Growing Cannabis 101: Choosing Strains

Choosing the correct cannabis strain can be a daunting task. But no worries, I am here to assist you. Cannabis strains are either pure or hybrid varieties of cannabis. Depending who you talk to, cannabis can be broken down into five sub-species. I know, you're just thinking in your head head about the two big players you hear about: C. sativa and C. indica. The thing is what we think of and call 'indica' is really C. afghanica. C. indica is supposed to refer to Indian cannabis, and the confusion comes from the Hindu Kush mountain range in between the two countries. Kush weed is a hybrid of C. afghanica, and C. indica through open and natural pollination. Here are the five sub-species as I best understand.

1. Cannabis sativa
2. Cannabis indica
3. Cannabis afghanica
4. Cannabis ruderalis
5. Cannabis sativa var. hemp

I will do my best to explain each strain in detail from physical characteristics to its medicinal benefits as well as include photos of each.

Cannabis sativa

Sativa plants originated predominantly in Asia, the Americas and Africa. They are typically tall; loosely branched; with generous internodal length; large root system; and have long, narrow leaves. Flowers are somewhat sparse when grown indoors. They are best grown outdoors and can reach heights of up to 20 feet depending on your grow season as well as all other variable such as light and soil conditions.

The effects of sativa and sativa dominant strains are often describe as uplifting and energetic, cerebral, spacey or hallucinogenic and are typically regarded as being best suited for day use. Sativa dominant strains often exhibit a higher THCA to CBDA ratio.

Cannabis indica

Cannabis indica originated in Pakistan and India. Indica and indica dominant strains are prized by indoor gardeners for its squat, bushy growth; compact root system; hardy stems; broad leaves; and dense, fat, heavy flowers. Leaves are typically a darker green than that of sativas. In some strains, leaves around buds turn reddish or purple. The ration of CBDA to THCA tends to be higher in C. indica.

Indica is typically judged as being relaxing and calming with a strong body buzz or ‘couch lock and is best suited for night use. Indica really produces that 'sit on your head' high.

Cannabis afghanica

Cannabis afghanica originated near present day Afghanistan. It is a very short plant that rarely reaches more than six feet in height. Afghanica has very distinctive broad, dark green leaves. Extremely dense branching and short internodes with long leaf stems are the dominant characteristics of this variety. The most common examples of C. afghanica are any of your afghani or hash plant strains. These plants are almost exclusively cultivated for their use in concentrates such as hashish due to their incredibly high cannabinoid production.

Afghanica is similar to Indica in its effects; being relaxing and calming with a strong body buzz or ‘couch lock and is best suited for night use. Afghanica tends to be more potent due to the high THCA and CBDA production.

Cannabis ruderalis

Ditch weed. Nothing more needs to be said...

Fine. As with all cannabis this plant holds a unique place amongst the other sub-species. Cannabis ruderalis is a short, scrubby plant that contains very little THCA. The interesting thing about this plant is how it flowers. Ruderalis does not require a change in photoperiod to begin blooming. This strain matures in about seven weeks and typically reaches around two feet tall. The species appears to have originated in northern Russia, however it can be found anywhere hemp production was prevalent. Cannabis ruderalis was first brought to Amsterdam in the early 80's by the Seed Bank to add to their breeding program. What resulted is the wide selection of 'autoflowering' plants. If the name contains 'ryder', 'low ryder', 'auto' or 'automatic' then it is same to assume it is of the autoflowering variety.

The high is poor, and by poor I mean the typical result is described as a headache.

Hemp

Hemp or industrial hemp is technically a sativa. However, it is produced specifically for, well, everything besides getting high. Seriously, don't even try.

The applications for hemp are endless. It can be used for food, textiles, fuel, cosmetics, paint... the list goes on. I encourage you to explore the applications and benefits of hemp cultivation. It is far too broad for me to reasonably discuss here.

As always, I appreciate your support of my blog and be sure to leave a comment below. I appreciate any and all questions, comments or gripes. If I got something wrong, then let me know.