Glossary · Plant types
Sativa
A marketing label for cannabis varieties commonly tied to uplifting, cerebral, energizing effects suited to daytime use. The term has little reliable botanical meaning today, but shoppers treat it as shorthand for "head high." A strain's actual chemistry matters more than the sativa tag on the jar.
See also
Sativa strains in our library
13 of the 47 strains we profile.
Read more about sativa
Related terms, defined
- Indica
- A loose marketing label for cannabis varieties popularly associated with heavy, body-centered, sedating effects. Botanically the indica/sativa split is shaky, but dispensaries still use it as shorthand for "relaxing, nighttime" flower. In practice the terpene and cannabinoid profile predicts effects far better than this category.
- Hybrid
- A cannabis variety bred from both indica and sativa lineage, which today describes nearly every strain on the market. Hybrids are often described as indica-dominant or sativa-dominant depending on which traits lead. Because pure landraces are rare, "hybrid" is the honest default label for most modern flower.
- Strain
- The common word for a named cannabis variety, such as Blue Dream or OG Kush. Each strain represents a particular genetic line with a recognizable aroma, effect profile, and look. Botanists prefer "cultivar," but "strain" is the term used on every menu and label in the industry.
- Sativa-dominant
- A hybrid whose effects, structure, and growth habit lean toward the sativa side of its lineage, typically meaning a more energetic, heady experience. The term acknowledges that almost all strains are hybrids while still flagging which direction a given cultivar tends to pull for most users.
Related terms