The Different Strains of Cannabis
There are many varieties of cannabis out there but you can safely categorise them to three primary types; Sativa, Indica and Ruderalis (the last of which is what they breed with the other two types to create hybrid Autoflower strains).
Strain Characteristics
In terms of characteristics, the tallest cannabis strain is Sativa which can grow up to 20 feet high under the right conditions. The downside to Sativa is it can take 10 – 18 weeks to finish the flowering (budding) process.
Did you know the Hunter Valley in NSW, Australia was once infested by Cannabis Sativa? It took 9 years to eradicate. Read it here.
Indica on the other hand only grows 3 – 6 feet which makes it perfect for small indoor grows. The Indica strain only takes 6 – 8 weeks to flower and produces more compact buds due to its shorter internodes.
As for Ruderalis, it will be lucky to reach two feet in height – hence why they cross breed it with Sativa or Indica. Ruderalis finishes flowering automatically in roughly 90 days from sowing the seed to harvest. Thats one of the big reasons growers cross breed with Ruderalis – so they can get results in 3 months. Pretty cool huh?
Highest Yielding Cannabis Strain
In terms of yield, due to the sheer size of which a Sativa can grow, it provides more potential room for bud sites – especially because of the larger canopy. Sativa plants can be mistaken as a small tree if you aren’t paying close attention.
Effects of The Different Cannabis Strains
From experience, a Sativa dominant strain gives us a head high with a social and euphoric feeling. Social anxiety seemed to ease off for some and users were more social while still focussing on the tasks at hand.
With an Indica dominant strain, some felt a “couch lock” effect; where users wanted to sit back and enjoy watching movies or other leisurely activities.
As for Ruderalis, the effects weren’t as noticeable but the strain is said to have higher concentrations of CBD – pair this with say Indica which generally has higher THC levels than Sativa and Ruderalis, and you may have yourself a beautiful strain.