עבריתWhat Is Cannabis Sativa? Why Should You Care? Find Out!
- Sunday, June 6 2021 at 19:51
- Snir Mutzafi
- Cannabis 101
- 6 minutes
Cannabis is a flowering – plant which is a part of the Cannabaceae family, a biological classification that describes a relative group of related organisms that share common features. The Cannabaceae family consists of three main species:
While discussing cannabis (or any plant) it is important to make a distinction between a species and strains. In this article we'll provide a simplified distinction: A specie is a basic unit of classification for any plant that identifies it within an established botanical and biological ranking system based on its physical and genetic similarities. While a strain - is a genetic subtype that includes all the descendants of a single specific organism, usually it possesses some unique feature of the "parent" plant. For example, consider yourself and your family, טou’re all human (hopefully.. but nobody is perfect) which means that you share certain specifics in your anatomy & physiology, your family is your strain and your DNA carries some portions that have to do with your ancestors (just like a kid might resemble his parents externally). So, when you hear about the popular Lemon Haze, for instance, it means the strain and not the specie/type of cannabis. Hopefully, you now understand the distinction between species and strains, so you can start making sense of some of the terms you may have heard. Let us address different key elements which are crucial for "diving in" to the world of cannabis:
A complex cell-signaling system that regulates many bodily functions. It includes the cannabinoid receptors and a variety of physiological, biochemical, and anatomical interactions which are related to the ESC activation or deactivation - either by the natural endocannabinoids or by the external effects of cannabis on the human body.
Endogenous cannabinoids, meaning that they are molecules that are naturally produced by your own body and are used as mediators that bind to some receptors in order to activate or deactivate them in order to produce a bodily function of sorts.
Phytocannabinoids are cannabinoids that exist naturally in the cannabis plant. When we consume cannabis, the Phytocannabinoids go through several biochemical changes and then interact with our bodily functions by binding to the cannabinoid receptors within our body and activating / deactivating / regulating them and thus creating different effects. There are more than 100+ identified Phytocannabinoids and a lot more are presumed to be yet undiscovered.
TetraHydroCannabidiol (more specifically comes to describe his primary formation of tetrahydrocannabinol-9-delta), is a Phytocannabinoid. A biochemical constituent of Cannabis. When absorbed by an individual through the consumption process produces a psychoactive effect ("high"). It also has some other interactions with the human body which be later addressed in other articles.
Cannabidiol, a Phytocannabinoid, has NO psychoactive effect, but it is currently being associated with the activation, regulation, and mediation of many different bodily functions which will be later detailed in another article.
Terpenoids are modified Terpenes (Terpenes are part of the plant which gives the plant its odor) which are modified by the biochemical processes that occur during the usage of the cannabis plant. Terpenoids are hydrocarbons (made of hydrogen and carbon) and are used in herbal medicine for their aromatic properties and attributed medicinal and functional properties. In cannabis, there are a lot of different Terpenoids which differ from strain to strain based on the dominant Terpenes within the plant.
Flavonoids are a secondary metabolite of plants, they help regulate some parts of the plant's development and functions. Some of their actions may include the protection mechanism of the plant. To our specific ends, the main attribute that we will expand on and engage in is their effect on humans: Flavonoids have been attributed a role in herbal medicine as a protection against infections and antibacterial properties.
The entourage effect is a proposed mechanism in which cannabis compounds act synergistically to produce and modulate the overall effects on and to the human body. In layman's terms, the plant as a whole is responsible for the entire scope of effects, the notion that isolating a component will result in impaired or lacking the full spectrum of effects that a certain strain can provide.
Cultivated for industrial use, it is a sub-type of the species Cannabis Sativa which holds very few to almost-none psychoactive components that may interact with humans and contains a different array of active components concentration. It does have several benefits as it has many nutritional values and several active substances could benefit you because of that. Hemp has also been popular in cosmetic products & nutrition supplements as well as foods. In addition, it has various uses in the industry such as clothing, rope making, fiber, compost, absorbing material, and a lot more.
The Sativa specie of cannabis has been attributed to an energetic cause of effect over the human body, the "high" sensation has been described as a "Mind-high" which means it is linked primarily to:
The Indica species of cannabis has been attributed to a soothing and relaxed manner of high also known as a "Body-high" which consists of:
Today, most of the plants are hybrids and are a mixture to a certain (lower to low to medium) degree and thus may include some properties from the other's common effects. Every strain is unique and so is every person (not to sound like a lamer version of a Taylor Swift song), so it can vary a lot from person to person and it is highly recommended that you will start in low dosage and slow in terms of consumption, in order to understand the specific effect that the strain has on you.
Also known as "hydro" or "chronic" in slang. It is a method of growing plants without soil by using mineral nutrient solutions in a water-solvent environment instead. It's used a lot in the cannabis industry and is loved because of the total control over the nutrients thus a lot of consumers feel that the plant is being taken care of better - and therefore expect it to be of higher quality. It is important to remember that there are advantages and disadvantages and there are a lot of different opinions on the soil vs hydroponic debate. It is important to remember that it doesn't necessarily guarantee the quality of the cannabis!
The third specie of Cannabis holds different traits than Sativa or Indica and often has a high concentration of CBD. Ruederalis is mainly used for cross-breeding with Sativa and possesses high-speed growth as it matures with age and not by light cycle as Sativa and Indica do. Cross-breeding with Sativa is also a good way to enrich the Sativa with CBD. Cannabis Ruderalis has a natural hardiness against damages from various damages and ailments of nature.