# What is indica? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 26, 2005, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-indica/286687 "2005-01-26T02:32:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2005, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-indica/286687/1 "2005-01-26T02:32:14Z")
Is it marijuana? Or is it a legal substitute? (I was just listening to _Ariel Angelo_, and it’s mentioned in one line: _She’s learning to grow indica in her closet/I’ve seen her lights but I pretend I don’t know_) ---
**Author:** ![Madd\_Maxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Madd\_Maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madd_Maxx)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2005, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-indica/286687/2 "2005-01-26T02:48:26Z")
Cannabis sativa & cannabis indica are both strains of marijuana. They are often just refered (heh, reefered) to as either Indica, or Sativa. It is common for most “name-brand” (IE. White Widow, or B.C. Big Bud) plants to be a hybrid (through selective breeding) in order to gain desirable traits from both strains. Although a true Purple Haze is going to be pure sativa, with a pure Northern Lights being pure indica. Both are originally from different parts of the world, and have different characteristics as far as stem & leaf shape, height, yield and the “high” that one recieves from ingestion. Uh, at least that’s what I have been told. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_loblaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@bob\_loblaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_loblaw)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2005, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-indica/286687/3 "2005-01-26T03:11:43Z")
indica is more likely to give you a sleepy, more body-centred high, while sativa will give you the giddy, laughy kind of high. indica is also usually the smellier of the two, sometimes refered to as “skunk”. if you, you know, smoke that kind of thing. and there is also a difference in the growth cycles between the two varieties, though i can’t remember which one is the faster growing, and which has the greater output of buds. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Asbestos_Mango)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2005, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-indica/286687/4 "2005-01-26T03:51:25Z")
IIRC, Indica is also shorter and bushier, thus it lends itself better for indoor growing. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2005, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-indica/286687/5 "2005-01-26T14:41:36Z")
I don’t use drugs, myself. Tried 'em, don’t have any use for them. So is indica legal? I tried a search, and found several sites selling seeds. ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2005, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-indica/286687/6 "2005-01-26T14:52:45Z")
In england at least the seeds are legal (you can use them as bird food). However woe besides you if one “accidently” germinates. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2005, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-indica/286687/7 "2005-01-26T17:19:57Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > I don’t use drugs, myself. Tried 'em, don’t have any use for them. > > So is indica legal? I tried a search, and found several sites selling seeds. Not yet, but write your congresscritter! ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-indica/286687/8 "2005-01-26T20:14:40Z")
> [@bob\_loblaw](#): > > though i can’t remember which one is the faster growing, and which has the greater output of buds. I think we have evidence of use here, your honor. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2005, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-indica/286687/9 "2005-01-26T20:31:01Z")
So there really _is_ a difference between _Cannibis. indica_ and _C. sativa_. Don’t many botanists consider them to be strains or breeds of the same species?