As medical director for medical cannabis of southern california I often get asked by patients “which type should I try for my condition, indica or sativa?” It is a very obvious question as most patients have no idea what strain to use or even that there is more than one strain to begin with.

The honest answer is that we can not predict with any certainty which strain is gong to work the best for your particular complaint.   Cannabis can affect everyone differently.   Some patients feel very relaxed when other patients can become very nervous or energetic.   Some will get euphoric will others will be very mellow and sedated.

However we can make some general statements about the different strains.  The main difference between the two is the level of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).  THC is only one of over 60 cannabinoids (medically active ingrediants) in the plant but it is the main PSYCHOACTIVE cannabinoid.   It is believed to be primarily responsible for the “high” that patients experience.

Indica’s tend to be lower in THC and as such generally are less psychoactive and more sedating.  Patients describe them as being relaxing, sleep-inducing, anti-nauseant and relieving of stress and pain.  Typically patients who are in pain and want to get a good nights rest START with an indica and go from there.

Sativa’s tend to be higher in THC and as such are MORE PSYCHOACTIVE.  They tend to be energizing and inspirational.   Patients who are depressed or suffer from lack of appetite generally will start with a sativa strain.

There are some patients who have pain but don’t necessarily want to be completely tired.  Or patients who want to elevate their mood but not be too “high”.  In these cases there are what the industry describes as HYBRID strains.   Part sativa and part indica where one is more dominant then the other.

The bottom line is that for most patients it is going to be trial and error.  I instruct my patients to let the collective know what it is they are trying to accomplish (“Here are my goals”) and go from there.  The GOOD collective will be able to guide you at the start.   Then it will be up to you to track which ones work best.

*** a special note:  keep in mind that growing cannabis is very much an art as much as it is science.  Some are much more talented than others and the quality very much depends on who is growing it and the methods they use (indoor/outdoor… pesticides/organic)  Just like two chefs can prepare the same dish where one is amazing and the other is horrible.  The same can be said for cannabis.   So if you try an OG Kush from one collective and it is not that great…. that does not mean that OG Kush is not the right strain for you.   It could be you just got a bad batch!!!

WORK WITH THE BEST COLLECTIVES ONLY!!!

If you would like to see if cannabis can improve the quality of your life and speakk to a doctor feel free to schedule an appointment.  877-721-0047 or pre-qualify for free at www.mcsocal.com

Have a great day!

Dr. Sean Breen