Sativa, Indica, and Hybrid Strains - What You Need to Know

When it comes to using marijuana for the first time, it can be a little bit overwhelming. It seems like there are a million different products and strains available at any given dispensary. How on earth are you going to choose the right one? Well, as the United States’ acceptance of medical marijuana continues to grow, medical patients have better resources in figuring out the difference between marijuana strains and which ones are best for them. 

There is a lot to know about different strains of cannabis, especially now that there are well over 700 strains that have been developed and introduced in the North American market. If you are looking for a little bit of insight into how strains work and some of the things you need to know about them, then you have come to the right place, my friend. 

Today, I wanted to take some time out of my busy schedule to write a beginners guide to sativa, indica, and hybrid strains. If you did not already know, those three categories are basically what every type of marijuana strain will fall into. It is important to know the difference between strains and how they can affect and benefit you, whether you are a medical weed user.

So firstly, let’s talk about sativa. Sativa strains are most generally associated with what is called a “head high”. This type of marijuana strain is great for increasing energy levels and focus, which makes them a popular choice for daytime and social use. Say you are going to a concert with some friends and want to light up a joint beforehand - in that case, sativa is the way to go. Sativa users usually experience lighter and happier moods, euphoric highs, and increased levels of creativity and thought. 

However, sativa strains can also cause some unwanted side effects in some patients, specifically things like rapid heart beat, anxiety, and even insomnia. It is best to not take any sativa cannabis before you try to go to bed, since you will likely experience racing thoughts and increased energy levels. 

There are certain medical benefits for sativa strains specifically, especially for people that tend to lose focus or motivation. Sativa strains have been used by patients with ADHD and ADD due to the way it lowers their symptoms and increases focus. When using sativa, make sure that you are careful with how much you smoke and the specific strain that you use. Popular sativa strains include Sour Diesel, Durban Poison, Lemon Haze, Green Crack, and Panama Red.

Indica strains differ from sativa strains in a lot of ways. Primarily, the type of high that one experiences from an indica strain is less of a head high and more of a body high. Indica strains are great for a night at home when you want to relax on the couch or head to bed early. This type of marijuana will leave your body feeling warm and tingly, and it’s almost impossible to find an uncomfortable position on the couch after smoking enough indica. 

Most people use indica strains at night due to how relaxing and calming they are - you will definitely want to fall asleep early. Indica strains also have a lot of great medical benefits, especially when it comes to reducing stress and anxiety. Since indica helps people to relax, many patients use it to reduce their pain levels before going to bed which can help people with insomnia. Popular indica strains include Hindu Kush, Granddaddy Purple, Northern Lights, and White Widow.

When it comes to picking the right strain, I suggest picking a hybrid of the two. Hybrids are great because they combine both sativa and indica, making for a great mix of body and head highs.

What is Hexahydrocannibinol (HHC)

Hexahydrocannabinol is something that’s naturally occurring in a ton of parts of the cannabis plant, and is seen as a minor cannabinoid, and is considered a derivative o both delta-8 and delta-9 THC in most cases, and while it’s found naturally in small amounts within the cannabis sativa plant, it is something that’s synthetically produced through hydrogenation, which is where you add a bond of hydrogen to this, and it can also be made from CBD. 

While there isn’t a ton of research to this, it does create the similar euphoria that HC does, which is what makes it psychoactive, so it’s good for reducing inflammation, helping to reduce vomiting, and also will stimulate your appetite, which is great for chronic pain, and chemotherapy side effects. 

What is HHC though? 

This is basically a cannabinoid that’s there, and it’s basically another biproduct of the degradation of THC. HHC is also something that is created through hydrogenation of different extracts, where the hydrogen is added to THC. Unlike the delta-8 and the delta-9 versions of this, HHC is something that doesn’t have double bonds within the cyclohexanol rings, so it’s similar to other cannabis compounds. 

This is something that does offer the same effects that THC does, and it does bind to receptors in a similar manner, so it does offer a variety of benefits to the body, but the effects of it are far less. There are two enantiomers, which are compounds with the same levels of connectivity, but also opposite shapes that are there, which can bind directly towards CB1 receptors much more, and it’s something that also is used as an acetate too, but it’s about 1.5 times stronger than HHC is. 

