There are so many different names for marijuana these days that keeping them all straight can be confusing. There is swag, chronic, sativa, indica, sensi, skunk, haze, Afghan, Mexican, Thai, African, and the list goes on and on. This might seem intimidating at first, but with a little background every type of weed can be easily classified into a few simple categories. All smokable marijuana can be classified as either Cannabis sativa or Cannabis Indica. These marijuana plants are very different physically and chemically. If a plant is a pure sativa or indica it can quickly be identified by the buds and the leaves. Hybrids are a combination of both sativa and indica and these strains can sometimes be tricky to identify. If the physical characteristics are not a giveaway, the psychoactive effects usually are. A sativa will give the user a cerebral euphoric high, while an indica will provide a heavy body high. Cannabis Indica strains are the most widely used in medical marijuana because of the powerful therapeutic effects they have on the body. 

Although there are some physical differences in the plant, the major difference with an Indica strain is the feeling. An indica high is more identifiable by a stoned body feeling than a high mental feeling. This comes from the chemical makeup of the indica plant, which has more CBD than THC. THC is the psychoactive chemical that makes you feel high, while CBD or cannabidiol is what makes you feel relaxed. Indica strains are used to relax both the body and the mind. Because of their intense therapeutic effects indica plants are often prescribed for such things as chronic pain, fibromyalgia, stress, tension, glaucoma, arthritis, migraines, and insomnia. Some popular indica strains for medical use include Northern Lights, Skunk, White Widow, Ganja Dwarf, Hindu Kush, and Afghan. High doses of indica can place you into a deep weed coma, so you should always be careful when smoking this kind of weed. 

The indica plant is a small and bushy marijuana strain that rarely reaches above 5 feet. Despite their size, these cannabis plants are loaded with fat condensed buds that make for extremely high yielding harvests. These plants generally have more chlorophyll than a sativa, so they will demonstrate much darker colors of green, purple, blue and red. This type of weed excels with indoor conditions and a lot of love. The indica plant grows much faster than sativa and some strains can finish several weeks before others. The buds from these cannabis plants are known to give off a pungent skunk order when grown or smoked. Indica smoke is very thick and can lead to long fits of coughing if you don't pace yourself. Indica strains often have a dank smell that can be accentuated by floral and fruity aromas. Their taste is often sweet with a somewhat spicy aftertaste. The pleasant taste and mellow high make smoking an Indica a highly enjoyable and relaxing experience.