Each of us has been there. You’re in middle school. Sitting at those steel and plastic desks that are hard ASF. Downstairs in the creepy basement of your school, while your science teacher teaches you about the animal and plant kingdom. During those classes, we learned a little thing or two about taxonomy. For the purpose of this blog, we’ll be talking specifically about plant taxonomy.

Like all living things, plants are identified and categorized using a taxonomic naming system called binomial nomenclature. The classification of plants is based on shared characteristics. Here is the basic taxonomy of the cannabis plant!

Before we talk more specifically about the different, more-common strains, it’s important to discuss cannabinoids, aka chemical compounds:

The two subspecies, Cannabis sativa spp. indica and Cannabis sativa spp. sativa, are the most commonly used of the Cannabis plant. Each of these subspecies contains numerous strains, including hybrids that are a mix of sativa and indica. There is a third subspecies, Cannabis ruderalis, but this specific species is less commonly known.

Due to years of cultivation and breeding, its pretty hard to find 100% pure Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica. We create different strains to create different effects. Knowing more about the strain you’re consuming is important and can help you anticipate the effects you’ll experience, particularly so when smoking or vaping.

Strains don’t matter so much when consuming ingestibles since they change chemical form once they’re processed through the liver.

Sativa is like drinking a cup of coffee in the morning. It gives you energy, lifts your mood, inspires creativity and relieves depression. If you need a little help with socializing, finding the motivation to exercise or work on creative projects, then sativa strains are what you want to reach for. But make a note, sativa strains can increase anxiety if that is something one struggles with.

NOW! If you need help relaxing, relieving stress and combating insomnia, then indica strains are what you need. Indica will melt away tension and increase relaxation. Something we can all benefit from. If you’re headed to the spa or have a spiritual bath you want to do on a new or full moon, indica should be your strain of choice.