Reader: Daytime? Nighttime? Now They Are Dumbing Down Weed!

A reader recently asked our Stoner whether the terms “indica” and “sativa” really apply anymore when shopping for strains. "I feel like some sativas make me sleepy and some indicas keep me wide awake," wrote Pain Patient.

"More and more cannabis studies, growers and users are championing a new — or at least tweaked — narrative when it comes to the differences between said strain designations," Herbert Fuego reported. According to this new school of thought, “indica” and “sativa” should apply only to a strain’s growth characteristics, such as how tall the plants stretch, flower or perform in certain climates. Some people suggest that strains be labeled "daytime" or "nighttime" instead.

Readers have their own thoughts. Says Molli:

Am or pm, but it’s not their function... it’s all about that terp, Westword!!

Adds Michael:

Now they are dumbing down weed. Wow.

Notes Kevin:

There's no test to indicate it either way. There are indicas with sativa effects and vice versa. Personally, they all affect me the same. Anecdote aside, they are honestly nonsense terms.

Comments Robert:

 Botany is for neeeeeeerds.

Says Hannah:

 Some of us actually prefer indica in the daytime because we suffer from pain and anxiety. Probably the worst article you've written, Westword. There are known different effects for different strains and that's why they have classified them the way they do....I will literally walk out of a dispensary before buying "nighttime" weed and have yet to see this classification 

Adds Joe: 

If any of my budtenders ever paid attention to my purchasing habits, they would know I only care about how high the THC percentage is. Anything else is irrelevant.

Concludes Josh: 

What a fuckin' stupid thing to whine about.

Keep reading for more on the terms used for strains.

"Ask a Stoner: I'm Sick of Using the Words 'Indica' and 'Sativa'"

As Fuego notes, it’s believed that terpenes are responsible for the effects strains have on consumers. Terpenes such as myrcene, linalool, limonene and pinene, which give certain plants their smell or flavor, could affect how your body reacts to cannabinoids (THC, CBD and so on), meaning those smells and flavors might be more important than previously thought.

Research continues to support this theory, so it could be time to change the way we talk about cannabis strains. Some dispensaries have already ditched the indica and sativa monikers, opting to use “daytime” and “nighttime” instead.

What do you think about the terms "sativa" and "indica"? Would you use "daytime" and "nighttime" instead? Post a comment or email your thoughts to [email protected].