# Is the distinction between sativa and indica supported by research? Or is it marketing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 30, 2022, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-distinction-between-sativa-and-indica-supported-by-research-or-is-it-marketing/970623 "2022-08-30T21:06:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-distinction-between-sativa-and-indica-supported-by-research-or-is-it-marketing/970623/41 "2022-09-01T01:45:02Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > It’s really sad that we didn’t choose the path of “adults should get to put fun things in their bodies, and if alcohol is allowed, pot absolutely should be allowed.” Instead, pot advocates insisted that pot is a world-saving wonder drug and it’s cruel to withhold it from people. So now we get to deal with a bunch of pseudoscientific bullshit that will never, ever go away. Speaking as a non-user who’s never even tried cannabis, this is dead-on. I hear pro-pot devotees claim that the magic herb will cure your cancer, high blood pressure, obesity, Lyme disease, halitosis, set a fracture, rebuild knees, clean the oven, deworm the houn’ dawgs, and rebuild the transmission, and I wonder if it will cure the sprain I got rolling my eyes. That sort of pseudoscientific woo makes me put cannabis in the same category as colon detoxes, ear candling, and homeopathy. I live in a state where weed is still illegal, but CBD oil is not; so I was able to try a CBD-infused liniment - basically, Tiger Balm with a tiny bit of CBD and a large markup. It didn’t soothe my aches any more that plain old Tiger Balm. Smelled worse, though. So I’m skeptical of all the claims. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-distinction-between-sativa-and-indica-supported-by-research-or-is-it-marketing/970623/42 "2022-09-01T01:48:00Z")
Move to Vancouver, BC and then you can make monthly runs to the Bellingham, WA Costco for cheap booze, milk, and gas. On the way back north, hit one of the green shops located off several I5 on/off ramps. You’ll pay for your expensive Vancouver real estate in no time! ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-distinction-between-sativa-and-indica-supported-by-research-or-is-it-marketing/970623/43 "2022-09-01T01:48:54Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > > [@wolfpup](#): > > > > 14 grams is half an ounce, so CAD $280 an ounce, which is USD $213 an ounce. > > We’re right around there In Pennsylvania if you hit a sale. Of course, since it’s our medicine we aren’t taxed. If recreational ever passes they’ll tax them hard. In case it wasn’t clear, that price includes all taxes plus free shipping. ---
**Author:** ![dougrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-distinction-between-sativa-and-indica-supported-by-research-or-is-it-marketing/970623/44 "2022-09-01T01:50:01Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > you see a lot of ID plates at the WA-border weed shops (not legal in ID) and a lot of WA plates at the ID-border liquor stores. When I first moved to NE KS 30 yrs ago you couldn’t buy liquor and cigs in the same store. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-distinction-between-sativa-and-indica-supported-by-research-or-is-it-marketing/970623/45 "2022-09-01T02:48:46Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I don’t pay much attention to indica/sativa unless I’m growing the plant. Indica strains tend to be shorter/squat, making them ideal for indoor grows. A good example is Afghani. Sativa strains tend to be crazy tall growing plants with longer flowering times, making them difficult to handle indoors. A good example is Durban Poison. Heh, I’ve bought weed from someone who had a 30 foot sativa growing in their backyard for almost two years. It still wasn’t actually mature bud, but it was awesome. There are definite differences between individual plants and the two commonly recognized strains, but the psychoactive qualities of the sativa/indica divide are quite overblown. It’s similar to how the bell pepper and the jalapeno are technically the same species (as are most peppers), but VERY different varieties of the same plant. Yes, even though most modern weed is grown from clones, almost all of the commercial descriptions of their psychoactive effects are pure marketing. > [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > That sort of pseudoscientific woo makes me put cannabis in the same category as colon detoxes, ear candling, and homeopathy. Yeah, but the difference is that weed can make you feel pretty great if you have the chemistry that is predisposed to enjoying it. None of those has that advantage as far as I can tell. I’m not saying it’s going to cure anything, though. In the medical arena I view it as a treatment, at best. