Sativa, Indica & Disappearing Terms

BY MARY MINCHIN, AUTHOR OF CBD MADE EASY!

Indica and sativa are both varieties of cannabis plants with very different effects. While the indica strain promotes full body relaxation and is good for sleep, sativa is known to be energising and mentally stimulating.

For decades, the basic vocabulary usedby connoisseurs of cannabis has alwaysstarted with the classification of the plantinto either an indica or a sativa category.It has been the most common way ofunderstanding the genetic makeup and howthe specific strain will perform for growersand consumers. The plant’s appearancehas also historically been a dead giveawayas to what strain it belongs to; a sativa haslong, thin leaves, and the indica is a stubbier,bushier shrub.

But is this still the case? If it is, then howcan it be that the ‘AK-47’ strain won Best Sativa at the infamousCannabis Cup in 1999, and just four years later took home theaward for Best Indica?

Dr Ethan Russo, MD, a board-certified neurologist, psychopharmacology researcher and medical director of PHYTECS, has authored a paper where he states that classifying plants under the umbrella of ‘indica’ and ‘sativa’ is now meaningless and potentially dangerous.

He isn’t the only one. Cannabis terminology is changing, and more biologists are declaring that the titles are outdated; in today’s world of hundreds and possibly even thousands of cannabis strains, ‘indica’ and ‘sativa’ no longer correctly identify the properties of any individual plant. The introduction of the hybrid has seen the traditional effects of both types of plants become so entwined it is now almost impossible to categorise any strain of cannabis under these titles.

The new buzzwords used in understanding the different qualities of a cannabis plant come under the umbrella of cannabis genetics:

• The genotype (which is based on the plants DNA)

• The phenotype (based on the genotype + physical characteristics)

• The cannabinoid profile

• The terpene profile

These terms describe each strain froma genetic and molecular standpoint. Thecannabis plant is diploid, meaning it haschromosomes from both parents, whichcan have unpredictable and potentiallysurprising results even for the mostcareful breeders. Just like you may havewondered how your Uncle Bob hasthe same chromosomal gene pool asyour mother, two plants from the sameparents can be the polar opposite toeach other. More differences will arisedepending on the growing environment.For example, an indoor plant grownhydroponically will have different characteristics (bothphysical and chemical) to an outdoor plant, even if both havematching DNA.

The cannabinoid profile tells us the levels of THC, CBD, CBG, CBN, etc., and indicates the medicinal and recreational use of each plant; it is the best way to determine the chemical difference between strains.

The novice sometimes overlooks the terpene profile, but experts consider it to be equally as important as the cannabinoid profile. It offers insight into what effects the different strains will have on consumers. In their interactions with cannabinoids, some terpenes energise, stimulate and uplift; others relax and sedate.

We have found ourselves in a world where cannabinoid and terpene ratios are talked about by cannabis growers as much as the smell and look of a cannabis bud. The cannabis plant has fallen into two new distinctive groups: high THC or high CBD. Botanical taxonomists have argued for years over the true meaning of the origins of the indica and sativa classification, so to classify the plant from a much more accurate and scientific database makes sense.

The next obvious step is a genetic road map (or a ‘genomic map’) for the cannabis plant. Sunrise Genetics have, in 2018, successfully determined the order of 25,000 genes in the plant’s 10 chromosomes, and their paper on this research study is currently up for peer review. Once this map is made public, it will enable the cannabis cultivator to make ‘designer plants’ (think Labradoodle) where they will be able to manipulate the gene pool and control the exact level of CBD and THC, control the patents, and bring cannabis to the same level as other profitable agricultural industries.

We are only just beginning to understand the potential of the chemical cocktail that is the cannabis plant. Once upon a time, the world’s cannabis experts talked in hushed voices and met secretly to compare and discuss their genetic discoveries. Now, we see pheno-hunters searching through thousands of strains worldwide to gain genetic perfection. Biochemists and doctors in white coats publish papers on topics the backyard grower could only contemplate, and it seems the titles ‘sativa’ and ‘indica’ are a casualty of this progress. The terms are no longer accurate enough to keep up with the fast-paced realm of cannabis science.

BIO

Mary Minchin is a former pharmaceutical employee & advocate of CBD and its many benefits. She is in her fourth year of her science degree, majoring in biology & chemistry. She recently switched her focus from pharmacy to science to pursue other more meaningful passions. The book CBD Made Easy was written with the purpose of simplifying how CBD works in the human body, listing all the currently known ailments CBD can alleviate, then directly referencing the related medical studies in one short publication. www.cbdmadeeasy.xyz

Contact Mary at:cbdmadeeasy@gmail.com