Leafly: Indica or Sativa? Cannabis Research is Changing Everything

When talking about cannabis, strains are commonly broken up into two distinct groups: indica and sativa. Most people refer to these two cannabis types as a touchstone for predicting effects:

• Indicas are associated with a sedative and heavy “couchlock” high, great for relaxing at home.
• Sativas are associated with an invigorating and uplifting high, great for getting tasks done or socializing.

But here’s the problem: Data research suggests these categories aren’t as predictable as we once thought. There’s no evidence to support that indicas and sativas are inherently sedating or uplifting, respectively.

And here’s another problem: The belief that indicas and sativas deliver distinct effects is so deeply rooted in mainstream cannabis culture that budtenders typically begin helping you choose a strain by asking you which of these types you prefer.

What is true is that indica and sativa look and grow differently, but this distinction is really only useful to cannabis cultivators.

So, to what extent are “indica” and “sativa” meaningful to cannabis consumers? And if we can’t rely on this classification system anymore, where do we turn?

On Friday, join Leafly’s Principal Research Scientist, Nick Jikomes, PhD, to find out.

Re-imagining Cannabis with Lab-Verified Data, Nick Jikomes

• Hilton Austin Downtown, Salon G
• Friday, Mar. 15; 5:00—6:00 p.m.

Immediately following, please join Leafly for happy hour

Leafly Happy Hour

• Hilton Austin Downtown, Room 602
• Friday, Mar. 15; 6:00—7:00 p.m.

Cannabusiness Track presented by Leafly

Leafly is the world’s most trusted resource for everything cannabis. We use leading-edge science and data to help millions of people worldwide find the right cannabis products for their needs and lifestyle.

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