By Luke Sumpter


There are thousands of unique cannabis strains available. Some are developed for stimulation, others for soothing our minds. Some are bred for potency, and some purely based on taste. Most smokers have their own favorite strain that hits that sweet spot for them.

You can switch things up by smoking a different strain than usual, but what about smoking both at the same time? By mixing different strains of cannabis flower and extracts, you can enjoy highs that you can’t find through any single strain.

WHY MIX DIFFERENT CANNABIS STRAINS?

Each strain features its own phytochemical makeup; a unique blend of terpenes, cannabinoids, flavonoids, and other constituents.

These molecules play both major and subtle roles in determining the nature of the psychoactive—or even non-psychoactive—experience. Breeders design new strains by selecting the unique genetics of individual varieties and breeding them together.

However, cannabis smokers can also blend the properties of each cultivar by simply consuming them together. For growers, that experience can also be an opportunity to see what a hybrid between two strains could be like.

ARE TWO EFFECTS BETTER THAN ONE?

Thousands of available cannabis strains means there are thousands of different combinations to experiment with. Combining two powerhouse strains, for instance, could heighten your mental activity before work. In the same way, blending two stoney varieties might help you melt into your bed at night.

You can also blend seemingly opposite highs into one experience. Adding a subtle strain to a potentially overwhelming variety can help take the edge off. Vice versa, a light Northern Light mixed with a potent Triple G could keep you from sleeping past noon.

TAME YOUR HIGH

There comes a time when every cannabis smoker overdoes it. Smoking too much high-THC cannabis can lead to an uncomfortable time, but adding in high-CBD extract or flower can tame the high[1] and bring it down a notch.

Essentially, by stimulating endocannabinoid production, CBD prevents THC from binding to CB1 receptors in the brain. As a result, the psychoactivity of THC is partially mitigated. By this, we mean the effects are smoothed out and cooled down, not completely reversed or eliminated.

Cannabinoid, opioid, serotonin and dopamine receptors

IS THE HIGH FROM TWO CANNABIS STRAINS BETTER?

Considering how much we’ve been talking about it, we’re sure you’re wondering whether your high would actually be better if combining strains. Well, that entirely depends on the results you're looking for, and how dedicated you are to achieving them. The process takes some experimentation, and trial and error is key, but the payoff can be great.

Perhaps more than hitting an ideal cannabinoid balance, finding your preferred high will be about picking a good terpene blend. Terpenes are aromatic molecules that underpin the signature scents of the cannabis plant. Science has identified over 40,000 of these chemicals in nature, where they are responsible for the alluring scents of trees, flowers, and fruits.

The cannabis plant contains over 200 terpenes. Aside from providing tantalising flavors and smells, these molecules display a range of effects in humans. They even synergise with cannabinoids to modulate the high—a phenomenon known as the entourage effect[2].

Some terpenes create more of a stoning effect, whereas others are more stimulating and cerebral. You can mix cannabis strains based on their terpene content to create unique cocktails and modulate your high.

HOW TO COMBINE DIFFERENT CANNABIS STRAINS

Throwing together two cannabis strains without much thought could work, despite it being a shot in the dark. To achieve more of a tailored effect, you should have a think about the cannabinoid and terpene profiles of each cultivar. Ideally, both strains will bring something to the mix that the other doesn't.

CANNABINOIDS

Cannabinoids provide the main effect that underpins each high. High levels of THC, for instance, will elevate the experience and make it increasingly psychoactive. The effects of THC generally include euphoria, happiness, increased mood, and hunger—although it can also cause feelings of nervousness and paranoia.

CBD, however, doesn't produce a high. Instead, it supports a clear-headed experience that eases tension and brings peace of mind.

That's most of what people know, but there are over 100 other cannabinoids in the plant. We don't really understand most of them yet, but researchers have begun taking a much closer look at CBGCBNTHCVCBC, and many others. They usually occur in tiny amounts compared to the big two, but some breeders are working to change that.

If you get your hands on some high-CBG or high-CBC genetics, try introducing the strain alongside your current favorite to see how it changes the overall effects. If smokers want more CBN, they can leave their buds to cure for longer and allow the THC to break down.

Cannabinoid, opioid, serotonin and dopamine receptors

TERPENES

There are two reasons to focus on terpenes when mixing strains: taste and effect. Strains with varied terpene profiles contribute to a more diverse flavor spectrum. Terpenes also modulate the high, so take this into consideration when blending cultivars.

Linalool and limonene both offer tastes of tangy and zesty citrus, and the pair will significantly enhance the fruitiness of any mix. Pinene and humulene—both earthy and deep—augment each other and deliver refreshing tones of forest walks. Caryophyllene and myrcene are another excellent pair; both terpenes are spicy and peppery—perfect for savoury edible dishes.

INDICA AND SATIVA

Conventional wisdom states that indica plants offer a more stoning and physical high, whereas sativa plants provide an energising head high.

