What is the Best Sativa Flower?

What is the Best Sativa Flower?

If you’ve ever wondered which sativa strains are the most popular ones across Canada, you’re not alone. Cannabis sativa strains are generally taller and thinner than indica varieties, and they are often chosen for their ability to energize the mind or relieving chronic body pain. To give you an idea of which sativa varieties your fellow countrymen and women enjoy, here we talk about 6 of the best sativa flowers in Canada; try to try them all!

Known as the social cannabis strain, sativas are famous for their energizing effects on the user. They deliver a “high” that promotes creativity, activity, and sociability. Users continue to favor sativa strains due to their uplifting effects. They are often the most popular among those who consume cannabis recreationally, rather than for medicinal purposes (sativas usually contain far higher levels of THC than CBD).

In this guide, we provide a brief reminder of what a sativa strain is and give our opinion on five of the best sativa strains ever.

1. Sour Diesel
Sour Diesel is a sativa-dominant variety that offers long-lasting pain relief and energizing cerebral effects. Also known as Sour D, this fast-acting strain has a distinct, pungent aroma of diesel fuel and an earthy flavor. With this flower you’re getting all the effects you’d normally expect from a traditional Sativa bud, but you’re throwing all the psychoactive effects out the window. A CBG bud bred from all-time classic strains like Sour Diesel and OG that will only be available as a limited-edition premium flower. The bud itself has rich notes of diesel and citrus with a peppery finish that makes a puff on a joint from this flower extremely smooth.

2. Lemon Haze 

If you’re really into high-quality flower and know what needs to happen in order to breed it so, then you are probably familiar with harvesting methods. While here at Herb we leave the growing to the experts, we do know how to spot a professionally grown flower bud when we see one. With an intense flavor of sweet lemons slices, Lemon Haze is one of the most popular sativa strains in America. It’s known for its potency, ability to hep you mellow out, and for producing flowers with a yellow hue. 

3. Green Crack
One of the most popular strains of cannabis sativa in America is Green Crack (bred from Skunk#1) which is well-loved for its ability to help sharpen focus, energize the mind, and banish fatigue. Green Crack, sometimes called Green Cush, has a tropical aroma and tangy flavor. A cerebral high that creeps in without creeping in, it just hits you with fruity aromas of mango and pineapple. Which actually does sound like something you want to be tasting first thing in the morning. Green Crack can reach THC levels of up to 25%, which should tell you that the effects can become overwhelming pretty quickly if you don’t know how to handle yourself around a dose.

4. Strawberry Cough
The cough part of the name might put you off just a bit. But if you don’t mind a potent smoke going into the old wind bags, then Strawberry Cough can be actually quite nice to puff on. Aromas and tastes of, you guessed it, strawberries that will leave your mouth watering and your body craving more. Strawberry Cough is a sativa-dominant strain that’s wildly popular in America and sought out for its ability to help you improve your mood and manage stress. True to its name, this strain smells and tastes of strawberries.

5. Jack Herer 
Named after the famous cannabis activist and author Jack Herer, this strain is a staple in dispensaries (and many personal gardens) from coast to coast due to its ability to instill a blissful state of mind. This sativa-dominant variety has rich, earthy flavors and aromas of wood, pine, and spices. Named after the Emperor himself, Jack Herer strain is a strain meant for recreational activities such as house parties and long walks. It’s a pure Sativa bud (when harvested right) that opposite to feeling overwhelming, actually feels enhancing. Once again, another strain for the creatives and dreamers; painters, writers, and sculptors, this should be your strain of choice.

6. Maui Wowie
Originating from the Hawaiian Islands, Maui Wowie is a well-loved sativa throughout the rest of the United States. Maui Wowie is famous for its tropical aroma and pineapple flavor, as well as its ability to help you slip into a mellow euphoria, dispel stress, and be more creative.

Sativa Strains: What Are They?

First, though, before we jump straight into the top five, let’s get a better idea of what “strains” actually are, and specifically what a sativa strain is.

A marijuana strain is a slight variation of the cannabis plant, which goes by the scientific name Cannabis sativa L. As we mentioned in the introduction, there are three recognized cannabis types: Indica, sativa, and hybrid. The sativa variety probably originated from Africa, Asia, and South and Central America, and is found naturally in nations such as Mexico, Brazil, Thailand, and Cambodia.

Like the other cannabis types, sativa was developed and genetically bred over the centuries to promote specific characteristics of the plant. Indicas are known for their sedative high and potentially couch-locking side effects. In contrast, sativas work to boost energy, offer a high level of self-worth and likely increase focus and creativity.

Hybrid strains, as you might guess, contain a mix of indica and sativa traits. They’re often the most popular amongst regular users, as they tend to provide the best of both worlds!

Sativa plants have thinner leaves and far longer flowering cycles than indicas. They are also significantly taller. While most sativa strains grow no higher than 12 feet, a handful of plants reach an incredible height of 25 feet! Look closely, and you’ll find that sativa plants carry a lighter shade of green than their indica counterparts. As well as taking longer to grow and mature than indicas, sativas need more light.

Why Choose Sativa?

When you think of choosing a strain of cannabis, you think of Indica and Sativa. Indica provides the user with a calmer and more sedated feeling. Whereas, using Sativa will make the user feel more alert and energetic.

If you’re looking for a pick me up or a strain that’s going to provide you with the energy you need to accomplish things, then Sativa is the strain that you want to keep your eye on.

Sativa strains help to stimulate and awaken your brain. Now that you know why you need to use Sativa, it’s time to learn about the different strains of Sativa that you’ve got to choose from.

What Does Sativa Do?

It’s unclear what causes the characteristic effects of sativa-dominant cannabis strains. Since both indica and sativa cannabis contain the same cannabinoids, it’s not as if there’s some undiscovered cannabis constituent making sativa-dominant strains hit differently than their indica cousins.

Lamentably, there’s very little research into the actual chemical differences between indica-dominant and sativa-dominant cannabis strains. When you look at Cannabis sativa flower as an interlocking mechanism of potent plant oils, however, it all starts to make sense.

The latest research indicates that cannabinoids and terpenes modulate each other as part of a phenomenon loosely referred to as the entourage effect. It appears that the various plant oils present in Cannabis sativaflower behave synergistically with one another to create effects that are strain-specific.

It’s entirely possible, for instance, that the uplifting, invigorating effects commonly associated with sativa-dominant cannabis are due to some unknown reaction between the dominant cannabinoid and limonene. More research is necessary to get to the bottom of this fascinating question.

How To Tell Indica From Sativa?

When they’re still growing, indica-dominant and sativa-dominant cannabis plants look markedly different. Indica plants have wider, purplish leaves, and sativa plants have a greener, finger-shaped leaves. While sativa-dominant cannabis grows tall and stretchy, indica grows short and squat.

In dried and cured nug form, indica and sativa cannabis can be distinguished from each other with the following criteria:

• Shape
• Color
• Aroma
• Taste.