The labels Indica, Sativa, and Hybrid do not necessarily dictate specific highs. They refer to a family of cannabis’ associated effects. Cannabinoids and terpenes are a far more sophisticated and informed way to find what you’re looking for. And since most dispensaries classify strains by their family (indica, sativa or hybrid) so it’s up to you as a consumer to be marginally educated on how cannabinoids and terpenes affect you, so I wrote this to hook you up.

Finding your favorite cultivar starts with knowing your strains -aka families of the cannabis genus – but strains only tell a fraction of the story. Cannabis has been cultivated for generations to produce specific effects, so even though there are effects related to each strain, those effects are by no means guaranteed.

Every person’s endocannabinoid system (the receptors in our brains that react to cannabinoids) is as unique as a fingerprint. And since strain designations only reveal to us the most recent lineage of a cultivar, knowing about cannabinoids and terpenes is also an essential part of finding your favorite highs.

There have been at least 113 different cannabinoids isolated from the cannabis plant, but only 16 or so have been studied enough to be explained. Of those 16, only 5 will realistically come up in conversation with your local budtender. 

 

Terpenes and terpenoids put the “essential” in essential oils and are found in too many types of plants and flowers to name. Terpenes are literally oily essence. They are what we smell when the budtender puts an open jar of nugs up to our faces. Specifically, we smell these terpenes: