What is the Difference Between Indica & Sativa

There are a lot of myths surrounding both Indica and Sativa, so we decided to look into the science and facts of both strains. Most people think they can differentiate both by how they make them feel, but we’ve learned that these opinions vary. So what’s the real difference?

Back in the 1700’s cannabis species were differentiated based on their physical appearances. In 1753, Swedish biologist Carl Linneaus identified Cannabis sativa. Thirty-two years later, French biologist Jean-Baptist Lamarck identified Cannabis indica. Lamarck argued that the Indica species had a darker green color and were a bit wider than the Sativa species that were discovered first.

Recently, Within the growing community and avid cannabis enthusiasts contribute the difference between Indica and Sativa from how it grows. For example, the Sativa species tend to flower in ten to eleven weeks while Indica takes about eight weeks to flower. Sativa’s are usually intended for warmer climates taller and thin which attributes to the eleven plus week of flowering while the Indicas grow stocky and like to flower in 8 weeks.

Indica vs. Sativa slang terms

They are both psychoactive species, but people generally agree that Sativa has gotten them a better psychoactive experience than Indica.
However, people react differently. Sativa may get you an out-of-body experience, or it makes you feel paranoid. Indica may put you to sleep or relieve anxiety. The old budtender saying from Cannadave “Indica in the couch” all comes down to personal experiences.

We think these varying experiences may be due to an entourage effect precipitated by the terpene content and the methods the grower might have employed. Both Sativa and Indica species come in hundreds of strains, so your damaging episode may be because of that particular strain. Some hybrid strains contain both species.

The primary factual differences between Sativa and Indica are in their genetics, and only the growers would correctly identify them. Strictly speaking, you can’t accurately tell Sativa from Indica simply by consuming it.