By Dr. Daniela Vergara
What’s the difference between Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica?
In the marijuana industry, people often talk about two types of cannabis: sativa and indica. Many say that indica makes you feel relaxed or helps with pain, while sativa gives you more energy or a “head high.” But this difference is often confusing and not always accurate. So, what does it really mean when people say a cannabis strain is “sativa” or “indica”? And what actually causes the relaxing or energizing effects of marijuana or CBD cannabis?
One Plant Species: Cannabis sativa
Let’s start by looking at the scientific name used for all cannabis plants, including both hemp and marijuana: Cannabis sativa L. In this case, “sativa” is just the name of the plant species—it has nothing to do with how the plant makes you feel.
The name Cannabis sativa L. was first used in 1753 by Carolus Linnaeus. He seveloped the naming system still used today, where each species has two parts to its name: the genus (capitalized) and the species (lowercase). The “L” at the end stands for Linnaeus himself. He studied the hemp plants grown in Europe [1].
Later, in 1785, a scientist named Jean-Baptiste Lamarck thought that the plants from India were a different species, so he called them Cannabis indica [1]. The main differences he noticed were between hemp (used for fiber) and marijuana (used for other effects) [2, 3].
Today, it’s agreed that all cannabis is the same species: Cannabis sativa. The term Cannabis indica is outdated. Scientists also know that cannabis shows a lot of genetic (genotypic) and physical (phenotypic) diversity.
So yes—there’s only one species: Cannabis sativa. But because of its huge variety in looks, uses, and genetics, people still use “indica” and “sativa” to describe different types, even if those terms don’t really match the science.
Are There Different Types of Cannabis Within the Species Cannabis sativa?
Yes! There are different groups or lineages of C. sativa plants: At least two main groups are used for medical or recreational marijuana and at least one main group used for hemp (for fiber, grain, and other materials) [3-5]. Therefore, C. sativa has different groups, or lineages, and hemp grown for fiber or grain is one of them.
Cannabis sativa is one of the most useful plants on the planet. It can be used to make:
- Medicine
- Food
- Paper
- Clothes
- Paint
- Skincare products
- Building materials
- Plastic
- Batteries
- Biofuels
In other words, you could build a house, power your car, make your clothes, eat, clean yourself, and even relax, all using different parts of the same plant [6]. This is thanks to the plant’s amazing variety in both genetics and traits.
Phenotypic Variation in Cannabis sativa
The appearance of C. sativa can vary a lot, and this is called phenotypic variation, and it includes:
- Plant height [7]
- Leaf size and shape (how wide the leaves are and how many parts or “leaflets” they have) [7]
- The amount and type of cannabinoids (like THC and CBD) and terpenes [8]
- How long it takes to flower – flowering time [9]
This wide range of traits helps explain why cannabis can be used in so many different ways, from medicine to building materials.
Genetic Diversity
Cannabis plants also show a lot of variation in their DNA (genome). While we don’t have exact comparisons yet, some parts of the cannabis genome may have even more diversity than the genomes of other similar plants [10]. This genetic diversity likely leads to all the different physical forms of the plant, and that’s why it can be used in so many ways.
We get many raw materials and products from C. sativa, and this is because the plant shows a lot of variation in both its appearance (phenotype) and its genetics (genotype).
“Sativa” vs. “Indica”: More Confusing Than Helpful
As we’ve explained before, Cannabis sativa is just one species. The common terms “indica” and “sativa,” based on how the plant looks, are not scientifically accurate.
You can’t tell how a cannabis plant will affect you (whether it’s relaxing or energizing) just by looking at its color, height, leaf shape, or even how much THC or terpenes it has [8]. The way a cannabis plant looks is not a good clue for predicting its effects.
We also know that the terms “sativa” and “indica” don’t match the plant’s chemical profile (called its chemotype). For example, two plants both labeled “sativa” in the market may have completely different compounds inside them. Same with plants called “indica.” So, the plant’s chemistry doesn’t match those commercial categories [8].
That means the plant’s shape, size, and other physical traits don’t tell us anything about what cannabinoids or terpenes it will have [7, 8]. In short, you can’t guess the effect of a cannabis product based on whether it’s labeled sativa or indica.
Genetics Don’t Match the Labels Either
Plants labeled “sativa” or “indica” are not always closely related in their DNA. A “sativa” plant might be just as closely related—or even less related—to an “indica” plant as it is to another “sativa” one [3, 5]. The labels don’t reflect their genetic relationships.
