How-to Guide: Choosing the Right Cultivar for You
If you’re wondering whether to try a Sativa, Indica, or Hybrid - we’ve got you covered in this How-To article, deciding the best cultivar for you.
Jason Sander · May 12, 2021 · 4 min read
How do I decide which cannabis variety to try? With thousands of choices of cultivars to choose from, and always increasing - it can get a little overwhelming. We’ve designed this quick guide to help you decide which kind of cannabis is right for you.
Dispensaries offer customers a plethora of products - from flower to edibles, concentrates, and everything in between. On top of that, there are thousands of different varieties to choose from as well. For a consumer that isn’t as experienced, where to start? Ask yourself these kinds of questions:
- Do you prefer an energetic, talkative, and uplifting feeling with cannabis, or do you prefer more calming and relaxing, perhaps somewhere in between?
- Do you like the therapeutic benefits of cannabis, but aren’t exactly thrilled about feeling high?
- Do you ever have trouble falling asleep?
- Do you prefer the body or mind feeling when high, or somewhere in between?
- Do you suffer from chronic pain?
- Would you rather feel creative, relaxed, or balanced?
Indica, Sativa, Hybrids, and CBD
If your answers to the above questions included that you prefer a combination of energetic, talkative, uplifting, creative head high, then you likely will be best suited for a Sativa-dominant cultivar. If you would rather relax, consume cannabis to help you sleep, or help relieve pain or stress, then we recommend an Indica-dominant variety.
However, if you prefer somewhere in between all the above, then a hybrid is likely best for you. For more in-depth info about Indica VS Sativa, be sure to check out our article right here. If you said that you like the therapeutic benefits of cannabis, but aren’t exactly thrilled about feeling high, then perhaps a CBD-rich variety like Charlotte’s Web is right for you.
Sativa Consumers
If you’re looking for an uplifting, energetic experience with a high mostly felt in the head, Sativa is probably best for you. Some consumers feel their mental clarity is boosted with Sativa-dominant varieties, and even an increased ability to focus. For this reason, Sativa is often viewed as a “daytime high”, because it can help you be more talkative, creative, and productive when consuming.
Some of the most popular Sativa cultivars include:
Indica Consumers
If you said you’d rather consume a variety of cannabis that helps you relax, sleep, relieve pain, and just chill at the end of the day - the ideal kind of cannabis for you is likely Indica. Varieties of cannabis with an Indica-dominance typically will make you feel calm and soothed. Indica-dominant varieties are known for their “couch-lock” feeling, meaning you feel so relaxed that it’s hard to get off the couch. Experienced consumers will prefer Indica if they’re looking to help with their chronic pain, insomnia, or stress relief. Because Indica can be tranquilizing or sedating, it’s usually looked at as an “evening high”.
Some of the most popular Indica cultivars include:
Hybrid Consumers
If you’re looking for a balanced combination of body and head high, then hybrid cultivars might be the best pick for you. Hybrid varieties are great for those who are new to consuming cannabis. Most cannabis cultivars today are typically hybrids, although they are rarely a 50/50 split of the two. Most cannabis varieties will be either Sativa or Indica-dominant. A perfect hybrid will make you feel a mental uplift from Sativa and relaxing sedation from Indica.
Some of the most popular Hybrid cultivars include:
Practice Makes Perfect
As with anything you’re trying for the first time, arriving at the best cannabis variety for you will take trial and error. While Indica and Sativa classifications are relatively accurate, everyone is different. What is thought of to be sedating Indica could make you feel energetic and upbeat, and vice versa. This is why you must try different varieties to decide which one is best for you.
"What is thought of to be sedating Indica could make you feel energetic and upbeat, and vice versa. This is why you must try different varieties to decide which one is best for you."
A Word About Terpenes
There’s a spectrum of variable outcomes when trying different varieties of cannabis - but for the sake of brevity in this article, we narrowed it down to Indica, Sativa, and Hybrid. As we’ve said many times before, legal cannabis needs to be refreshed in regards to the way we classify plant medicine. As new varieties of cannabis are always popping up, cultivar lineage becomes less of exact science, if it ever was. For more in-depth information about the wonderful world of terpenes, be sure to check out our Terp 101 article here.
This means it’s time for a better, more accurate way to identify our cannabis. We believe the future of cannabis involves learning more about terpenes - their flavor, aroma, and potential medical benefit. Terpene profiles offer much more accurate information about the cultivar you’re trying. And as cannabis legalization continues to push forward, we will see more research conducted about terpenes and their myriad of benefits. We’ve started a Terpene Spotlight series, with the first installment discussing Linalool, so you can read up and learn more about terps!
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