If you’re a medicinal cannabis patient or just a cannabis enthusiast, you might have heard about Indica, Sativa, and Hybrid. But if you’re new to the idea of using cannabis, you may be wondering what these terms are, what the difference is, and how it can benefit you for your medical condition. Well, here is what you need to know about indica, sativa, and hybrid effects:

1.     Indica Strains

Indica contained evolutionary traits and were first discovered near the Himalayan Mountain range. This plant can protect itself from wind and cold due to its thickness, which prot

ects these plants in such harsh conditions.  Indicas provide higher yield in a minimum space.

·        Appearance

This type of marijuana has a bushy appearance, shorter than Sativas, have thicker stems, and broader and bigger pot leaves. They grow slower than Sativas at the time of the vegetation stage. This is because it has a higher concentration of buds.

·        Benefits

Indica strains are best for people suffering from sleep disorders like insomnia. Other benefits of this type of cannabis are relief from PTSD, anxiety, and depression due to its soothing effects. This is a true stoner drug that induces sleepiness in no time. If you feel stressed after a hectic shift, this type of cannabis can relax you. You need to smoke Indica strains in the evening as they affect your capability of functioning normally.

2.     Sativa Strains

Despite having extrem

e differences, Sativas and Indicas come under the same category. You will know the difference better if you have been smoking both these types of marijuana for some time.

·        Appearance

There is a massive difference between the appearance of both types of cannabis. Sativa is tall but has scarce and thin leaves. Sativa has a faster growth cycle, which is similar to vegetables. Sativa does not need extra care and micromanagement. You can grow these plants outdoors with proper exposure to light. If you have a big backyard and a county property, you can grow these plants quickly. But as these plants are tall, you should wall your property correctly.

·        Benefits

You can regard this plant as upper. It creates a great type of party vibe. People usually smoke this plant in the morning to stay active throughout the day. People who like to party can consume this type of cannabis in the night, receiving an extra boost. Most creative workers, designers, and artists use this plant to activate their minds and generate ideas. Sativa has a low CBD concentration and high levels of THC, so this plant can give you some paranoia and visual trips. Sativas can be useful for medical conditions,

but it is better to go with Indicas and Hybrids.

3.     Hybrid Strains

Hybrid is a mixture of Sativa and Indica, making this type of cannabis more interesting to gro. Hybrid sounds cool, but there isn’t anything new from an agricultural point of view. Civilizations have been combining different plants for so long, so they start combining different strains of cannabis, this is nothing new.

As time passes by, new and new versions of hybrids are combined with downplaying drawbacks and improving the features. There are numerous types of Hybrids with different effects and impacts on the body. It differs because of the growing methods.

Hybrid plants may have different features, impacts, and effects on the mind and body of a person, even if the grower is the same. Hybrids can control and change factors such as healing effect, terpenes, smell, and taste, and type of cannabis h

igh.

There are two major types of hybrids. One is the Indica-dominant, and the other is the Sativa-dominant. You can estimate the properties with the names as Indica-dominant have higher indica traits and vice versa. You will also find hybrid strains with a balance in both the strains. You will find Hybrid strains the most in the market.

Each Hybrid has specific features pertaining to psychoactive and medical effects. To obtain the potential impact of Hybrids, you need to analyze the chemical composition, CBD, and THC percentages. CBD is a substance that induces medical benefits, and THC is responsible for the psychoactive effect present in cannabis.

Choosing the Right Product

While choosing the right product, you need to consider the following things in your mind:

1.     Know What You Want

If you know how you are trying to feel, you can narrow down your options. Ask the employee at the dispensary how each product will affect you. You need to share your goal with the employee as they know more about what they are selling. There are different products to increase your energy, reduce anxiety, treat insomnia.

2.     What is Your Tolerance Level

Some strains are highly potent for you if you are a first-time user. At the same time, other products entry-level basics, so they are tolerable and mild. You need to discuss your level with the employee at the dispensary before purchasing any product.

