# Do all these different strains of marijuana really have such wide ranging, unique effects **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 12, 2019, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-these-different-strains-of-marijuana-really-have-such-wide-ranging-unique-effects/829379 "2019-02-12T01:56:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-these-different-strains-of-marijuana-really-have-such-wide-ranging-unique-effects/829379/1 "2019-02-12T01:56:09Z")
Looking at websites that list various strains, you’d think you were taking totally different drugs based on the effects of the strain. But isn’t weed at root just THC & CBD? Is this like coffee where you have 100 different flavors and varieties but at root its all just caffeine? Or tobacco where you can have 100 different cigarettes, pipes and vapes but its all just nicotine? Or are there massive differences in the effects of different strains of marijuana? ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-these-different-strains-of-marijuana-really-have-such-wide-ranging-unique-effects/829379/2 "2019-02-12T02:06:05Z")
No, there are no massive differences. Its more a case of incredibly small molehills being puffed up to appear like mountains. ---
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-these-different-strains-of-marijuana-really-have-such-wide-ranging-unique-effects/829379/3 "2019-02-12T02:59:30Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Looking at websites that list various strains, you’d think you were taking totally different drugs based on the effects of the strain. > > But isn’t weed at root just THC & CBD? > > Is this like coffee where you have 100 different flavors and varieties but at root its all just caffeine? Or tobacco where you can have 100 different cigarettes, pipes and vapes but its all just nicotine? > > Or are there massive differences in the effects of different strains of marijuana? Coffee caffeine varies wildly depending on the bean, brewing method and roast. Contrary to popular belief, French Roast has almost no caffeine. It burns off during the roasting process. Also brewing method matters. It can run from 2 mg per serving to 1000 depending on bean, type and roast. Slee ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-these-different-strains-of-marijuana-really-have-such-wide-ranging-unique-effects/829379/4 "2019-02-12T03:04:56Z")
Yeah I know, but the psychoactive ingredient in coffee is the same. There are 100s of different coffees, but the psychoactive ingredient is all the same. Just difference doses. It seems to be the same with weed, just different concentrations of THC & CBD. I’ve heard there are tons of other psychoactive ingredients in weed (CBL, CBN, etc), but I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![SigMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@SigMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SigMan)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-these-different-strains-of-marijuana-really-have-such-wide-ranging-unique-effects/829379/5 "2019-02-12T13:19:12Z")
There are two strains, Indica and Sativa. then there are varieties like Panama Red, Acapulco Gold, Sinsemilia, etc. They come from different growing methods. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-these-different-strains-of-marijuana-really-have-such-wide-ranging-unique-effects/829379/6 "2019-02-12T15:54:06Z")
It’s a psychological effect - so if you can convince someone it’s different, technically, it is. In a blind taste test, so to speak, of course it’s all the same except for the amount of effect. Since they legalized it in Canada, the Ontario Cannabis Store has become a source of great amusement. Every kind of chronic has a description that seems stolen from a snooty wine website; “Teal Eyebulge has a sweet, earthy taste with hints of citrus, chocolate, and Quaker State.” Different weeds can certainly have different scents and tastes; this is a product of the terpenes in the grass, which give it its distinct stoner odor. There isn’t really any chocolate in there, though, and no one is carefully formulating your Sante Fe Ferocious that stringently for taste. I doubt even the most experienced stoner would really taste the citrus if you didn’t suggest it was there. To their credit, though, the OCS provides THC and CBD levels, and they do range a fair amount. THC levels vary from 5 to 30 percent, which is a hell of a difference, and CBD ranges from nothing at all to twelve percent - CBD can offset THC effects. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-these-different-strains-of-marijuana-really-have-such-wide-ranging-unique-effects/829379/7 "2019-02-12T16:11:42Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Since they legalized it in Canada, the Ontario Cannabis Store has become a source of great amusement. Every kind of chronic has a description that seems stolen from a snooty wine website; “Teal Eyebulge has a sweet, earthy taste with hints of citrus, chocolate, and Quaker State.” Yeah, there’s a lot of bullshit marketing terms. Part of it comes from the fact that drugs are experience goods whose characteristics are difficult to ascertain without consuming them. You also have to take into account that the people assessing them were, of necessity, high at the time. Discussion of drugs and their effects is often superlative. And just like with LSD, when people have different experiences, they often attribute the variation to the drug being different (e.g.:“bad acid”) rather than to their mindset, setting and dose even if the latter are usually more important factors. We’re still not allowed to talk about present experience openly on this board, right? Alright: Hypothetically, I’ve noticed that strains described as indica tend to make me anxious and depressed, sometimes badly twisted up inside, whereas sativa strains tend to add a light positive accent to whatever I’m doing. I would have expected it to be the other way around so, Your Marijuana Might Vary. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-these-different-strains-of-marijuana-really-have-such-wide-ranging-unique-effects/829379/8 "2019-02-12T16:14:42Z")
