high" without sedating the body. This is a particularly great strain for those who like to be active while the fireworks are being displayed.

5. THC Bomb

This Indica (and THC) heavy hybrid calms and sedates the body and provides a highly intellectual and creative "high" to boot. It is great for relaxing and really taking the beauty of the fireworks in.

6. Amnesia Haze

An energizing and highly potent Sativa hybrid that may be so strong that you may actually experience bouts of memory loss while on it? Yup. That's Amnesia Haze!

7. Blue Rhino

The Indica dominant Blue Rhino has a shocking amount of THC for a hybrid of it's kind, not to mention an exotic, fruity flavor that is pure pleasure for the taste buds. It is a rather potent strain, so pain relief and sedation are fully combined with heady, creative, stimulation for great effect!

8. Endless Sky

Just the name of this one seems to qualify it! This Indica dominant hybrid marijuana strain has an Earthy, spicy, yet skunky smell with hints of hash and pine and provides an extra spacey and relaxing "high" which is just too perfect for observing a fireworks display to resist.

9. Emerald Jack

The Sativa dominant hybrid Emerald Jack is a great uplifting strain for those who want to party long after the fireworks are over! It hits slowly, but it provides energy, creative stimulation, euphoria, a feeling of lightness, and even increased sexual desire. Watch out for patients smoking this strain!

10. Green Crack

Not real crack.

Renamed by Snoop Dogg at some point, this popular marijuana strain is an excellent choice to smoke before observing a fireworks display because it provides energy, euphoria, an overwhelming feeling of joy and well-being, as well as creative stimulation.  The THC levels are not as high as in some of the other strains listed here, but this strain is still just such a joy to smoke!

Other Contenders:

White Rhino

White Widow

Cannalope Haze

Dr. Grinspoon

Durban Poison

Golden Haze

Misty

Blue Monster

Hawaiian Snow

Blue Dream

Kali Mist

Mango

Purple Cream

Tangerine Dream

Strawberry Haze

Berry White

Did I forget any of YOUR favorites? If so, let me know in the comments.

Cannabis Coconut Oil Recipe

Cannabis Coconut Oil Recipe:

Photo originally used on BuzzFeed

What You'll Need:

oven

crockpot/slow cooker

aluminum foil

spoons

cheesecloth

cannabis (trim, shake, and/or bud)

coconut oil

sunflower liquid lecithin

glass storage container/jar

about 5 hours 

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Directions:

1. Start by decarboxylating your cannabis. Preheat the oven to 230 F. 

2. Break up your plant material (trim, shake, and/or bud) but do not grind.

3. Place the plant material on a cookie sheet in a thin, even layer and cover with aluminum foil.

4. Place the prepared cookie sheet into the oven and "bake" for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

5. After 45 minutes to an hour, remove the cookie sheet of marijuana from the oven and set to cool.

6. Turn the crockpot/slow cooker on low/medium (around 150 F - 175 F)

7. Combine 1 cup coconut oil and 1 teaspoon sunflower lecithin in the crockpot/slow cooker for every 14 grams of decarboxylated bud (24-28 grams if you are just using trim)

8. Cover and let it all simmer for about 3-4 hours, making sure to stir every 35-45 minutes or so.

9. After 3-4 hours, turn off the crockpot/slow cooker and allow contents to cool, but not harden.

10. Once mostly cool (but still very much in liquid form) strain the contents of the crockpot/slow cooker through the cheesecloth, collecting the liquid cannabis coconut oil in a glass storage container.

11. Store in a cool, dry, dark place, and use for cooking, in capsules, on sore gums, as a topical cream on it's own, or as a base for massage creams, lotions, hair care products, etc. 

Indicas and Sativas and the Importance of Knowing Your Meds

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!