3.     Considering Your Medical History

Cannabis may have an intense effect on your body despite being a natural product. You need to consider all your medications and medical conditions. If you are no sure about the effect on your condition, consult a doctor or a healthcare provider about your potential risks and individual benefits of using such products.

4.     Deciding the Method of Consumption

There are various benefits and drawbacks to each cannabis consumption technique. Smoking and vaping cannabis may irritate your airways and lungs, but the effect is quicker. However, chewable, gummies, and foods may be easy to tolerate, but at the same time, they take longer to bring relief and may be less effective.

Conclusion

You must consider a number of factors before choosing the right marijuana type, and it totally entirely on your preference. All marijuana types are unique and special. The best thing you can do is try all the types and judge which one is better. If you are looking for medical marijuana, you should contact a cannabis doctor. To use these plants properly, you need thorough guidance as these are volatile.

A lot of the current mainstream media’s fascination with the health risks of electronic cigarettes turn on 2 things. First, they make a big deal out of this almost statistically insignificant chances of ecigs blowing up. This, of course, is due to bad battery design or bad overall construction.

While this does happen, this takes place so rarely that you can’t help but wonder why the media is making a big deal out of such tragedies. Of course, one battery explosion is one too many. But let’s keep things in perspective.

Your chances of suffering serious harm from an electronic cigarette blowing up around you are way less than you getting killed in a car accident. You can take that statistical comparison to the bank. 

The other issue that the media seems to obsess about is the recent reports coming out of the European Union as well as preliminary indications in the United States regarding the overall safety of ecig juices or e-juices. 

These are, of course, the liquids that you put in a cartridge to vaporize using an electronic cigarette. Ecigs create an aerosol water vapor from the mixture of liquids inside these cartridges. The media has distorted the health consequences of using e-juices. 

There are certain problems regarding this media portrayal. Please understand that I’m not trying to downplay the risks. I’m not trying to trick people into thinking that these risks somehow, someway, do not exist. I’m not going to explain that these risks are somehow illusions. They’re not.

There is some statistical reality to them. They have to be confronted. They definitely have to be addressed. But you have to pay close attention to what the media is doing so you can see the risk in its proper perspective.

It is my understanding and my belief that the risks behind e-juices or e-liquids, as significant as they may be currently, is going to be temporary. What do I mean by this? Well, as the electronic cigarette industry continues to grow and evolve over time, the market will start to prefer other products.

Remember that any new product that enters the market is going to have a lot of risks. When the first iPhones came out, they weren’t all that good. A lot of them bent. A lot of them didn’t work properly. But people still kept buying iPhones and the technology finally leveled up.

The same goes for airbags. Did you know that the first generation of airbags had very rough exteriors that when they deploy, they actually cut up your face? Well, now you don’t hear those complaints anymore.

My point is that as markets evolve, consumer expectations, as well as market competition, serve to put tremendous upward pressure on quality. This is going to happen no matter what. Unfortunately, all the hand holding in the world that’s happening now regarding the perceived dangers of e-liquids and ecig juices really do the vaping public a great disservice. How come?

Well, a study from Britain shows that when people are trying to quit smoking, switching to an electronic cigarette is a great first step. You’re subjecting yourself to fewer risks. After all, you’re not burning plant materials. You’re not creating tar when you smoke.

This is a big deal because if you’ve ever seen tar, and this is the black sticky stuff that they put on the road when they’re paving roads, you can see the health issues there. Imagine painting that stuff in the sensitive inner lining of your lungs.

Your lungs are mostly made out of the water. It’s very spongy tissue. That’s how sensitive your lungs are. Can you imagine putting tar into that area of your body? This is why the lungs of smokers look very disgusting compared to the lungs of non-smokers.

When these people are autopsied after their deaths, smoker’s lungs stand out. They’re almost black. That’s due primarily to tar. It’s very easy to see the health risks there. In fact, you can see them a mile away. 

The same issue doesn’t play out when people are using e-liquids. You’re creating an aerosol. You’re not burning anything. You’re definitely not creating tar. This alone should get people to sit up and pay attention to the major health improvements and benefits electronic cigarettes bring to the table.

