Indica Cannabis Strains

What is Indica?

Marijuana is one of the world’s oldest crops, with its cultivation dating back over 6000 years. The Indica strain of cannabis was discovered in 1783 and originated in the Middle East specifically, in the Hindu Kush mountains (strains with “Kush” in their name are primarily Indica). Having grown in a much more hostile, rocky environment, the plant evolved with several unique characteristics.

To stay protected from the harsh conditions it developed in Morocco, India, and Afghanistan, cannabis Indica produces resin, an organic, sticky substance packed with cannabinoids. For this reason, the strain is extremely potent and has been found to have several medicinal benefits, including pain relief, appetite stimulation, and muscle relaxation.

The Cannabis Strain

Indica is one of two primary strains of cannabis and originated in the Middle East and Eastern Asia. A naturalist from France named Jean-Baptiste Lamark 1785 was the first westerner to document the existence of the cannabis strain to which he gave the name Indica in honor of India.

At the time, the cannabis strain primarily grew in and near India. However, Lamark later learned it also thrived in southern and western Asia. He described the cannabis Indica plant as short, conical, and thick with branches.

Other early sources of Indica include Middle Eastern nations, like Afghanistan, Tibet, and Pakistan. Pakistan was formerly a northwestern India region before separating and creating its nation in the mid-20th century. 

Neighboring Afghanistan and its Hindu Kush mountains were especially noted as a source of cannabis, which is why the Hindu Kush is one of the oldest and most popular Indica strains today.

Brief History of Indica in Canada

The use of various Sativa and Indica strains in Canada was minimal, even though the nation banned their cultivation and use in 1923. Cannabis use remained relatively unheard of until marijuana became more popular in the 1960s.

A small black market for cannabis surfaced in the 1960s that lax law enforcement enabled despite a maximum penalty of six months imprisonment and a $1,000 fine. Still, the use of Sativa and Indica in Canada remained very small.

A governmental inquiry by the Le Dain Commission in 1972 completed a three-year study of cannabis use in Canada and recommended decriminalization. However, it did not recommend legalization.

The legalization effort did not occur until two committees in the two houses of the Canadian Parliament in 2002 recommended allowing limited cultivation and possession of no more than 30 grams, followed by a recommendation for full legalization. A year earlier, Parliament approved the medicinal use of severe illnesses like HIV and cancer, which made it legal for a tiny percentage of the population.

Finally, in October 2018, cannabis became legal for all adults in Canada 2018. Authorized retailers can purchase hybrids, Sativa, and Indica in Canada. You even can buy Indica online.

Medical Benefits of Indica

Indica strains are especially beneficial for those who suffer from nausea, pain, and anxiety. The benefits partly are due to Indica containing more CBD than Sativa or most hybrids. So, you can count on getting more medicinal benefits from Indica than from Sativa or many hybrid strains of marijuana.

 Anyone healing from a strain, sprain, or a broken bone could help ease the pain they experience while recovering. The Indica also helps to promote sleep and make it possible to obtain rest as needed. For example, if you have insomnia, many Indica strains could help you to sleep relatively well instead of going through your day in a state of sleep deprivation.

The Right Dosage

The dosage depends on what ails you and what your desired effects might be. For example, one or two tokes from a bong, pipe, or joint could be all you need. However, if you have higher tolerance or are mainly suffering from pain, you will need to take more than someone who is an occasional user.

The effects of the high that you get from Indica strains generally vary based on the terpenes and the potency of the strain you are using. Terpenes are compounds contained within marijuana that provide their specific effects. Therefore, you can use them to obtain particular effects from the high while addressing your medicinal concerns.

The Good

The general pros and cons of Indica are reasonably straightforward. The pros are the ability to relax, relieve anxiety, and lessen any pain you might feel. Indica also helps to stimulate that appetite to help you overcome an eating disorder that might make it difficult to eat regularly. The ability to overcome insomnia also helps to make Indica a prevalent strain among people who have trouble sleeping.

The Bad

The cons of using Indica often are its effects that can make you sleepy and less active. The ability to stimulate your appetite might lead to overeating, and the drowsy effect might lessen your productivity. 

The High

Indica’s produce a heavy, highly sedative, and relaxing body high that is often called “being stoned” and is what most people expect being high is like. Because of their powerful psychoactive effects and calming effects, indicas are perfect for relaxing or night-time use.

If you’ve been smoking Indica’s, you would know that they’re basically ‘organic sleeping pills’ because of how sleepy and rested you feel. The indica high is basically a body high, where your entire body falls into a calm, slow, sedated state that is very different from the head high which people experience when they consume a Sativa strain.

Common ‘high’ effects include:

• Heavy body high
• Sedation
• Heady psychoactive effects such as time distortion
• Increased appetite (munchies)
• Improved sleep
• Reduced inflammation
• Headache, migraine and chronic pain alleviation