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Indica, Sativa, Hybrids & Ruderalis

Indica, Sativa, Hybrids & Ruderalis

Explaining Classifications & Their Pitfalls

Subgroup Definition
Indica Understood to be of pure 'Indica' heritage.
Indica Hybrid Hybridised with dominant 'Indica' admixture, some 'Sativa' or 'Ruderalis'.
Hybrid A mixture of 'Indica' and 'Sativa' genetics, and/or 'Ruderalis'.
Sativa Hybrid Hybridised with dominant 'Sativa' admixture, some 'Indica' or 'Ruderalis'.
Sativa Understood to be of pure 'Sativa' heritage.
Ruderalis Understood to be of pure 'Ruderalis' heritage. (No Known Medical Products)

At MedBud we classify products strictly based upon best known genetic lineage from the original cultivar/parent strain. In some instances we amend classifications of products with a warning provided on product pages wherever we dispute a brand's own classification. When prescribing, clinicians should follow the prescription label, and not MedBud's more stringent definitions which are provided for better oversight on potential genetic lineage.

In all instances attempting to treat Indica or Sativa as being reliably indicative of any particular medicinal effect is bad practice. From more sedating Sativas, to more energetic Indicas, any notion of implied effect based solely on this classification is strongly warned against. We do believe as many claim that some effects/traits are displayed more predominantly in either category, but this cannot generally be depended upon as indicative for any particular medication/cultivar/strain.

There have been instances of brands labelling medications incorrectly, for example a Sativa Hybrid labelled as an Indica. We strongly urge all brands not to attempt to reclassify cultivars/strains themselves, and depend solely on genetic lineage as is practised here at MedBud. While these classifications cannot be fully depended upon, it's important their usage is rooted in more accurate genetic analysis, and not any brand's particular notion of 'what feels like what.'

"There are biochemically distinct strains of Cannabis, but the sativa/indica distinction as commonly applied in the lay literature is total nonsense and an exercise in futility. One cannot in any way currently guess the biochemical content of a given Cannabis plant based on its height, branching, or leaf morphology. The degree of interbreeding/hybridization is such that only a biochemical assay tells a potential consumer or scientist what is really in the plant. It is essential that future commerce allows complete and accurate cannabinoid and terpenoid profiles to be available."United States of America Dr. Ethan B. Russo, MD, from The Cannabis Sativa versus Cannabis Indica Debate

This article is still being finalised, the content below is currently half-written.

Cannabis Sativa

In 1753, botanist Sweden Carl Linnaeus first proposed the classification Cannabis Sativa to describe hemp plants which grew across Western Eurasia. The term "Sativa" is derived from the Latin term "sativum" which simply refers to a product which has been cultivated. There was at first no distinction whatsoever between different phenotypes of Cannabis growing worldwide - while today the term Sativa has a slightly different connotation. (...)

"Sativa, sativus, and sativum are Latin botanical adjectives meaning cultivated. It is often associated botanically with plants that promote good health and used to designate certain seed-grown domestic crops." — Wikipedia Quote

Claimed more common effects.

Cannabis Indica

There's a lot of controversy and debate over the classification Cannabis Indica, while traditionally referred to as a subspecies of "Cannabis Sativa L." this is not technically correct. In 1785 biologist France Jean-Baptiste Lamarck updated classifications into two distinct species, "Cannabis Sativa", a taller growing and more fibrous plant, and "Cannabis Indica", a shorter more stout plant. The term Indica itself simply refers to India India, the geographical region associated with this subset of cannabis plants.

Claimed more common effects.

Cannabis Ruderalis

From the 70s-80s, scientists began classifying a third major cannabis subspecies, "Cannabis Ruderalis".

Hybridised Cannabis

To be written.

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