Medical Marijuana Council - Marijuana Information

Cannabis Indica

Cannabis Indica marijuana plants are a shorter bushier type of marijuana plant, usually under 6 feet tall at full maturity, and rarely over 8 feet tall.  Cannabis indica marijuana leaves are shorter and wider, and are deep green, often tinged with purple.  At maturity, the marijuana leaves start to turn even darker purple.  Indica marijuana has short branches laden with thick, dense marijuana buds.

The marijuana buds on an indica plant vary in color from dark green to purple, just like the marijuana leaves on the indica plant. Under cooler conditions, the color becomes more intense. The marijuana buds have little trouble maturing under cooler climates. Which is why the fall season is harvest time for outdoor growers of marijuana.  Indica marijuana buds have a pungent smell.  Buds from an indica marijuana plant produce smoke which is thick, and even a small toke will often induce fits of coughing. The best Indicas have a relaxing effect, which allows the person to sense and feel the environment, but does not lead to thinking or analyzing the experience, as they tend to also calm the mind.  Indica dominant marijuana strains are often used as an evening medicine, to induce sleep. Indica marijuana is also used effectively by marijuana patients for pain relief, nausea, PTSD, and crohn's disease, and any disorder that benefits from intense relaxation, and healing sleep. 

Indica marijuana effects are often characterized as a pleasant body feeling of relaxation. Indicas are great for relaxation, stress relief, and for an overall sense of calm and serenity.  Indica marijuana is also very effective for overall body pain relief, and often used in the treatment of insomnia. They are the late - evening choice of many patients.   A few pure indica strains are very potent in THC, and will cause the "couchlock" effect, enabling the smoker to simply sit still and enjoy the experience of observing the activities going on around them without being completely knocked out unless they choose to sleep.

Cannabis Sativa

Cannabis Sativa marijuana plants range from about 6 feet to over 25 feet in height.  Most varieties of cannabis sativa grow in the 8 foot to I2 foot range. The marijuana leaves on sativa marijuana plants are long and thin and are light green, especially equatorial varieties, which have less chlorophyll and more yellow pigments in order to protect the plant from intense light. Temperate varieties tend to be darker green. The marijuana leaves of some varieties yellow and fall off during maturity.  Sativa marijuana plants have long branches. The bottom ones may spread 4 feet or more from the main center stalk, rather like a conical Xmas tree shape. Sativa marijuana plants are often described as "spindly christmas trees".

Sativa marijuana buds are long and thin, and less densely populated than the Indica, although longer in length, sometimes stretching 3feet in or more along the branch. The stomas of the flowering bud may be tinged slightly purple in a cool climate but in a warmer environment will turn dark orange or even red. Maturation time varies considerably.

Sativa marijuana effects are often characterized as uplifting and energetic . The effects of a sativa marijuana are mostly cerebral. They give a feeling of optimism and well being, as well as providing a good measure of pain relief for certain symptoms. A few pure sativas are also very high in THC content. They are known to have a quite spacey, thought provoking effect. Sativas are usually used as daytime medicine.