But unfortunately, the debate about electronic cigarettes has been clouded (no pun intended) by the focus on current formulations of ecig juices.

The problem is the media focus on current e-juice formulations

The problem with looking at products as they exist at a certain period of time is the tendency for people to think that the product will never evolve. If this is our mindset about product dangers, then why aren’t people still obsessing about the Model T Ford’s risk factors?

Why aren’t people worrying themselves sick about the dangers of riding in an old pre-jet aged propeller driven airplane? People aren’t obsessing about these because the technology has changed. The technology has changed because consumer pressures have made sure that the technology keeps up with consumer demand.

A lot of this current hysteria regarding e-juices and e-liquids simple miss the forest from the trees. They think that electronic cigarettes are somehow, someway, immune to consumer demand as well as product evolution. 

Well, as long as a product is being sold in an open market and people are free to make up their minds, you can bet that consumer trends and consumer preferences will play a major roll in how products are formulated, marketed and positioned. 

That’s never going to go away. This is just basic marketing 101. This is also a basic product design. Unfortunately, the media is completely clueless about this. They do a good job of pretending that somehow, someway, the e-liquids being sold now will be the same e-liquids sold a dozen years from now. 

They don’t make any room for product evolution. They don’t make any room for the possibility that consumers themselves would prefer different e-liquid formulations. Granted. It’s very scary. Some of the ingredients in e-liquids are very scary.

After all, it’s the wild wild west out there when it comes to electronic cigarette accessories manufacturing. There are many manufacturers out there. There are many brands and a lot of them have different formulations.

Still, there seems to be an industry standard and some compounds in the typical e-liquid formulation should make consumers want to speak up. This doesn’t mean that they should be panicked. This doesn’t mean that they should head for the hills. They should just speak up and ask questions regarding why certain compounds are used more often than other compounds.

In other words, the consumer and manufacturer dialogue regarding proper product formulation and design is still in its infancy. But keep in mind that ultimately, it’s the consumers that will drive product evolution. Not the other way around.

Media doesn’t get this. If the market simply is not going to react favorably to certain “standard formulations” the e-liquids will change. They have to. Otherwise, people won’t buy them. It’s that simple. 

Sadly, the media is clueless regarding this. They think that just because certain dubious or potentially risky compounds are included in the typical e-juice or e-liquid formulation that this formula will remain the same for all time. 

The idea, of course, is to set up this formula as some sort of permanent market fixture so regulators can step in. The idea is if regulators see certain compounds in e-juice, then it didn’t make sense to ban electronic cigarettes because they’re incapable of vaporizing formulations that may be healthier for you.

But this is the blind spot regulators suffer from. They simply discount market innovation. They simply refuse to see the history of product evolution because as I’ve mentioned above, a lot of the products that we take for granted now in terms of health and safety actually were quite risky when they first came out. 

There was always a risk that the product will blow up, cause injuries or cause some sort of harm. But that didn’t prevent people from buying the product. Instead, when the market expanded, there was massive competitive pressure that built up to reward manufacturer who came up with safer products.

Sure, there were lawsuits along the way and there may have been quite a number of regulatory interventions. Still, in terms of the broad arch of the product evolution story, it really all boiled down to the market.

Let the market work when it comes to e-juice safety

The bottom line is once the word comes out that certain brands of e-juice and e-liquid are less safe or less optimal for people, there will be tremendous pressure on those brands. You can bet that if those companies want to stay in business, they will find a way, any way, to come up with something more natural, something safer and more affordable.

In other words, they’ll come up with a product that would somehow meet the needs of their target market while at the same time, meeting other needs like affordability, taste and scent. In other words, the market will take care of itself.

I know that sounds a bit naive. It may seem overly optimistic. But I have the weight of history going for me. You only need to look at how other products in a wide range of product verticals and industries evolve over time.

It’s not like some group of lawyers came up with this magic formula for an ultra-safe product. That never happened. Instead, these products tended to evolve based on this intricate dance with consumer demand, consumer feedback, and consumer intelligence.

