In our lifetime, if there has ever been “a Mother’s Day to remember” 2021 has definitely earned this superlative. During the year of no (no school, no camps, no friends, no girls trips), moms said yes to weed – a lot. This Mother’s Day, a new study finds that cannabis has indeed been deemed essential by moms. According to an Oasis Intelligence report, twice as many mothers have increased their cannabis use since the start of quarantines, as opposed to fathers. Moms are also smoking more than women without children – also at double the rate (16% vs. 8%).
This year we’ve welcomed quite a few more Rebel Mamas to the anti-club club who are no doubt also hanging out of bathroom windows, have more than one bottle of Febreze stashed around the house and appreciate the convenience of a zippered hoodie in place of our usual cape. But even experienced stoners might have some questions – the answers to which I believe will further elevate the experience, so for this column I thought I’d run through a few cannabis basics to enlighten our future interactions with the plant (read: so when we socialize with weed again we can act like there was purpose and progress in our hedonistic if not lifesaving life choices!).
What’s up with the words indica and sativa?
Indica and sativa describe two distinct types of cannabis plants, specifically plant structures that evolve because of where they were grown and how they adapted to conditions within that natural environment. It is now commonly accepted language that asking for sativa signals you want “energizing” weed. I think of my hands to the sky like a “v” – like sati-v-a. While indica means you wanna be “inda couch.”
How does cannabis work in our bodies?
Like the cardiovascular system, the neurological system, the respiratory system, the human body also has an endocannabinoid system, which modeulates all of these other systems to maintain homeostasis, or balance. The endocannabinoid system relies on cannabinoids to keep it “fed” to run optimally. As we age or with stress of any kind, our bodies produce fewer endocannabinoids but never fear – phytocannbinoids are here! Phytocannabinoids are derived from plants and exactly mimic the endocannabinoids from within our own body. You’re likely very familiar with the two most popular and well-researched cannabinoids: THC and CBD, which interact with endocannabinoid receptors to produce specific effects – namely feelings of euphoria in the case of THC.
Why does cannabis smell so good – and so bad?
In all flowering plants, such as grapes, hops, lavender, et cetera, you’ll find or smell the terpenes. These naturally occurring compounds trigger connection through smell. So definitely smell your weed if your in a jurisdication that allows for this (Canada – yes; US – depends). Alongside cannabinoids, terpenes work in concert to create your very specific high – often this is referred to as the entourage effect. If you like how it smells, you’ll like how it makes you feel. Canada does not require terpenes to be listed on the label, so it’s really hard to find information about them on the cannabis you buy. Although last year, BLKMKT, a premium Adult Use brand announced that its intention to be the first brand in Canada to list terpene content and percentages on their packaging.
Why do strains with the same name affect me differently?
Just like wine and food, terroir is also critical to weed. The elements, soil, light climate, all influence its original genetics, nature, nurture, right variations and growing conditions can produce two very different cultivars, or cultivated varieties, of a single strain. So state-to-state, province-to-province or whether the plant is grown indoor versus outdoor, no two harvests yield the same strain even if their same names suggest differently.
So what’s up with the strain name game?
Love them or hate them, they represent the heritage of today’s cannabis industry. Most were smuggled, bred, and promoted illicitly, so seems only fair to pass on the legacy of the people who kept the plant in the collective conscience despite Prohibition. There are four strain families to know when decoding the names.
The Diesel family: Diesel strains offer energizing, cerebral effects, perfect for inspiring creativity, and are marked by a distinct diesel gas and tart citrus aroma.
The Haze family: Haze strains offer a clear headed, energetic, and focused high. However, this strain variety also promotes a deep sense of relaxation that follows the intense cerebral high.
The Kush family: Kush strains derive their name from the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan where growing conditions, the terroir, influence the structure and chemistry of indica plants. Kush strains typically offer a welcome and warm body buzz with an exceptional dose of euphoria.
The Skunk family: Known for their skunk-like aroma, Skunk strain varieties, or cultivars, provide a balanced and uplifting psychoactive effect and full body buzz. First developed in the 1970s, this cannabis strain family is considered to be one of the most important strain groups ever created.
A strain from each cultivar family:
Sour Diesel
- focused, long lasting high
- Less is more
- Classic, energizing strain
Silver Haze
- Melts stress and mild aches
- Increases stamina, creativity and appetite
- Dry mouth and eyes
OG Kush
- Euphoric high that calms anxiety, stress
- The building block strain of West Coast cannabis genetics .
- Often prescribed for migraines, ADD/ADHD and stress disorders
Skunk No. 1 – H
- Origin: California, 1970s
- Super strong head high
- Reduces stress & nausea while increasing appetite
Recommended podcast to learn more about cannabis:
The High Guide, hosted by me, April Pride. This is my new podcast! Our current episodes are teasers while we prepare our clever format to go live on July 2. Think of The High Guide as vegetables hidden in a smoothie: Super fun listening intended to enjoy while high and teach you something you prolly didn’t know about cannabis from experienced consumers – or High Guides.
How to Do the Pot, This is the first podcast I created & hosted. The name says it all!
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April Pride is co-creator and host of How to Do the Pot. A serial creative entrepreneur, in 2016 April launched Van der Pop, which continues to be recognized for its woman-focused, education-forward content. VdP was acquired in 2018, by Canopy Growth,
the world’s largest cannabis company.
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Amazing article, so informative. I live in Canada and since it was legalized in 2019 I find that most strains are hybrids with a dominance towards either indica or staiva. But the true original strains seem to be quite rare. Curious if you noticed the same thing.