However, advances in cannabis science have shown that things are more nuanced than this. In fact, researchers[3] suggest we stop categorising cannabis into cultivars (cultivated varieties) and instead categorise them according to their chemovars (chemical varieties).

This move makes sense, as the chemical composition of the same strain can vary widely due to environmental factors and phenotypical variation. This new system would help to identify the qualities of specific specimens.

However, indica and sativa strains do differ morphologically. Indica strains are bushy and produce thick-fingered leaves. Sativa strains, in contrast, are tall, lanky, and produce thin-fingered leaves.

Despite the shifting science, evidence does suggest[3] that indica and sativa cultivars possess higher concentrations of certain terpenes in some cases. You can successfully balance out the stoning or stimulating effects of each by playing around with strain combinations.

During years of breeding and developing one of Europe's leading seed banks, we've conducted our fair share of experimentation. Check out our favorite strain matches below, and hear us out on why you should give them a try.

ROYAL DOMINA AND MEDICAL MASS

Royal Domina brings psychoactive potency to the party, while Medical Mass tames the powerful high with a CBD content of 10%. A heavily indica-dominant strain, the former packs a THC content of 20% and high levels of myrcene, pinene, and caryophyllene. In turn, she delivers a powerful body high and a raging appetite. That high won't get too out of control, though, as the clear-headed effect of Medical Mass allows users to remain functional and creative, even when incredibly stoned.

ROYAL DOMINA

Terpene profile: Myrcene, Pinene and Caryophyllene

THC: 20%

MEDICAL MASS

Type: Sativa 40% Indica 60%

CBD: 10%

SOUR DIESEL AND OG KUSH

These two strains pack bucket-loads of flavor and intense amounts of THC. Although they belong on opposing ends of the indica and sativa spectrum, their combined effects create a high that occupies the sweet spot in the middle. Sour Diesel features 70% sativa genetics, along with high levels of limonene and THC, a combo that usually leads to an energetic and buzzing high. However, indica-dominant and myrcene-heavy OG Kush will pull the effects into the middle of the spectrum and create a well-rounded stone.

SOUR DIESEL

Terpene profile: Limonene

THC: 19%

OG KUSH

Terpene profile: Myrcene

Type: Sativa 25% Indica 75%

ROYAL CHEESE AND BLUE MYSTIC

Royal Cheese and Blue Mystic synergise to serve up a banquet of delightful terpenes. Royal Cheese brings forth intense flavors and aromas of cheese and earthiness. Blue Mystic, matching the energy, delivers a contrasting yet complementary barrage of sweetness, fruits, and sugar. These two indicas will gear you up for some major relaxation, so get some pillows and blankets ready for the ride.

ROYAL CHEESE

Aroma: Cheese and earthiness

THC: 17%

BLUE MYSTIC

Aroma: Sweetness, fruits, and sugar

Type: Sativa 20% Indica 80%%

WEDDING GELATO AND CHOCOLATE HAZE

The gorgeous purple flowers of Wedding Gelato serve up a striking THC content of 25% to complement the indica-dominant genetic profile. In other words, this strain will melt you into the couch and bathe you in sensations of euphoria. At the same time, though, Chocolate Haze will help to bring a clear-headed and lucid experience into the equation. She balances out an otherwise heavy body high, enabling users to function and pursue creative projects without taking away from the general euphoria.

WEDDING GELATO

THC: 25%

Effect: Calming and Euphoric

CHOCOLATE HAZE

Aroma: Chocolate, Sweet and Earthy

Effect: Heavy and Euphoric

LEMON SHINING SILVER HAZE AND SHOGUN

Lemon Shining Silver Haze descends from Haze and Skunk genetics, and she packs high levels of THC to boost her stimulating sativa high. Shogun, not to be outdone, completes the pairing beautifully. She brings cerebral energy to another level with a massive THC content of 25%, and her head high sends the cogs of the mind into overdrive. This is one of those strains that may actually inspire you to get up and engage in some physical activity!

LEMON SHINING SILVER HAZE

Profile: 21% THC and high amount of Limonene

Type: Sativa 75% Indica 25%

SHOGUN

THC: 25%

Type: Sativa 70% Indica 30%

SHOULD YOU TRY COMBINING CANNABIS STRAINS?

Absolutely! What do you have to lose? No doubt, it'll take a period of trial and error to land on your perfect mix. But, if you find the right pairing, the journey will be well worth the reward. Let us know which strain combo is your favorite!

External Resources:
  1. Cannabis Pharmacology: The Usual Suspects and a Few Promising Leads - PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  2. Taming THC: potential cannabis synergy and phytocannabinoid-terpenoid entourage effects https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  3. Cannabis - from cultivar to chemovar https://bedrocan.com
Disclaimer:
This content is for educational purposes only. The information provided is derived from research gathered from external sources.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


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.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

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?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

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

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

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.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

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.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

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).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

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.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

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.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: