Cannabis sativa is an annual herbaceous flowering plant indigenous to eastern Asia but now of cosmopolitan distribution due to widespread cultivation. It has been cultivated throughout recorded history, used as a source of industrial fiber, seed oil, food, recreation, religious and spiritual moods and medicine. Each part of the plant is harvested differently, depending on the purpose of its use. The species was first classified by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. The word “sativa” means things that are cultivated.

Cannabis indica, formally known as Cannabis sativa forma indica, is an annual plant in the Cannabaceae family originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is a putative species of the genus Cannabis. Whether it and Cannabis sativa are truly separate species is a matter of debate. The Cannabis indica plant is cultivated for many purposes; for example, the plant fibers can be converted into cloth. Cannabis indica produces large amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The higher concentrations of THC provide euphoric and intoxicating effects making it popular for use both as a recreational and medicinal drug.

Hybrid cannabis plants are a combination of indica and sativa strains. While discussions about types of cannabis tend to focus on the differences between sativa and indica, these only examine one part of the picture. In fact, most marijuana strains found today aren’t pure sativa or pure indica. Typically, they will be indica- or sativa-dominant hybrids, and sometimes they’ll be an equal mix of both kinds of cannabis.