At the end of the day, the customers came. If you come up with a product that you think is the best thing since sliced bread but nobody busy it, guess what? Your product is worthless. You’re better off not making that product.

It doesn’t matter how much time you put in. It definitely doesn’t matter how much labor you put in. Your product is worth exactly $0. That’s how markets work. Don’t underestimate this powerful internal self-correcting mechanism when it comes to new industries like electronic cigarettes.

Sure, our industry is fast growing. We have recently breached the 1 billion dollar sales mark. According to many estimates, the market is set to double sooner rather than later. This is a good sign because this means that there’s a tremendous amount of product maturation, research and development and consumer education and awareness going on.

Eventually, all these factors will line up to produce safer, more affordable and yes, more profitable products for the long term.

I know the title of this article is probably not going to score me popularity points with certain groups of people. After all, if you’ve been reading online newspapers and checking out news commentary on cable TV, it seems that America has a brand new boogie man. 

That’s right. It seems that a lot of people can’t stop talking about how dangerous electronic cigarettes are. It seems that every decade, mainstream media has to find some sort of product enemy. Maybe it’s a particular defective car, maybe it’s a defective hoverboard or some sort of trendy product that has gone horribly wrong.

It’s very easy to see why the media does this. It’s all too predictable. If you’re unsure as to why they’re so motivated to demonize a particular product category, it shouldn’t really be that hard to figure out. It’s all about money.

That’s right! It’s all about the Benjamins. You have to understand that the media is all about hype and whenever a topic gets hyped up, there are more news releases made. There’s a lot more attention paid to that trend and this translates to more eyeballs. 

More eyeballs, of course, translates to higher ad revenues. Again, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist or some sort of brain surgeon to figure this out. You don’t have to have an advanced degree in any of those fields. 

This is why when you look at the numbers, the cases of exploding electronic cigarettes are so pitifully low that you’re left scratching your head. The only question that you can ask yourself that would make sense is “Why is this even a thing?” 

Well, statistically, they’re a distraction. Please understand that according to the latest industry figures, the electronic cigarette industry is worth 1 billion dollars. And it’s slated to grow much faster soon enough.

That’s how big and how hot the market is. And I can see mainstream editors working themselves into a frenzy, trying to come up with some sort of angle on how to capitalize on this strength. Instead of doing the right thing and exploring the real health issues regarding electronic cigarettes, they focus on the quick, the cheap and the easy.

In other words, they’re lazy. They’d rather zero in on the one in a million case of somebody misusing their electronic cigarette to the point that the battery overheats and the whole device blow up. It’s easy to see why this is the case because when you focus on the one in a million case, it’s very spectacular and exaggerated and people can’t help but want to look.

I don’t know about you, but the last time I’ve passed a train wreck, I can’t help but look. There’s just something inherent to the human condition that makes us want to look at these grotesque over-exaggerated disasters.

But if you’re just going to look at the raw numbers, exploding e-cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, and other similar devices are a statistical blip on the radar. No joke! You’re more likely to die in a car accident. You’re more likely to die from other products than malfunctioning or badly used electronic cigarettes.

So give me a break about this explosion of e-cig explosion stories. This is a non-story. But unfortunately, in the age of fake news and viral social media news, the old ideas behind journalism still apply. 

One of the oldest ideas in journalism, of course, is if it bleeds, it leads. It’s all about eyeballs and, ultimately, it’s all about the money.

If the media were honest

If the media were really honest, they would not waste so much digital ink on exploding e-cigarettes. Those are so few and so far between, they’re not even worth talking about. Now, I don’t want to sound like I don’t care about the people who obviously got injured when these things do happen. But let’s focus on what’s more statistically likely.

I am, of course, talking about issues regarding e-juice. That’s the real hot button issue. Well, it should be. Unfortunately, too many people are happily stepping into one rabbit hole after another and they refuse to look at the real issue.

It really is too bad because there are actual legislators and bureaucratic functionaries who are hell bent on regulating the electronic cigarette industry into oblivion or into becoming a shadow of its former self. This is not a conspiracy theory. This is real.