Do THC and CBD Levels Explain the Effect?
Not really. The amount of THC, CBD, or other cannabinoids doesn’t always explain whether cannabis will feel relaxing or energizing. However, more research needs to be performed to fully understand how different combinations of compounds affect people.
Physical traits like color, height, leaf size, or chemical content (like THC or terpenes) don’t reliably match up with the sativa/indica labels [7, 8]. And because of genetic mixing (recombination), even if two traits were once linked, that connection can break over time [7].
For example, a tall plant with narrow leaves might have a lot of THC. But a short plant with wide leaves could also be high in THC and give a similar effect. These traits—height, leaf shape, and chemical content—are independent of each other [7, 8]. It’s like how people can be tall with blue eyes and brown hair, or tall with brown eyes and black hair. These traits don’t always come together.
So What Do “Sativa,” “Indica,” and “Hybrid” Actually Mean?
Not much.
The labels “sativa,” “indica,” and even “hybrid” (supposedly a mix of both) are commercial terms that don’t tell us much about the plant’s genetics or how it will affect you. While they are still used in the cannabis industry, they’re not based on scientific facts.
How Can We Group the Effects of Cannabis?
So, how should we talk about the effects people feel when they use a certain kind of Cannabis sativa? It makes sense that cannabis users—especially medical users—want to know what kind of effects to expect from a specific product.
That’s why some dispensaries have started using different words instead of calling products “sativa” or “indica.” Instead, they describe how the product might make you feel, like “energizing” or “relaxing.”
This might be a better way to describe cannabis—using words about how it feels instead of labels like sativa, indica, or hybrid, which don’t mean much scientifically.
Are There Compounds Linked to Relaxing or Energizing Effects?
Cannabis sativa produces many different chemicals like cannabinoids and terpenes, which may affect the body in different ways. But in cannabis, we still don’t know exactly which compounds are responsible for specific effects. Different strains make different kinds and amounts of these chemicals, which makes things more complicated.
Do Compounds Work Together?
It appears that the multiple compounds in C. sativa may act in synergistically to produce what some called the entourage effect (some call it the ensemble effect or synergistic effect). This idea says that all the compounds in cannabis might work together to create the overall effect we feel [11, 12].
Even though there isn’t solid proof yet, we do know that THC and CBD can act differently in the body. Some studies show that using THC by itself can be unpleasant, but when it’s combined with CBD, the experience improves [13, 14]. This suggests that at least these two cannabinoids might work together to create certain effects.
People also say that sometimes a strain with less THC (like 18%) can feel more powerful than one with a higher amount (like 28%). This might be due to other compounds like terpenes. These stories are interesting, but they still need to be tested with real research.
So, cannabis has many different compounds such as cannabinoids, terpenes, and more, and their combination might change how we feel when we use it. That’s what the entourage effect is all about.
Chemotypes: A Better Way to Classify Cannabis?
As we mentioned, different cannabis strains produce different combinations of cannabinoids and terpenes. These combinations are called chemotypes, and they have a big effect on how the plant makes you feel.
Some people think we should label cannabis with something like a “barcode” to show which compounds it contains and in what amounts. But is that really the best way to group these plants?
Here’s the problem: we keep discovering new compounds in cannabis. Some examples are THCP [15] and HHC, which were only recently identified. What if a new compound is discovered tomorrow that changes everything we thought we knew?
Also, what if a lab misses a compound because it’s only found in tiny amounts? That could mess up the classification system, too.
Do We Really Know How Cannabis Affects the Body?
Finally, we don’t fully understand how these compounds affect people. And even if we did, effects can vary depending on the situation.
Think about alcohol: its effects can change based on things like whether you’ve eaten, your mood, your sex [16, 17], or even your race [18]. Cannabis might be the same way.
For example, would you feel different effects depending on whether you’ve slept well or eaten recently? And what about those tiny compounds found in very small amounts—can they still make a difference? (so far it seems that these minor compounds may make a big difference, but that’s a different story!)
There are many factors that can influence how cannabis makes someone feel. This is why many users try different strains and products to find out what works best for them.
As research on C. sativa continues, we’ll keep learning more about how it works and how it affects the body.
I hope you enjoyed this article about the common labels “indica” and “sativa,” and that it left you curious to learn more about this fascinating plant.
References
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