Takeaway: Cannabaceae is a flowering plant that produces a genus called marijuana. Out of 11 genera that fall under the Cannabaceae family three prime species have made a name for themselves. These are Sativa, Indica and Hybrid. From appearances to chemical properties to physiological effects this terrific trio has distinctive properties that help us to differentiate between themselves. Each of them has many strains that are derived from these three. One should know about these three to know more about which suits you the best.
Cannabis has become an industry in itself after receiving overwhelming support from the citizens in allowing medical marijuana programs to run in as many as 31 states in the US.Several states including the capital state of Washington have waved a green flag to its recreational use giving people a thrust to believe in this plant. As marijuana enthusiasts, or users residing in the progressive states, it is evident to have come across the names of the different cannabis species.
However, how well do you know what the names, Sativa, Indica, Ruderalis, or Hybrids suggest? Even if you are living in one of the conservative states which are yet to allow medical marijuana programs, you are bound to be curious as to what the growers and experts mean when talking about these marijuana strains and species.
And more importantly, how are they different from each other?
We’ll talk about it in detail today starting with the basic description of cannabis as a plant!
An Introductory Note On Cannabis Species And Strains
Everybody knows marijuana but hardly does anyone understands it taxonomically. Marijuana, better known as cannabis, is a genus of a flowering plant known as Cannabaceae.
There are almost 11 genera that fall under the family of Cannabaceae including the genus, cannabis. Now, there are three prime species recognized under marijuana, Sativa, Indica, and Ruderalis.
All three species have distinct appearances, chemical properties, and physiological effects raising the curiosity of all the enthusiasts trying to understand the plant.
What we talked about until now was regarding the species of cannabis, not strains. Each species has a number of strains which differ minutely from each other.
For instance, Sour Diesel, Durban Poison, Red Congolese, etc. are some popular Sativa strains that have some unique properties which set them apart not only from each other also from other strains.
Similarly, there are numerous strains that fall under the species Indica and Ruderalis as well.
Growers have found an exciting way to complement the chemical composition of different species by making hybrid strains.
In all, Cannabaceae is the flowering family which then branches into genera. Cannabis is a genus falling under Cannabaceae. Sativa, Indica, Ruderalis are the three species of the Cannabis genus.
Now that you know how cannabis is classified let’s talk about how the strains of Sativa, Indica, and Hybrid Cannabis differ from each other! Outdoor Marijuana.
Sativa Vs. Indica Vs. Hybrid- Primary Differences Between Marijuana Strains
Finding the difference between Sativa and Indica is on the to-do list of every cannabis enthusiast. Now that the majority of the industry works with hybrids, it has become even more important to know the individual characteristics of Sativa and Indica strains. Outdoor Marijuana.