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-distinction-between-sativa-and-indica-supported-by-research-or-is-it-marketing/970623/46 "2022-09-01T03:23:03Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > > [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > > > That sort of pseudoscientific woo makes me put cannabis in the same category as colon detoxes, ear candling, and homeopathy. > > Yeah, but the difference is that weed can make you feel pretty great if you have the chemistry that is predisposed to enjoying it. None of those has that advantage as far as I can tell. I’m not saying it’s going to cure anything, though. In the medical arena I view it as a treatment, at best. Yes, that’s why I was agreeing with @HMS_Irruncible’s statement that legalization advocates would be better served making the argument, “Hey, this is a recreational drug that’s no more dangerous than tobacco or alcohol,” rather than extravagant claims about its medicinal value. Although I still think it’s a public health problem exactly the same way tobacco is - drawing superheated toxic gasses into your lungs is harmful. The danger of smoking pot is not in the pot, but in the smoking. ---
**Author:** ![dougrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-distinction-between-sativa-and-indica-supported-by-research-or-is-it-marketing/970623/47 "2022-09-01T03:29:59Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > rather than extravagant claims about its medicinal value. There’s a Ron White skit where he tells his doctor he needs medical marijuana because he gets bummed out when he has no weed. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-distinction-between-sativa-and-indica-supported-by-research-or-is-it-marketing/970623/48 "2022-09-01T14:17:01Z")
All of these medical and therapeutic claims make things difficult by confusing the issue. We all know that folks consume pot to get high but we’re not allowed in a lot of places to say that and we have to use the medical rationale which is often dubious. Down here is FLA, it’s all about “Medical Marijuana” because that is how the state is allowing it. No recreational use permitted. This creates issues for us zoning types because everyone and their brother now wants a pot business and every one of them has a different definition of the business type. Our zoning manager finally had to just say that “Dispensaries” are to be considered as Pharmacies for zoning purposes. Folks who sell online and deliver are “Non-Store Retailers” and places where you consume onsite as therapy or medical treatment fall under “Medical offices.” We did not want to create any new laws or categories or such. Just treat it like any other medical product and fit it into the existing system. Other jurisdictions have a lot of new pot selling laws that reek of the Prohibition era and blue laws. No smoking of the product; no consumption onsite; establishments can’t within X feet of schools, churches, preschools, etc… ---
**Author:** ![Slight\_Off\_Hand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Slight\_Off\_Hand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slight_Off_Hand)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-distinction-between-sativa-and-indica-supported-by-research-or-is-it-marketing/970623/49 "2022-09-01T15:08:01Z")
I see for Cannabis NB the pricing seems to start at $120 to $130 CAD per oz for anywhere from 18-26% THC. There is a mail order dispensary out of BC that has several varieties selling for $89-99 per oz but they don’t list the percentages. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-distinction-between-sativa-and-indica-supported-by-research-or-is-it-marketing/970623/50 "2022-09-01T15:30:40Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > Other jurisdictions have a lot of new pot selling laws that reek of the Prohibition era and blue laws. No smoking of the product; no consumption onsite; establishments can’t within X feet of schools, churches, preschools, etc… I didn’t do a deep dive but California, Texas and Illinois have similar (varying) restrictions on liquor stores. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-distinction-between-sativa-and-indica-supported-by-research-or-is-it-marketing/970623/51 "2022-09-01T15:37:31Z")
In this informative interview, board-certified neurologist, psychopharmacology researcher Dr. Ethan Russo, MD states, _“there are biochemically distinct strains of Cannabis, but the sativa/indica distinction as commonly applied in the lay literature is total nonsense and an exercise in futility.”_ > **[The Cannabis sativa Versus Cannabis indica Debate: An Interview with Ethan...](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5576603/)** > > Dr. Ethan Russo, MD, is a board-certified neurologist, psychopharmacology researcher, and Medical Director of PHYTECS, a biotechnology company researching and developing innovative approaches targeting the human endocannabinoid system. Previously,... I do base my dispensary purchases partially on sativa vs. indica and customer feedback, but I realize it’s mostly confirmation bias. I put more weight into price and THC concentration. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-distinction-between-sativa-and-indica-supported-by-research-or-is-it-marketing/970623/52 "2022-09-01T15:41:04Z")
