By Steven Voser

To those in the cannabis community, the indica vs. sativa discussion seems never-ending. But what do genetics really tell us about a cannabis plant's physical traits, effects, and flavours?


UNDERSTANDING CANNABIS TAXONOMY

To better understand the differences between indica and sativa, it helps to first take a more general look at the taxonomy of cannabis.

Cannabis was first classified by Carl Linnaeus in the 1750s. Linnaeus believed the genus to be monotypic (containing only one species), which he named Cannabis sativa L. Linnaeus, a Swedish botanist, made this classification by working with hemp plants, which were widely cultivated across Europe at the time.

In 1785, French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck published a description of another species of cannabis, which differed from Linnaeus’ variety. Lamarck called this species Cannabis indica Lam., noting that it produced significantly poorer fibres, but worked better as an inebriant. His description was based on plants he had collected in India.

In the 20th century, Russian botanist D. E. Janichevsky identified a third variety of cannabis growing natively in Russia, which we now know as Cannabis ruderalis. In the 1970s, taxonomists and botanists once again tried to figure out how to best classify the cannabis plant.

While there’s still some discussion surrounding the proper taxonomy of indica, sativa, and ruderalis, scientists believe that there are enough notable differences between the cannabis varieties to warrant their recognition as three separate species. For the purpose of this article, we’ll only focus on indica and sativa varieties.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN INDICA AND SATIVA?

The most obvious differences between indica and sativa are in their physical traits. American botanist Richard E. Schultes and a team of researchers describe sativa and indica as follows:

  • Sativa: Tall and laxly branched with narrow leaves
  • Indica: Shorter with a conical shape and wider leaves

The stark differences between indica and sativa can be explained by looking at their geographic origins. Below, we’ll take a closer look at the many differences between sativa and indica.

Sativa and Indica Cannabis Plants

CANNABIS SATIVA

Cannabis sativa is native to warmer, tropical climates and can be found growing naturally in Thailand, Vietnam, Colombia, Mexico, and even parts of Africa.

In order to deal with the long, hot, and humid summers, sativa plants adapted by growing tall, with larger internodal spacing, wispy buds, and narrower leaves. This naturally helps the plants stay protected against the high humidity in these areas and threats like mould or pests.

Because sativa plants tend to be taller, they are typically better suited for outdoor growing. They do particularly well in warm, tropical climates with long summers.

GROWTH DIFFERENCE: THE FLOWERING STRETCH

Indica and sativa plants tend to display drastically different growth rates and patterns. However, these distinctions don’t become very apparent until the beginning of the flowering stage.

Whereas indica plants shift their growth rate up a gear, gaining some height and forming a dense, bushy canopy, sativa plants undergo some serious stretching. The change in light cycle triggers a hormonal cascade that causes them to shoot upwards towards the light. In some cases, this phenomenon (called "The Flowering Stretch") can cause plants to double in size. When planted deep in the ground or in large containers, sativas can grow to 3m and beyond.

CANNABIS INDICA

Indica plants, on the other hand, are native to colder, dryer, mountainous regions like those in Nepal, India, and other areas of the Indian subcontinent where summers are colder and shorter. To deal with these conditions, Cannabis indica developed shorter flowering times and denser foliage and buds.

Thanks to their smaller stature and shorter flowering phase, indica plants are perfectly suited for indoor cultivation. They can easily be manipulated using training techniques and tend to produce nice, thick buds with a lot of “bag appeal”. Thanks to their flowering speed, indica plants also allow some growers to produce multiple harvests over a shorter amount of time

DISTINGUISHING INDICA FROM SATIVA

Botanical records dating back to the 18th century detail the visual differences between the two cannabis subtypes. These morphological distinctions appear across each subtype’s anatomy, from the leaves to the flowers.

Sativa vs Indica

LEAF DIFFERENCES

The leaves provide one of the easiest points of distinction. Indica plants possess broader fan leaves with thicker fingers, whereas sativas produce more narrow and longer fan leaves with thinner fingers.

