When you stop by Doja, you’ll notice plenty of things about our dispensary – our chill staff, eye-catching decor, and the endless products we have to choose from. At any dispensary, not just ours, you’ll find a huge variety of cannabis on display, and that can be overwhelming even for weed experts. Isn’t there someone who can just tell you what to buy?!

While we’d never tell you what you have to buy (you know yourself better than we ever could), we can point you in the right direction when it comes to cannabis strains. All you have to know is the effects you’re looking for.

What Are Cannabis Strains?

A ‘cannabis strain’ is simply a variation of the cannabis plant with its own unique qualities. You’ve probably heard the three strains talked about before – sativa, indica, and hybrid.

A Closer Look at Strain Types

A quick guide to help you get to know each strain better:

Sativa: Sativa is typically the best strain to consume during the day because it’s known to be energizing, uplifting, and stimulating. A lot of people like to use it to boost their mood or their creativity, so if you need to get out of a rut, sativa is what you need.

Indica: If you need help winding down at night, the indica strain is your best friend. It can help with inducing sleep and it encourages relaxation, calmness, and pain relief.

Hybrid: As a combination of sativa and indica, the effects of a hybrid strain will lean towards which strain it contains more of.

What Sets the Strains Apart

It’s easy enough to understand what strains are and the feelings that come with them. But how do the strains differ from each other in terms of contents?

Each strain has a unique profile. The effects they provide depend on:

• Cannabinoids
  • Each plant contains a host of cannabinoids that interact differently with your endocannabinoid system. (We won’t get too far in the weeds with this, we promise.) The concentration of cannabinoids like THC and CBD is what determines how high you get and what kind of high you experience. The higher the concentration, the stronger your high.
• Terpenes
  • Terpenes produce flavor and aroma in cannabis, and they also do what they can to support cannabinoids to make for desirable effects in the body and mind. Lots of people are picky about the terpenes found in their cannabis, because terpenes are responsible for so much of the plant’s uniqueness. When you find a terpene profile you like, remember it!
• Environment
  • Details that seem small, like soil quality, actually play a big role in both the terpene and cannabinoid profiles in cannabis. The growing environment definitely matters.

There are plenty of cannabis components to experiment with, like tastes, smells, and colors. It takes some time to figure out what jives best with your body, but you will most definitely know you’ve found the one when it happens.

How to Choose

When you’re considering a strain, keep in mind these criteria:

Aroma and Flavor

The last thing you want is to smoke a strain of cannabis that tastes or smells nasty to you. Find one that you can’t get enough of!

Effects

It only makes sense to consume the strain that has what you’re looking for. For example, if you want a stronger high with psychoactive effects, choose a strain with a higher THC concentration. If you want something with therapeutic benefits without as strong of a high, find something with a higher CBD concentration. If you want an especially relaxing experience, try smoking something that contains linalool (a terpene profile that’s known to be relaxing).

Potency

If you’re not looking for an intense high, you won’t want to consume something very potent. But, if you want to reach another dimension, search for high potency. Those just starting out in the cannabis world should start slow and go from there. We don’t want you biting off more than you can chew!

Growing Method

We know not everyone is this picky, but hey – some people prefer weed that’s been grown in an outdoor setting over weed that’s been cultivated indoors. If that’s you, make sure to pick a strain that’s been grown outside.

Budget

We wish that money grew on trees but, sadly, it doesn’t. Luckily, there are strains available for all budgets, at every price point, whether you’re in the market for something affordable or high-end.

Find a Strain That’s Right for You

At Doja, we’ll be the first to say that the journey to find your strain is 100% personal; what other people love might fall flat for you, and vice versa, so feel free to test the waters and find what works. We’re to help if you need input or advice. Just reach out!