Indica Genetic Phenotypes

Pure cannabis indica genetics are commonly described (phenotypes) as short, cone shaped, bushy, densely branched plant with dark green, broad fat leaves (sometimes tinged with purple). Indica contains more chlorophyll than other genetic family members, creating a short, more productive vegetative and flowering growth life. Indoor cannabis cultivation has come to love indica for it’s small stature with fast growth periods while outdoor cultivators love the early flowering season.

The flowering stage for cannabis indica ranges from 6 to 8 weeks. The dry buds will be thick, compact, and usually very smelly. Genetics these days generates types of indica with less smell. The original taste of the dry buds generally go from skunky to sweet. Today, manipulation of genetic traits runs rampant in breeders creating more diverse tastes and smells.

Indica cannabis has more of the major plant constituent – cannabinoid – or CBD content than other family species.  CBD reaches as high as 40% of inebriant plant materials. The high percentage of cannabinoids is described by most stoners as more of an earthy all over body stone than a cerebral high. But as always “The type of buzz is in the head of the beholding smoker”.

Indica Genetic History

The origins of pure cannabis indica genetics routes back to central and south Asia mountain ranges. In 1785, famous biologist Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck published a description of a species of Cannabis, he named Cannabis Indica. Lamarck based his description on plant specimens collected in India. He noted the fibers were not as strong as sativa but had better head and body buzz qualities.

The Hindu Kush mountain range produced a hearty cannabis plant that can thrive and grow in most climate conditions around the world. Afghanistan, Pakistan, Morocco, Tibet and India mainly used the cannabis indica plant to produce hashish and kiff due to heavy resin/crystal content traits.

In the 20th century, indica is thought to be the better genetics for medical cannabis because of growth periods and superior inebriants. Today, a medical cannabis grower can produce any qualities needed for a certain type of medicine. An example is amnesia, better treated with a cerebral high than a heavy headed body stone buzz, thus a grower can choose certain genetic traits suited to specific medical conditions.

Sativa Genetic Phenotypes

Sativa cannabis genetics possess basic characteristics or phenotypes consisting of long slender leaves, lighter green in color because of less chlorophyll, more yellow pigments to protect itself from sunlight, taller plants, longer flowering tops for bigger buds, and a higher THC level than other types of cannabis which are higher in CBD. Sativa contains over 60 types of cannabinoids.

Sativa vegetative growth needs over 13 hours a day of sunlight to maintain itself in this phase. Vegetative growth can be manipulated to produce taller plants, up to 12 or more feet. The nodes grow farther apart making for a more long and narrow branch system. This plant is famous for the outdoor growing season and producing a huge harvest. This plant reaches up to the sky very rapidly.

Depending on the type of cannabis sativa and the growing environment, the maturation of the flowering stage can take anywhere from 9 to 15 weeks. The buds will be long and narrow, not too densely packed. The flowering bud may be tinged slightly purple when grown in a cooler climate, dark orange or even red in a warmer environment.

Effects of sativa cannabis is a spacey, uplifting, energetic, cerebral high feeling. Once again, “The high is dependent on the individual”.

Sativa Genetic History

Cannabis sativa is an annual herb of the Cannabaceae family. Sativa is thought to be derived from Latin words meaning sown or cultivated. Sativa has it’s first evidence of historical roots in China, India, the Middle East and North Africa.

Sativa has been cultivated throughout recorded history as a source of strong fiber, oil, food, and medicine. We can find historical evidence of teas and ointments. Sativa fiber was used for centuries as a major source of industrial cloth and for making paper. Oils are more abundant in sativa therefore making it a great source of essential oil throughout time. The seeds have always been a superb source of protein. To this day you’ll find sativa hemp seeds in your local health food stores.

Growing wild in nature the cannabis sativa plant can be weedy or invasive. With wild growth came religious ceremonies like seed burnings, or smoke inducing trances.

The first restrictions for sale of cannabis came in 1906 in the United States of America. Canada outlawed cannabis sativa in 1923 before any reported use in the country.

Recent sativa genetic manipulation has resulted in more of an inebriant use. The cerebral effects of sativa now lead to medical breakthroughs for symptoms like amnesia and low energy levels. Cannabis can effect heart rate, blood pressure, and short term memory.

New Hybrid Cannabis Genetics

Throughout time diversity and vigor has always been important to preserve the overall health and resistance of cannabis plants. When you see a “strain” of cannabis, you are basically looking at a particular plant that a marijuana breeder has created to display certain traits.

The marijuana plant has divided into two easily distinguishable genetic lines named sativa and indica. There is a third named ruderalis but not many breeders use ruderalis genetics.

Sativas basically grew wild in almost all equatorial regions of the globe like Mexico, Thailand, Colombia, and Jamaica. Indicas basically grew in southern Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Tibet, and Nepal. The plants were cultivated and bred for specific uses. Cannabis sativas was once used for straight smoking and while cannabis indica was used for making hashish and kif.

Sativa and Indica have been bred together for decades creating exciting new hybrid strains of cannabis with fantastic individual genetic traits. Do you want small or tall, fruity or skunky, heady or body stone, the choice of cannabis genetics grows every day.

Synthetic Cannabis Genetics

The inebriant ingredients in cannabis genetics are called cannabinoids. There are hundreds of trace cannabinoids and a few main inebriants well known as tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabinol, cannabidiol, cannabinolidic acid, cannabigerol, and cannabichromene.

The most famous is Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol is thought to be responsible for most of the psychoactive effects of cannabis and is the active ingredient in synthetic THC pills such as marinol.

Marinol or dronabinol (light yellow resinous oil) has an active ingredient from a synthetic THC and usually comes in pill  or soft gelatin capsule form. It is not supposed to be sold in a form to to smoke. Most people feel marinol is less potent than normal cannabis as a medicine.

Synthetic THC, called dronabinol, will not contain any CBD, CBN, or other cannabinoids, which is one reason why its pharmacological effects may differ significantly from those of natural Cannabis forms of ingestion.