Cannabis 101

Cannabis education is key to understanding this amazing plant. Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes a single species, Cannabis sativa, which is sometimes divided into two additional species, Cannabis indica and Cannabis ruderalis.

These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre (hemp), for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a recreational drug.

Cannabis is dioecious, meaning it comes as separate male and female plants. Male plants are taller and thinner and have flower like pods which contain the fertilizing, pollen-generating anthers. The female plant is darker and shorter and has short hairs protruding at the end of the bracteole pods.

The Sativa plant is a taller variety of cannabis compared to Indica.

Sativa’s tend to mature much more slowly than Indica’s and have an increase in accessory pigment as well as a little less chlorophyll.

This lack of chlorophyll can slow the plants growth rate down, so it matures more slowly, requiring more light.

Sativa marijuana can grow as tall as 25 feet if allowed, but most grow between 8 and 12 feet with long, thin finger like leaves that tend to have a more pale green and yellow pigment that other cannabis varieties.

Sativa plants will have long branches that protrude from the main stalk and a Christmas tree shape to them with similar long, thin buds.

An increase in light will help Sativa buds swell and thicken with resin giving them an Apple pie, Fruity aroma with a smooth smoke inhale.

The Sativa variety of cannabis plant are found in many locations around the world. Many commercial varieties of Sativa include:
South Africa, Nigeria, Mexico and Columbia.

The Sativa high is considered highly cerebral. Providing a Rush of energy and a whole body high, the Sativa variety is perfect for those who need to be social or get work done.

The Sativa plants variety are used to grow industrial hemp and require 4 or more additional weeks of grow time in order to reach its full maturity.

Sativa’s tend to have less yield that an Indica plant, which is one of the reasons many cannabis growers choose to grow Indica strains in their gardens.

Over the years as things have changed, and now you can buy seeds from plants that have a specific month they will flower in, to fit your schedule best, as well as the variety of hybrids now on the market, you can get that Sativa high, with the grow cycle of an Indica.

The Sativa cannabis high is very cerebral and will give the smoker an energy and stimulation to both the body and mind, possibly causing hallucinations.

The Sativa high is considered both energetic and uplifting with the feeling of well-being and increased optimism. This can help with a variety of body pain, and its high level of THC can make the user a little spacey. Sativa’s tend to be consumed more for Daytime use.

• More stimulating and uplifting
• Energizing and thought provoking
• Increases focus and creativity
• Supports immune system
• Best for use in daytime
• Benefits of Sativa:
• Reduces nausea
• Stimulates the appetite
• Fights depression
• Positive, uplifting, cerebral effect
• Energizes and stimulates
• Promotes creativity
• Relieves headaches and migraines
• Relaxes muscles, relieves pain
• Acts as an expectorant

Most species of indica marijuana plants have a natural short stature, mature earlier and tend to look bushier.

Indica’s also tend to have an increase in chlorophyll and less accessory pigments that help protect it from the sun.

This increase in chlorophyll can tend to help the Indica plant mature and grow more quickly that its sativa counterpart.

An Indica plant is usually less than 6′ tall when fully mature and rarely reach 8′ tall.

The Indica plant produces short, wide and dark colored leaves that can tend to turn purple when the plant reaches full maturity.

The branches of the Indica marijuana plant will tend to be thick and heavy with buds and matures usually around early September.

If the climate is too cold, the Indica plant could have a hard time reaching full maturity and could have problems in more Northern climates and higher elevations.

Indica marijuana buds tend to have a potent musky Oder and will provide a relaxing social high.

Some forms of Indica will provide what is known as “Couch Lock” and put you right to sleep.

Many Indica strains derive from Pakistan, Afghanistan and India, as well as their surrounding areas.

Because of this, the Indica strain is perfect for the many variable climates of the world.

The Indica plants gene pool is heterogeneous and will offer a wide range of THC to CBD ratios making it a perfect strain for hashish or medicinal benefits.

Most people that ingest the Indica cannabis plant tend to experience a heavy, stony, relaxing high also known as “Couch Lock” due to the high THC content of some Indica’s.

The Indica marijuana plant is used to relax and relieve stress as well as pain relief over the entire body.

Insomnia is one of the more common uses of the Indica marijuana plant and is used for many to simply sleep through the entire night.

Indica tends to be more physical and less cerebral.

• Relaxation, pain relief and sedation
• Best used at the end of the day or before bedtime
• Anxiety and Insomnia relief
• Benefits of Indica Cannabis Plants:
• reduces pain
• muscle relaxant
• relieves spasms, reduces seizures
• reduces inflammation
• aids sleep
• reduces anxiety and stress
• reduces nausea
• stimulates appetite
• relieves headaches and migraines
• reduces intra-ocular pressure
• bronchio-dilator and expectorant

Crossbreeding is when a grower breeds two completely different strains of cannabis plant together to create a brand-new strain.

The gardener wants to combine special growing characteristics of two or more plants. Male pollen is combined with flowers of a female cannabis plant to make a brand-new hybrid strain.

The thousands of combinations that can be achieved by creating hybrid strains, crossing the Incredibly tall Sativa with an Indica that has incredible taste and a fast flower time, we can produce offspring that share characteristics of both plants.

Pure Cannabis Breeds are species that have only ever been bred with similar varieties of cannabis plant, so all of their genes are practically identical.

Hybrids were created by growers that wanted specific characteristics in their plants, 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 cannabis plant that has two parents who are true breeders.

This means that their offspring will not have exact characteristics to either parent but instead they will share some similarities of both plants.

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 you get from a hybrid will depend on how much Indica and Sativa 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.