The More You Know: Indica + Sativa

For ages we have used the terms Indica and Sativa as guides to predict our cannabis high. These terms are much deeper than the boxes we put them in, and as much as we’d like it to be a breeze, it’s simply not. Let’s get into it!

How Terpene Profiles Affect Your High

There’s no doubt the cannabis industry has grown exponentially the last several years. There are more strains of cannabis now than ever before. Hell, new cultivars (AKA strains) are being bred and cultivated daily. Right this very minute!

Dispensary 33 has been analyzing the various euphoric effects of smoking, vaporizing, and ingesting cannabis since the start. We utilize lab results to determine how specific cannabinoid and terpene profiles affect the nuance of cannabis’s psychotropic experience.

What is a terpene profile? A cultivar’s terpene profile, fundamentally the essential oils, is the distinct set of terpenes in a specific batch of cannabis flower. Illinois labs test for about 30 specific terpenes in every batch. The combination and concentrations of certain terpenes in a specific product determine the terpene profile of the product.

What’s a cannabinoid profile? A cannabinoid profile is similar to a terpene profile, except Illinois tests for only around ten cannabinoids, such as THC, CBD, CBN, THCa, THCv, etc., in milligrams per gram. Cannabinoids interact with the user’s endocannabinoid system to induce the “high” familiar to us.

Let’s Break it Down. There is a common metaphor in the industry comparing cannabis to a car. The cannabinoid profile is the gas pedal that controls the speed, AKA how high you feel based on potency of THC, CBD, CBN percentage, and the terpene profile is the steering wheel that determines the nuance of effects, AKA whether the experience will be relaxing, racy, sedative, mood-elevating, etc.

Some of the terpenes we focus on concerning the nuance of effects and aroma and taste palate profile are: myrcene, limonene, a-pinene, b-pinene, terpinolene, linalool, beta-caryophyllene, humulene, and ocimene.

Keywords in our menu descriptions based on terpenes and their effects

Myrcene (myr· cene)
Palate: earthy, berry fruits, musky, clove-like
Euphoria: stony, sedative, physical, relaxing

Limonene (lim· o· nene)
Palate: lemon orange, citrus rind, sharp, fermented fruit
Euphoria: mood-uplifting, peppy, perky, heady

Pinene (pi· nene)
Palate: turpentine, pine, sweet, resinous
Euphoria: clear-headed, focused, stimulating, energizing

Terpinolene (ter· pin· o· lene)
Palate: lemon-lime soda, effervescent, pomelo, tropical fruit
Euphoria: energizing, racy, hazy

Linalool: (lin· al· o· ol)
Palate: floral, lavender, lilac, spicy undertones
Euphoria: calming, sedative, tranquil, mellow

Beta-Caryophyllene: (car· y· o· phyl· lene)
Palate: black pepper, baking spices, clove
Euphoria: sedative, physical, heavy

Humulene: (hu· mu· lene)
Palate: hoppy, floral, spicy
Euphoria: physical, relaxing, mellow

Ocimene: (oc· i· mene)
Palate: woodsy, cedar, spicy
Euphoria: stimulating, zippy, elevating

Sativa, Indica and Hybrid, what do you really want?

We are not the biggest fans of using the terms indica and sativa to predict the euphoric experience of cannabis but we acknowledge that these words are here to stay so we created a guide for what they generally mean.

We believe almost every cultivar we see is a “hybrid”. Landrace strains are the exception. They are the OG cultivars of cannabis – they are unique because they have never been crossbred and exhibit distinct flavors and effects derived from their specific geographical location.

Looking for Sativa? Sativa lovers are likely seeking an experience that will be more stimulating and energizing, which could be clear-headed or hazy and heady. The terpenes we associate with these effects are terpinolene, limonene, and pinene.

Some examples: Durban (Poison), Jack Herer, Pineapple Express, Lime Sorbet, L’Orange, Gorilla’d Cheese, Cake Breath, Turbo Lemon Cake, Champion City Chocolate, Thai landraces.

Looking for Indica? Indica lovers are likely seeking and experience that is any combination of physical, relaxing, calming, mellow, heavy, sedative, and stony. The terpenes we associate with those effects are myrcene, beta-caryophyllene, and linalool.

Some examples: Grand Daddy Purple, Purple Punch, Kosher Kush, Afghani landraces, Gorilla Glue #4, Mag Landrace

Looking for a hybrid? Hybrid lovers are likely expecting an experience that will be neither notably energetic nor too relaxed. The terpenes we associate with those effects can be any combination of terpenes, usually without any specific terpene dominating the terpene profile.

Some examples: Gelato, Girl Scout Cookies, MAC, Dosido, OG Kush-related cultivars

History of the Terms Sativa and Indica

Cannabis sativa is the species or genus of the flowering plant that we all know so well. Many classify this genus/species as having three separate species or subspecies of Cannabis sativa: Cannabis sativa sativa, Cannabis sativa indica, and Cannabis sativa ruderalis – but we’ll simply say sativa, indica, and ruderalis.

Cannabis Sativa Sativa AKA Sativa
First classified in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish national and “father of modern taxonomy” (the science of naming of biological organisms). Sativa is a Latin word meaning “things that are cultivated.” Cannabis sativa is described as sporting a tall frame and lanky, lengthy branching with long, thin, and narrow leaves.

Cannabis Sativa Indica AKA Indica
Indica, meaning “of India” was discovered by French biologist and naturalist, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck on a trip to India in 1785, ~30 years later. It is often described as being of shorter, denser, bushier stature with more stout and broad fan leaves.

Cannabis Sativa Ruderalis AKA Ruderalis
Ruderalis is a species or subspecies of cannabis first classified in 1924 by D.E Janischewsky, a Russian botanist. It has an incredibly minimal, near-nonexistent THC content and is not found in dispensaries.

While the importance and significance of these classifications are undeniable important for breeders and growers of cannabis we are not sure that these terms are entirely beneficial as a predictor of psychotropic effects. What we do know is THC (in addition to the differing terpenes/terpene profiles of specific cultivars) are much more integral in determining the nuances of the euphoric experience of the user.

Cannabinerds, this discussion is over and out. Still curious? The D33 team is brewing up more cannabis content, so stay tuned!

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Stay lifted, friends.