How precisely do we choose a cannabis or hemp strain when there are so many possibilities available, including internet stores and dispensaries with a seemingly endless range of products? And how do we determine which strain is appropriate for pain or anxiety…
At this time, the majority of people are familiar with medicinal cannabis in general, as well as CBD (cannabidiol) and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). The idea of these compounds has spread widely, regardless of whether a person has used one personally, knows someone who does, or is just familiar with some of the material available.
If you asked individuals to describe CBD, they could respond that it is a cannabinoid, that it is non-psychoactive, or that hemp has more CBD than other cannabis varieties. The same is true with THC: it is present in cannabis, it causes euphoria, it has health benefits, etc. If you were to ask someone what cannabis does in general, they could mention some of its medicinal benefits, such as its ability to reduce inflammation, ease anxiety, assist manage pain, and regulate blood sugar.
However, what if you were to pose a more precise question, such as: Does any CBD or THC substance or flower perform all of these excellent medical functions? You can find yourself looking at a perplexed face. And you’d probably get nothing but a blank stare if you asked which particular cannabis flowers are best for a given problem.
Though CBD, THC, hemp flowers, and cannabis in general may all have some general medical benefits, that is only part of the story. The truth is that plants differ greatly from one another, and these differences frequently determine which kind of flower is appropriate for which condition.
What makes strains unique?
The idea that various cannabis plants can produce drastically diverse experiences is one that the majority of cannabis consumers are already pretty familiar with. While one strain may leave a user feeling upbeat, content, and motivated, another may leave a user feeling so relaxed and comfy that all they want to do is lie on their couch and watch Netflix.
Another strain, however, might exacerbate anxiety or even induce paranoia. Most cannabis users are aware that plants are fundamentally classified as sativas or indicas depending on whether they tend to produce a more euphoric or sedative high. At this point, almost every strain has one of the two components, although the proportions of the two components vary greatly.
The story may have once ended there, but as we now know, there is more to the story that will lead to even greater difference. similar to terpenes, a group of chemical substances that combine with cannabinoids to provide synergistic effects.
The characteristics of the terpene profile connected to a specific strain also influence the effects that the user experiences. The same is true of flavonoids, which are plant byproducts that contribute to a strain’s overall therapeutic qualities. What does all of this ultimately mean? It implies that there are many distinct varieties of flowers existing, with new ones being created daily in both nature and laboratories, frequently with the explicit goal of promoting a certain medical countermeasure.
Despite the fact that cannabis was utilised in this case, hemp is just as diverse, with hemp flowers having vastly different medical properties.
Cannabis versus hemp flowers
For many people, this is when things might become unclear. THC is one of the cannabinoids found in cannabis flowers, which are frequently available in recreational and medical dispensaries. Since they contain THC, they do have a psychoactive impact. Depending on the amount consumed, the THC percentage of the strain being smoked, and personal tolerance levels, these effects can range in strength.
On the other side, hemp, which frequently serves more industrial uses, is categorised as having a THC concentration of less than 0.3 percent. While some hemp plants produce cannabis-like blossoms, these flowers only have very little quantities of THC and no other psychotropic substances. Although CBG-dominant buds are a more widely used alternative, CBD-dominant plants make up the majority of hemp plants.
We’ll talk about medicinal cannabis flowers in this article because that’s where the majority of the study has been done so far.
Who knows what?
Even if we have a lot of knowledge about cannabis as a whole, the advantages of various cannabinoids, and the functions of terpenes, flavonoids, and other substances present in cannabis plants, it is still quite challenging to single out one strain as the finest.
There hasn’t been any conclusive research on definite strains for definitive issues as of yet. Any listings you find online are simply the writers’ subjective speculations, albeit frequently based on widely held beliefs like the ones that CBD-rich or 1:1 ratios are better for pain relief or that strong THC strains can be detrimental for anxiety. Of fact, even these claims won’t always come to pass. It has two aspects:
Even when two separate companies sell the same strain, they will never be exactly the same, which naturally leads to problems with consistency across sellers and makes it more difficult for buyers to understand what strain they might be buying and how valuable it will be for them.
the subjective character of cannabis components, which is often. The truth is that not everyone will become paranoid with a high THC dosage, and not all types of pain may respond well to a strong 1:1 ratio. A substance may have varied effects in different persons, which means that a person’s demands may be unique to them and not reflected in a more broad overview. This is frequent in both the pharmaceutical and natural medicine fields.