Having experienced both landrace sativas and indicas, I can say that at their extremes, pure sativas make me more interested in doing things, while pure indicas make me unable to get off the couch. ---
**Author:** ![SigMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@SigMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SigMan)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-these-different-strains-of-marijuana-really-have-such-wide-ranging-unique-effects/829379/9 "2019-02-12T16:18:18Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Having experienced both landrace sativas and indicas, I can say that at their extremes, pure sativas make me more interested in doing things, while pure indicas make me unable to get off the couch. Exactly and indicas have more yield so you get them more often on the streets. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-these-different-strains-of-marijuana-really-have-such-wide-ranging-unique-effects/829379/10 "2019-02-12T16:22:14Z")
> [@SigMan](#): > > Exactly and indicas have more yield so you get them more often on the streets. Correct. Sativas take longer to complete their flowering stage and can be difficult to deal with in an indoor garden. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-these-different-strains-of-marijuana-really-have-such-wide-ranging-unique-effects/829379/11 "2019-02-12T16:35:12Z")
> [@sleestak](#): > > Contrary to popular belief, French Roast has almost no caffeine. It burns off during the roasting process. Measuring caffeine levels in different types of coffee is a common undergrad lab activity, and your claim here does not match my observations. ---
**Author:** ![Modesty\_Blaise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Modesty\_Blaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Modesty_Blaise)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-these-different-strains-of-marijuana-really-have-such-wide-ranging-unique-effects/829379/12 "2019-02-12T16:37:17Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > Yeah, there’s a lot of bullshit marketing terms. Part of it comes from the fact that drugs are experience goods whose characteristics are difficult to ascertain without consuming them. You also have to take into account that the people assessing them were, of necessity, high at the time. > > Discussion of drugs and their effects is often superlative. And just like with LSD, when people have different experiences, they often attribute the variation to the drug being different (e.g.:“bad acid”) rather than to their mindset, setting and dose even if the latter are usually more important factors. > > \*\*We’re still not allowed to talk about present experience openly on this board, right? \*\*Alright: > > Hypothetically, > > I’ve noticed that strains described as indica tend to make me anxious and depressed, sometimes badly twisted up inside, whereas sativa strains tend to add a light positive accent to whatever I’m doing. I would have expected it to be the other way around so, Your Marijuana Might Vary. Bolding mine. Is this true? We can’t talk about marijuana use on the board? ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-these-different-strains-of-marijuana-really-have-such-wide-ranging-unique-effects/829379/13 "2019-02-12T16:42:16Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > It seems to be the same with weed, just different concentrations of THC & CBD. I’ve heard there are tons of other psychoactive ingredients in weed (CBL, CBN, etc), but I don’t know. There are over 100 cannabinoids found in _Cannabis_. Most of them I see are listed as non-psychoactive, but then when I poke further I see many of those do interact with CB1 or 2. And there may be other cannabinoid receptors. There may be differences in bioavailability strain to strain. And that will vary with method of ingestion. But I’m not up to speed on this. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-these-different-strains-of-marijuana-really-have-such-wide-ranging-unique-effects/829379/14 "2019-02-12T16:49:12Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Having experienced both landrace sativas and indicas, I can say that at their extremes, pure sativas make me more interested in doing things, while pure indicas make me unable to get off the couch. Easy way to remember that - indica : in-da-couch (YMMV) ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-these-different-strains-of-marijuana-really-have-such-wide-ranging-unique-effects/829379/15 "2019-02-12T16:59:14Z")
> [@Modesty\_Blaise](#): > > Bolding mine. > > Is this true? We can’t talk about marijuana use on the board? We can but, from what I understand, it has to be theoretical talk or past talk. The moderators likely don’t care but Google, its advertisers and the lawyers in Chicago do. ---
**Author:** ![SigMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@SigMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SigMan)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-these-different-strains-of-marijuana-really-have-such-wide-ranging-unique-effects/829379/16 "2019-02-12T17:01:57Z")
And you can see Sativa as sACTIVEa. 😃