Even in this day and age, there still seems to be a lot of misconceptions in the minds of a lot of people about cannabis. People think of cannabis and they instantly connect it with the infamous ‘high’. The first image to pop in their head is what they see on TV or in movies where the stoner guy is smoking marijuana somewhere in the back alley.

They think that cannabis makes you sleepy and talkative. Or that it will make you hungry like a monster.

While many of these traits are true, you should know that it’s true for only a ‘special’ type of cannabis. Medical cannabis patients know there’s more to this herb than meets the eye. There’s a whole world about this plant that is largely unknown to the general public.

People who have used medical cannabis know it has several varieties and each variety has something different to offer in terms of therapeutic effects. If you want to know more about those varieties, check out this website.

This guide means to familiarize you with three popular cannabis strains that further have hundreds of varieties.

3 Popular Cannabis Strains

– Indica Strain

The majority of stereotypical effects, the world associates with cannabis like euphoria or feeling extremely hungry, sleepy, or talkative are connected with this particular variety of cannabis – the Indica Strain. This is, by far, the most popular variety of cannabis. It is widely used and the majority users comprise of those who need it for recreational purposes.

The levels of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC in the Indica strain are the highest. THC links to euphoria, high, drowsiness, and feelings of relaxation. It can also make an occasional user feel extremely hungry which is called ‘the munchies’.

In the context of medical cannabis, Indica strain comes handy for when a person needs relief from chronic pain for a couple of hours. It can induce relaxation thus giving temporary relief from bodily discomforts and pains. It can also put chronically fatigued people to sleep. These properties of Indica make it an excellent choice for insomnia sufferers.

However, not all Indicas are created equal. Some may have higher THC levels compared to the others. A strain with higher TCH levels will be that much more potent.

– Sativa Strain

Sativa strain of cannabis is supposed to be an ideal strain if we talk about its implications from a medical perspective. That’s because Sativa strain’s effects tend to be more ‘energizing’. Sativa strains carry the highest levels of CBD or cannabidiol. CBD is the cannabinoid that links to a whole bunch of therapeutic/medicinal effects. It carries amazing anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties too. Although CBD is present in other strains as well, it’s the highest in Sativa.

Users of medical cannabis prefer this particular strain in times when they need to stay awake and alert. It gives the perfect combination of energizing and pain-relieving properties. Because of this, Sativa is ideal for day time usage. Any medical cannabis strain that has high levels of CBD is good for managing a variety of mental health conditions too such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc. Because the strains are energizing and offer pain-relieving effects, it may inadvertently make you feel good about yourself as well.

CBD is also good because unlike THC which can sometimes worsen the symptoms of anxiety – cannabidiol actually has soothing effects. If nothing else, it certainly won’t worsen the symptoms. However, if you need cannabis strains for mental health conditions, you should talk to your physician first.

– Hybrid Strains

Hybrid, as you can imagine, is a crossover between Indica and Sativa. The idea is to give the users ‘the best of both worlds’. Based on where the strain comes from, the ratio and individual levels of THC and CBD can vary significantly. Therefore, it’s difficult to make any sweeping generalizations about what a particular strain of the hybrid variety can and can’t do.

However, based on user experiences – it’s safe to assume that a certain hybrid strain may have effects resembling Indica while others may exhibit effects similar to those of Sativa. Hybrid varieties of cannabis are supposed to have lower THC and higher CBD levels. However, as we mentioned earlier, it’s hard to make any generalizations.

The bright side of the hybrid is that it opens up a lot of options for people seeking cannabis for medicinal purposes.

It is very much possible for some hybrid strains to carry higher THC levels and so it could carry psychoactive effects.

How to Choose The Right Strain?

The right strain, understandably, would depend on your individual needs. If you need it for things like pain management or for relief from mental health conditions, you should stick with varieties that are high in CBD content. However, if you don’t mind a slight euphoric addition, then higher THC levels would be good.

In any condition, you should always do your research and talk to your physician first. If you decide to buy them online, be sure to purchase only from a reliable vendor. More often than not, each product listing should tell you the place from where the strain was sourced and what you may expect in terms of effects.

You should also remember that an occasional strain may have a bunch of side-effects like dizziness, dry mouth, constipation, diarrhea, dry eyes, etc.

Cannabis is capable of managing a variety of mental and physical health conditions but you should always be careful when making it a part of your routine. Once again, talking to your doctor/physician is always recommended.