With Louisiana offering cannabis flower in just a few weeks, patients who have qualified for a medical marijuana certification will be shopping for cannabis strains in just a short while. Although Louisiana will just be starting it’s harvesting of cannabis flower, there is sure to be plenty of options to choose from in the future.
In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about cannabis strains, how to choose between them, and how to pick the ones that will be best for you!
What are Cannabis Strains and How Do I Choose one?
Thousands of Strains to Choose From
There are thousands of unique cannabis strains growing across the world, and every day new strains are being bred by cultivators. Cannabis can grow naturally on its own, but over the years farmers have purposefully bred and crossbred cannabis strains to produce extraordinary plants containing desirable compounds.
Some strains are grown to help with chronic pain, others are grown to provide mental clarity, some help more with inflammation, and some strains are grown purely to be the strongest strain possible.
Picking Strains for Your Symptoms
With all of the choices between cannabis strains it can be tricky to figure out exactly which ones are the most agreeable with your condition or symptoms.
Fortunately, that’s part of the fun in using cannabis as an alternative medicine, you get to experiment and find out exactly which strains or products work the way that fits your symptoms the best!
How to Choose a Cannabis Strain: Categories & Definitions
Picking a Cannabis Strain Doesn’t Have to be Hard
With the large number of cannabis strains to choose from, it can almost feel overwhelming to try and research them all. Fortunately, many cannabis strains come from the same or similar families, and there are tons of strains that are crossbred with each other that provide very comparable effects.
But picking the right cannabis strain for you starts with identifying strain types, knowing their terpene profiles, and getting a grasp for the cultivator that is growing them.
Indica, Sativa, and Hybrid Strains
In choosing a cannabis strain, one of the first things you’ll want to identify is whether it’s an indica or sativa. Generally, indica strains provide a “high” that is drowsier and provides physical relief, and sativas offer a more energetic “high” that provide extra creativity and mental relief.
Hybrids are a blend of both indica and sativa properties, usually being dominant in one or the other, or in some cases a 50/50 split. Determining which category the particular strain belongs in is the first (and usually easiest) step in figuring out how that strain may affect you.
Researching Terpenes
Another important factor in choosing your cannabis strain is knowing what terpenes are most commonly found in a cannabis strain.
Terpenes play a critical role in determining how a strain smells, tastes, and how many of its effects are perceived. Seeing a chart with listed terpenes for a strain can provide an incredible amount of information and knowing the different terpenes will help you figure out which ones work best for your symptoms.
And knowing a strain’s terpene profile will put you in the best position to understand how a cannabis strain’s entourage effect will work for you.
Look up Cannabis Strains Online
Each cultivator’s cannabis strain will differ slightly in genetics, and the final product will always be slightly different depending on the growing techniques that are used, but typically you’ll be able to find a general outline of what cannabis strains do on Leafly or Weedmaps.
Both of these sites offer the ability to browse through strains, see what their terpene profiles look like, and read how other patients have been affected by them.
This can help you draw a better conclusion about how the strains usually work, and if you can match up the reviews with a strain’s cultivator, you’ll have a clear understanding of how that strain usually works.
Choosing a Strain Based on THC
High or Low THC Matters
Once you’ve figured out whether a strain is an indica or sativa, and determined what the terpene profile looks like, you’ll likely already have a grasp of the total THC content.
The total THC content of a particular strain will certainly be helpful in determining the general strength or potency that it will have. Higher THC strains will often provide stronger and longer lasting effects than lower THC strains, but they’re also prone to producing more anxiety and bad experiences.
For beginner patients or for those with low tolerance, it’s always recommended to start with very low dosages and move your way up as you go, rather than jumping into the deep end with the highest THC content you can find.
Choosing Strains Based on CBD Levels
Another important factor will be the CBD content in cannabis strains, as many patients look for strains with higher CBD contents to either offset the higher THC level, or to provide therapeutic benefits from CBD itself.
Many cannabis strains are intentionally grown with higher CBD contents, and there are many products made with CBD as the primary ingredient that offer valuable therapeutic relief to patients.
Putting it all Together & Picking a Strain
Cannabis Knowledge is Power
Choosing the right cannabis strain for your symptoms is an easy thing to do when you’re equipped with the right tools and resources. There are plenty of websites dedicated to profiling each cannabis strain thoroughly, so the hard part is already out of the way.
Connecting all the dots together only requires that you become casually knowledgeable about how cannabis works as a medicine, and getting a grasp for cannabis compounds will help you pick the right strains for your specific symptoms.
Get Your Louisiana Medical Marijuana Certification
Louisiana Marijuana Card makes it simple and easy to get a medical marijuana certification, and with 2022 introducing cannabis flower as a product option, there’s sure to be a line of patients registering for cannabis certifications in the coming weeks and months.
Beat the lines and get your medical marijuana certification in Louisiana today, and you can even get certified online for ease of use and convenience.
For questions about Louisiana’s medical marijuana program, or how to become a medical marijuana patient in Louisiana, consult with one of our trusted doctors and book an online medical marijuana appointment today!
Doctors Who Care.
Relief You Can Trust.
At Louisiana Marijuana Card, our mission is helping everyone achieve wellness safely and conveniently through increased access to medical marijuana. Our focus on education, inclusion, and acceptance will reduce the stigma for our patients by providing equal access to timely information and compassionate care.
Call us at (833) 253-2943, or simply book a medical marijuana evaluation to start getting relief you can trust today!
Check out Louisiana Marijuana Card’s Blog to keep up to date on the latest medical marijuana news, tips, and information. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to join the medical marijuana conversation in Louisiana!
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