The more relevant it becomes that simply being able to measure what we DO know is a task unto itself, the further we go into what we DO know.
beginning of measurement
The treatment of anxiety is one of the CBD and hemp flower’s most widely used applications today. This study looked for links between cannabis chemotypes and the efficacy of various types of cannabis to treat anxiety symptoms in an effort to determine which strains were best at treating anxiety.
Chemotypes are subspecies of a plant or microbe that differ chemically from one another but have different metabolite compositions. The researchers studied the information provided by cannabis patients before comparing and contrasting the most popular strains. By doing the study, the researchers basically created a standard for subsequent academics wishing to carry out similar research.
What Works Best? is a fine topic to pose, but in order to get an answer, there needs to be a method for comparison and assessment. This study was particularly intriguing because it possibly laid the first foundation for objective evaluations of cannabis strains as opposed to countless publications based on subjective reasoning.
A survey was used to conduct the study. It contained 90 questions covering patient health, individual usage patterns of medical cannabis, reported efficacy for symptom management or alleviation, and preferred strains for various conditions.
Only 15% of participants reported having a formal diagnosis of anxiety or a closely similar disorder, yet more than 50% said they used cannabis everyday to control their anxiety. 14 percent of individuals mentioned anxiousness as a negative cannabis side effect. To assure uniformity, each participant used a particular brand, with 25 popular types available. They were asked to describe which strains functioned the best and the least well for certain symptoms.
There was also a “other” option in case they wished to list a strain that wasn’t one of the 25. In several cases, participants were allowed to list more than one strain. From most to least effective in this study, the following four strains were chosen as the top ones for reducing anxiety:
Bodhi Kush
OG Skywalker Kush
Lambsbread with berries
Kush Kosher
The four strains that were least effective at reducing anxiety were:
Chocolope
Lambsbread with berries
Shark CBD
Orange Dream
The fact that Blueberry Lambsbread appeared on both lists may be quite indicative of how different we truly are from one another.
The researchers wanted to determine if there was a link between the chemotypes of these various strains and their efficacy in treating anxiety, so they didn’t stop there. This allowed the specific terpenes and cannabinoids to be weighted according to how the strains’ respective votes were cast, and then the results could be compared. The most prevalent terpene in the strains that were the most productive was nerolidol, while the most prevalent terpene in the strains that were the least productive was myrcene, according to the results of the investigation.
The pain problem
The most typical reason people use cannabis as a medication, aside from anxiety, is probably to treat pain. The subject of which strains are better for coping with pain comes up once more. This 2018 study examined the usage of cannabis by people with migraines, headaches, arthritis, and other types of chronic pain, as well as their favourite strains for treating their symptoms.
Participants in this study completed a survey about their use, preferences, and experiences as well as an ID MigraineTM Questionnaire for migraineurs. 2032 people who had experienced one of 21 cannabis-treated ailments participated in this study. One of the respondents was:
42.4% of people have pain syndromes.
29.4% of people have ongoing pain
9.3 % have arthritis
headaches: 3.7 percent
The overall findings that were pertinent to this subject were as follows:
Across all pain subtypes, hybrids were preferred.
The OG Shark strain was favoured by migraine and headache sufferers.
This second aspect is intriguing because OG Shark is not the obvious choice for individuals trying to guess because it is a high THC, low CBD strain. Its two most noticeable terpenes are -caryophyllene and -myrcene, and it’s possible that this terpene profile is what gives the plant its potency. This emphasises how crucial the chemotype of the particular plant is when evaluating a plant’s potential.
How to choose your marijuana
In actuality, it may be wise to seek advice on your finest cannabis alternative, just as you wouldn’t choose your own antibiotic or blood pressure medication. A highly precise chemotype is required when looking for a certain treatment, and it won’t always appear where we expect it to.
I advise consulting your physician if your medical condition is particularly specific. If your physician is not licenced to treat cannabis-related conditions (as no standard MD will be), find one who is. A doctor who is not certified in cannabis will have no idea about it and is highly likely to give incorrect or even hazardous information.
Understand where to look for advice while searching for it because this is not pharmaceutical medicine. A naturopathic physician is always preferred because it is their area of expertise, but an MD who has a current cannabis certification comes in a close second. If your medical condition is less serious or you are more knowledgeable about how to treat it, check through our product reviews to see if anything appeals to you.
