The cannabis industry has become an extensive one that it has invested in creating different strains. From the regular cannabis strains, indica, sativa, and hybrids arise different cannabis plants that have different physical attributes and effects. One of the results of the science behind extensive research is the sativa-dominant hybrid.
In essence, this is still a hybrid cannabis plant. What makes is that it gives off characteristics that are dominantly that of a sativa cannabis plant. If you’re a new cannabis cultivator and this might seem confusing for you, keep on reading and we’ll tell you more about sativa-dominant hybrid.
Sativa Strain 101
Before we go deeper on sativa-dominant hybrid let’s take a look into the 2 strains involved; sativa and hybrid.
The Sativa strains are known for giving uplifting effects. If you want a strain to increase your energy and focus, the sativa strain might be your go-to cannabis. The sativa strain goes away with the general reputation of cannabis that it gives a stoned and lazy effect.
The sativa strain can give you mental exhilaration and it gives a more lifted effect than any other strain. It is also a great choice for social situations, starting conversations and creative pursuits. The sativa strains also compose the “wake and bake” strain, perfect for those who want to start their day by smoking cannabis.
Other basic information about the sativa strain is that it is tall in stature, it has narrow leaves and longer flowering cycles. It is also better suited for warm climates with longer summer seasons.
Hybrid Strain 101
The hybrid strain is considered as the cannabis strain that offers the best of both worlds. Almost all of the strains available on the cannabis market is already a hybrid. They are a product of crossbreeding both sativa and indica strains.
Hybrids will take on the quality of both parent cannabis plants. It elicits more of a balance rather than giving a straight body or head high. Cultivators will often find sativa-dominant or indica-dominant hybrid which means a particular strain has a stronger attribute on the plant.
Sativa-dominant hybrids are known to give a cerebral high while the indica-dominant hybrid will have a more relaxing and sedative effect.
What is Sativa-Dominant Hybrid?
The sativa-dominant strain of marijuana is likely made from crossbreeding sativa and indica cannabis, but this type of hybrid leans more on the sativa side. The sativa dominance is expressed in terms of growth pattern and the effects it gives to the cannabis user.
A pure sativa strain will have no indica characteristics and it should come from 2 parent plants that are both from the sativa strain. These sativa-dominant strains are popular because of their ability to provide a head-high to its consumers. They are also normally prescribed medicinally as a treatment for depression.
Physically, you can anticipate that a sativa-dominant strain is taller and thinner with narrower and lighter green leaves than those who are indica-dominant. The pure sativa species can grow up to 20-25 feet tall or at least 6-7.6 meters. If your cannabis plant is sativa-dominant, you can expect it to grow tall just like its origin species.
Sativa-dominant strains are great for outdoor growing but if you have a greenhouse it will work well there too. They also adapt better in warm weather areas or in countries near the equator.
Just like its origin species, the sativa-dominant hybrid is often used as daytime cannabis because it doesn’t induce fatigue and lethargy like that of the indica strains. Some sativa-dominant strain users have reported that they are able to think more clearly while under its influence.
In most cases, sativa-dominant strains will have “haze” in their names, although this is certainly not always true. Some of the most famous sativa-dominant strains in the world are Purple Haze, Juicy Fruit. Strawberry Cough, J1 and Trinity.
Knowing What Type Of Cannabis is Right for You
Most cannabis consumers will have their own preference for what type of weed they want to ingest. There are consumers who smoke sativa all day long while there are those who prefer smoking indicas after a long, tiring day for winding down and relaxation.
If you’re curious about what type of cannabis strain you should consume or cultivate the first thing that you have to do is ask yourself what are you going to use it for. If you have plans of growing your own cannabis, you might need to consider the growing requirements, the whole duration of the cultivation including the germination up until the harvesting and you need to focus on the amount of yield the cannabis plant will give you.
However, if you’re going to ingest the cannabis, you might need to ask yourself what types of effects are you looking forward to. Are you looking for mental stimulation or just wanting to tap into your creative side and probably get motivated to do your tasks? If these are the effects you want, you need to use sativa or sativa-dominant hybrids.
If you’re looking forward to a relaxing feeling after a long stressful day, if you need a little help sleeping at night or you just feel like doing nothing and zoned out on a couch while watching a good movie, the indica or indica-dominant hybrid is your best bet.
Another tip before purchasing the strain you will actually use for long-term consumption or cultivation is for you to test the strains first. You can go to your local dispensaries or seed banks and purchase small amounts of indica, sativa and hybrid strains. Typically, the smallest size of cannabis you can find is 1 gram.
If you’re new to cannabis ingesting, we would suggest that you schedule your strain testing on the days that you don’t have anything to do like on your day off. You wouldn’t want to take sativa-dominant cannabis before going to work as it might give you an enormous amount of feeling energized and it might seem off to your workmates.
