In Canada, inhaling dried cannabis via smoking or vapourizing is the most common way to consume cannabis so, correspondingly, most of the cannabis sold in the country is dried cannabis flower.
Cannabis comes from the plant Cannabis Sativa, a plant indigenous to Southeast Asia that’s been cultivated throughout history for medical and/or recreational purposes. Hemp comes from the same plant, but is grown from different strains that are used for the fibres, seeds and stems. The leaves and stems of medical cannabis contain much lower concentrations of cannabinoids and are typically not smoked or inhaled, though they are often used to make cannabis extracts and concentrates.
There are literally thousands of stains of cannabis – each with different flavours, aromas and profiles – so it would be almost impossible to learn them all. Luckily, you don’t have to! But here’s a primer on what you should know:
Sativa vs. Indica vs. Hybrid
Sativa and Indica are the two major “families” of cannabis strains, and “Hybrid”’ is a combination of both. While it’s commonly understood that Sativas and Indicas affect users differently (Indicas are said to be more relaxing/sedative with a comfortable “body high,” while Sativas are often more energizing/stimulating with a “head high”), their names actually refer to the shape of the plant. Sativas are usually tall and leggy, while Indicas tend to be short and bushy. The actual effect of a strain doesn’t have anything to do with whether it’s a Sativa or Indica, but rather the combination of cannabinoids and terpenes found in the flower. Find out more at THC EXPLAINED, CBD EXPLAINED, and TERPENES EXPLAINED.
NOTE: While there are far too many strains to discuss in detail here, we provide info on every strain (we carry?) on our products pages.
(we’ll add a section on ‘How to read our product page’ at a later date. That will help a reader understand the cannabinoids, terpenes, and strains of each product).