As far as pricing goes, here in Chicago, checking the website of the nearest dispensary, for recreational use, the prices I see are $160-$270/oz of flower, or $202-$341/oz with taxes. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-distinction-between-sativa-and-indica-supported-by-research-or-is-it-marketing/970623/53 "2022-09-01T15:56:17Z")
OP here. This is the type of research-based discussion I was looking for. Thank you. ---
**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:** [September 1, 2022, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-distinction-between-sativa-and-indica-supported-by-research-or-is-it-marketing/970623/54 "2022-09-01T16:11:56Z")
> [@Tibby](#): > > I put more weight into price and THC concentration. As do I, for the most part. _However_, There are strains like Blueberry Spacecake (an indica) which is a paltry 18% THC but I think is one of the hardest hitting strains around. Compare it with Keystone Banana (an indica/sativa hybrid) which is 27%THC, great tasting, and seems much more mild. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-distinction-between-sativa-and-indica-supported-by-research-or-is-it-marketing/970623/55 "2022-09-01T16:33:23Z")
> [@MindsEye\_Watering](#): > > I am SO jealous of those that live where it’s legal and can choose between the various types and strengths of pot. You wouldn’t be if you purchased it in Illinois. The taxes. My god, the taxes. Especially on out-of-state, recreational – er, “adult use” – users. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-distinction-between-sativa-and-indica-supported-by-research-or-is-it-marketing/970623/56 "2022-09-01T16:51:19Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > The taxes. My god, the taxes. The taxes are a small price to pay for the peace of mind that comes with not be labeled a criminal. In fact a lot of the perceived paranoia that’s been associated with pot smoking could come from it having been illegal for so long and the aspect of being arrested and losing your job or profession could cause guilt that leads to paranoia. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-distinction-between-sativa-and-indica-supported-by-research-or-is-it-marketing/970623/57 "2022-09-01T18:23:02Z")
I think the recent popularity of vaping has increased the talk about terpenes and cannabinoids. When you smoke, you get everything in one hit… with vaping, you control the temperature, so you can vape individual terpenes ( in theory !) - each with its own properties. Obviously it’s not quite that simple, if you want one particular terpene, you have to set the vape to that terpene’s boiling temperature - in which case you also get all the terpenes that boil at lower temps, but you do get a bit more control. Here’s a list of some of them :- > **[Vaping Temperature Chart: The Complete Guide](https://fatbuddhaglass.com/blogs/fat-buddha-blog/vaping-temperature-chart-the-complete-guide)** > > Since the best vaping temperature mainly depends on every user's personal preference, you may experiment. Here's everything about The Vaping Temperature. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-distinction-between-sativa-and-indica-supported-by-research-or-is-it-marketing/970623/58 "2022-09-01T18:31:32Z")
> [@pjd](#): > > When you smoke, you get everything in one hit… with vaping, you control > the temperature, so you can vape individual terpenes ( in theory !) - each with its own > properties. I’m skeptical. I love my vape pen because of the convenience. It hugely easier to use in a concert venue than a pipe or joint and I don’t put out smoke which could annoy my fellow music fans. At home it’s usually a bong or a pre-roll. The high is a bit better with flower so it’s worth it at home. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-distinction-between-sativa-and-indica-supported-by-research-or-is-it-marketing/970623/59 "2022-09-01T18:41:47Z")
I should’ve said … i was talking about dry herb vapes. I don’t know about pens/oil etc ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-distinction-between-sativa-and-indica-supported-by-research-or-is-it-marketing/970623/60 "2022-09-01T18:46:42Z")
Ah. That is way more credible. I haven’t tried one of those. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-distinction-between-sativa-and-indica-supported-by-research-or-is-it-marketing/970623.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-distinction-between-sativa-and-indica-supported-by-research-or-is-it-marketing/970623.md?page=4)