The Health Benefits 

The structure of this is very similar to THC, so it also may be an antioxidant, reduces inflammation, and also might offer effects which are anti-emetic, so it’s something that does offer a variety of different applications. 

Some of the applications that this could be used for including the following: 

• Chronic pain, especially neuropathy 

• Appetite problems 

• Insomnia, 

• Vomiting and nausea 

• Spasms, especially associated with MS and the like 

• Cancer and other side effects 

It also may offer similar benefits that THC does to the body. Some people use HTC to help with sleeping, and with this, it can help to reduce the problems associated with this, and then offer a ton of benefits. 

Side Effects and Risks 

The problem with HCH is that it’s a novel compound, so we don’t know as much as the other compounds. But it also does have similar effects that THC does, which can be quite adverse. Dry mouth, dizziness, memory problems, cottonmouth, red eyes, heart rate acceleration, issues with reaction time and coordination, and forgetfulness are all a big risk of this. However, this is something that’s not as potent as what THC offers, so it may not have as potent effects 

However if you get this that’s synthetic, that’s another story. That’s because the side effects are much more sever, and the industrial actions that use different compounds, oftentimes very harsh, do end up in the final product, so those synthetically produced ones do have higher levels of HHC compared to cannabis that’s natural, so higher levels and dosages may also offer more adverse effects. 

The lab-produced kind is something that’s much different from the palnt0-produced, so if you do want to use this, you should definitely go for something that comes naturally from the plant, and from there, you can use it safely for your needs.

Cannabis for Women’s Health

Women’s health has grown by a lot, with more and more women coming forward about the different issues that they deal with, including menopause, osteoporosis, and even infertility and endometriosis. There are more and more drugs that are being made to help, but one thing that people are using is cannabis. Cannabis is something that's great for building a natural healing sort of means, and it’s a good way to really help with a variety of different tissues. Here, we’ll go over the different ways cannabis can help with women’s health concerns. 

The History Behind This 

Cannabis has actually been used for a long time to help treat conditions. Some people used to use the other parts of the herb as well, including the seeds, roots, and the flowers, in order to help with medical conditions. One of the oldest references for the usage of cannabis was actually in Mesopotamia, where pharmacopoeia the big reference book on Egyptian medicine, discussed the use of cannabis, and how it would help childbirth and dealing with this. It was first indicated on the Ebers Papyrus as well, which dates all the way back to 1534 BC, and also discusses the use of this too.

It also was used by Queen Victoria, who got monthly prescriptions to help with the discomfort that she helped with, especially the spams associated with dysmenorrhea as well. This is something that actually can help with a lot of things, and let’s go into how cannabis can aid with this. 

How cannabis can help. 

Let’s talk about gynecology and cannabis, and how this can help women. Gynecologists are basically doctors that treat stuff related to your reproductive system, especially in women, and they include the ovaries, the womb, and the vagina. There are a variety of diseases that can impact this, and cannabis can help with many.

One of the biggest things it can help with is period pain. Almost half of women deal with period pain after and during every period, and a good tenth of them have it so bad that they’re unable to function in their daily life.  While there haven’t been any studies that are controlled on this, but according to qualitative studies, it was found that about 90% of women who used cannabis were able to get help from this, and it’s been so good that there are even tampons that help with the pain that are filled with both THC and CBD. 

Cannabis and PMS 

This is another part that comes with periods, and usually has symptoms that happen shortly before the [period. Mood swings, tenderness of the breasts, irritability, and fatigue are quite common, but one of the things that people have looked into is cannabis to help with this. Some researchers have found that the conditions that are there do overlap together with PMS, especially insomnia, depression and irritability. 

Other gynecological conditions 

It also helps with endometriosis which is basically when the tissue from the womb grows in other locations, and it can cause pain in the pelvis, pain during sex, too much bleeding, and even infertility.

It was found that those who used cannabis orally and inhaled it bettered their symptoms. It did help to show a bit of promise for using this too.

Finally, it does help with se drive as well. It can improve sex, and boost sexual satisfaction, while also boosting the chance for women to have an orgasm. It’s been so good that there are even lubricants and other products to help with sex, so it can be beneficial for your needs as well.