If you feel like your weed’s “high” is too sedating or too energizing, you may want to try a hybrid cannabis strain. These well-balanced weed cultivars have many of the aromatics found in famous indicas or sativas, but they won’t overwhelm your system. Indeed, tokers consistently rave about hybrid strains’ moderate effects.
While every cannabis strain has a unique profile, hybrids are typically the best choice when you want to experience a mix of effects. Chances are, a good hybrid strain won’t make you paranoid or put you to sleep.
What Makes A Cannabis Strain A “Hybrid?”
Technically, the cannabis plant could be divided into three subcategories: indica, sativa, and ruderalis. Of these three groupings, sativas and indicas are the most significant as they contain the highest traces of cannabinoids.
For thousands of years, indica and sativa strains grew in distinct regions of the world, and they have many unique traits. For instance, indicas tend to grow relatively quickly and have a short, bushy stature. Sativas, on the other hand, are tall, lean, and take a bit longer to develop.
In terms of effects, most cannasseurs believe sativas are responsible for the head-rush “wake & bake” sensation. By contrast, tokers associate indicas with relaxing, body-heavy effects that are ideal for nighttime use.
So, what does the sativa vs. indica distinction have to do with hybrids? Basically, a cannabis hybrid is any strain that fuses indica and sativa genetics. True hybrids should have a 50/50 indica-to-sativa ratio, but many hybrid strains lean on one end of the spectrum. Looking into a hybrid’s genotype could give you a sense of its effects.
What Effects Should You Expect With A Hybrid Strain?
As hinted above, not every hybrid strain has the same flavors or effects. However, most hybrids provide users with a mix of qualities you’d find in purebred sativas and indicas. Most often, people who smoke a hybrid immediately feel a head-rush high that gradually morphs into a body-heavy chill. The combination of these properties gives users both an upbeat buzz and a sense of relaxation.
While hybrid strains tend to be well-balanced, you should always review the average effects of your chosen cannabis strain. While the indica-to-sativa ratio is a significant metric, it’s not the only way to analyze a cannabis strain. Please remember that cannabinoid and terpene percentages could significantly influence a hybrid’s effects.
Find Your Balance With Heavenly Hybrid Cannabis
Now that cannabis cultivators could legally “come out of the closet,” there has been an explosion of creativity in the hybrid market. In fact, there are so many hybrids in today’s dispensaries that some people don’t see the relevance of the sativa-to-indica distinction. A few critics even claim there will be no such thing as a purebred indica or sativa if the hybrid market continues to expand.
While it’s debatable whether hybrids will fully eradicate sativas or indicas, there’s obviously a massive demand for these strains. Customers who want to experience well-balanced effects should always keep a stash of hybrids at home.