Taking a step backwards, many cultivators can tell the difference between the two based on stature alone. Indica plants are more shrubby and stocky, whereas sativa varieties are longer, lankier, and with more space between nodes.

FLOWERS DENSITY

The two subtypes also produce flowers with distinct characteristics, although it takes a trained eye to determine sativa from indica when it comes to manicured buds. Not to mention, most modern strains are hybrids of both subtypes, making it nearly impossible to determine the dominant subtype by viewing the flower alone.

Generally speaking, sativa buds are lighter, longer, thinner, and fluffier. Chances are, a bag of sativa buds will look as though it contains much more material due to the lack of density. Conversely, indica buds are typically much more compact and firm.

AROMA AND TASTE

Indica and sativa plants produce notable differences in effects, but it takes a true cannabis connoisseur to tell them apart from taste alone. Aromatic phytochemicals known as terpenes underpin the vibrant taste and smell of weed, and each strain contains different ratios of these molecules.

Pure sativa and indica plants feature unique terpene profiles that experienced smokers could tell apart. Indica buds offer sweeter, richer tastes of honey and fruit, whereas sativa plants produce more earthy and fuel-like flavours.

DO INDICA AND SATIVA PRODUCE DIFFERENT EFFECTS?

Besides their morphological differences, the cannabis community also tells sativa and indica strains apart based on their effects. In fact, almost the entire cannabis community agrees that sativa strains are uplifting and energising, while indica strains are powerfully sedative.

But where did this consensus come from? Are the effects of sativa and indica weed really so different? Well, some experts say there is no basis for using the terms indica and sativa to describe the effects of cannabis.

In 2016, the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research published an interview with Dr. Ethan Russo, Director of Research and Development at the International Cannabis and Cannabinoids Institute (ICCI). In this interview[1], Russo says, “it's impossible for terms like indica and sativa to really give us any idea of the chemicals in a particular plant and, therefore, the effects it will produce”.

In a print edition of High Times, Rev. Dr. Kymron deCesare, Chief Research Officer at Steep Hill Laboratory in California, made a similar argument. He claims that indica and sativa can’t tell us much more about a plant than its physical characteristics.

The Entourage Effect

CUSTOM BLENDS OF INDICA AND SATIVA

Most of the cannabis varieties you’ll find on the market today are hybrids with both sativa and indica genetics. Our expert breeders at Royal Queen Seeds, for example, use specialised breeding techniques to produce strains with unique traits such as shorter flowering times, specific flavours, and more.

Besides the physical differences between indica and sativa, some research also suggests that the two varieties may contain different concentrations of terpenes, which could be another factor in why they produce different effects. For example, some sources pin the characteristic sedative quality of "heavy indica" cannabis strains on a high concentration of myrcene.

Myrcene is a terpene found in many plants, including hops, thyme, lemongrass, mango, cardamom, and, of course, cannabis. It’s said to give off an earthy, slightly peppery smell, and, in high concentrations, is thought to give some cannabis strains that uniquely sleepy effect.

Besides looking at individual compounds like terpenes and cannabinoids, it’s also important to consider how these compounds might interact with each other and thereby alter our experience with cannabis. The potential of the chemical constituents in cannabis to interact with each other is what the world’s foremost cannabis researchers refer to as “the entourage effect”.

Terpenes

INDICA VS. SATIVA: MUCH MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

In this article, we hope to have cleared up some of the myths surrounding the differences between indica and sativa. While there are clear morphological differences between pure indica and pure sativa strains, the rest of the distinctions are harder to pin down, and involve a lot more than just genetics. Still, the indica and sativa categories have allowed the cannabis community to develop a language by which to classify and differentiate this fascinating plant.

External Resources:
  1. The Cannabis sativa Versus Cannabis indica Debate: An Interview with Ethan Russo, MD https://www.liebertpub.com
Disclaimer:
This content is for educational purposes only. The information provided is derived from research gathered from external sources.

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COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

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If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

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We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

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At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

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Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

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On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

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To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

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We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

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