The industry actually has its enemies. Unfortunately, when the conversation turns on non-issues like exploding e-cigarette’s malfunctioning battery, we are distracted from the real discussion we should be having. 

If you’re still unclear of what the real discussion should be, let me clue you in. It’s all about the e-juice. There are lots of scientific research going on regarding the specific health benefits of vaporizing or using electronic cigarettes. 

A lot of this has to do with the additives used in e-juice. When you look at these studies however, they assume that all e-liquid and e-juice manufacturers are operating from the same script. What they don’t understand is just like food, e-juice can have many different formulations.

If you’re baking a chocolate chip cookie, you can make so many substitutions. You don’t even have to make chocolate chip cookies with actual chocolate chips. You can use carob. You can use all sorts of chocolate substitutes and fillers. As far as sugar is concerned, there are many alternatives out there. There are even flour alternatives.

Well, if that works for cookies and baking in general, why wouldn’t it work in e-liquids and e-juice. Ultimately, it all boils down to the customer’s taste profile. If the customer is looking for a specific taste and is looking for a nice, all natural buzz, there are many ways to deliver those things.

You don’t have to use nicotine. You don’t have to use glycol or some other biochemical boogie man that the media keeps blowing up. That is the real issue.

Unfortunately, the more we talk about exploding e-cigarettes and other statistically insignificant events, the higher the chance that bureaucrats and regulators in the European Union and, soon enough, the United States, will crack down on electronic cigarettes. 

This would be an unprecedented disaster. No joke. I’m not exaggerating here. Why? If you’re trying to quit smoking, one of the most effective ways to do so is to pick up an electronic cigarette. You’re not burning stuff. You’re not pumping all sorts of cancer-causing tar into the sensitive inner linings of your lungs. You’re not doing any of that.

Instead, you are using water vapor in aerosol form and, get this, you can use e-liquid that does away with nicotine. While scientific studies have shown that nicotine can cause cancer, it doesn’t necessarily follow that the e-juice you use has to have that ingredient. 

You can choose a nicotine-free product. This is where the discussion should be. Unfortunately, a lot of regulators think that there’s really only one way to bake the “e-cig cookie”.

They think that nicotine has to always be in the picture. They think that nicotine and all its health baggage has to necessarily be part of the picture. What if I told you that the market can evolve away from that? 

What if I told you that there are other more natural and healthier alternatives to nicotine? What if I told you that consumers, in general, have a wide range of preferences and the ones who insist on nicotine all day, every day are actually a minority in the market?

If you put all these factors together, then instead of seeing a very dangerous future for the electronic cigarette industry, one can’t help but think of a golden future. I know that sounds a little bit too optimistic. But if you are able to look past the smoke and mirrors and focus on the actual consumer, this industry actually has a lot going for it.

So keep this in mind and try not to get too distracted by all the scary stories regarding exploding electronic cigarettes as well as the scary compounds that are supposedly being put in e-juice. 

An anti-China bias

I don’t want to overplay the anti-Asian card here. After all, it may seem that this is a bit manipulative or we’re being overly sensitive. But often times, you have to call things for what they are. A lot of this hysteria regarding electronic juice as well as electronic cigarettes, in general, can really be tied to a general uneasiness in certain quarters about things made in China. 

At some level or other, I really can’t blame them. I mean, after all, prior to these stories breaking, we have heard of toothpaste made in China being recalled because apparently, they were putting all sorts of nasty chemicals in those toothpaste products.

Similarly, canned or packaged milk coming from China were recalled because they contained plastic additives and other nasty stuff. But when it comes to any kind of product recall, it’s always a good idea to look at the total picture. When you look at the total amount of food imports from China and how big the industry is, it’s easy to see that the contaminated products or badly made products or even intentionally bad products are a drop in the bucket.

Now, this doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be concerned. I’m not saying that at all. What I’m saying is that our concern should be in context. Let’s face it. Bad manufacturers are everywhere. They’re not a uniquely Chinese phenomenon. 

In the United States, how many manufacturers have been caught adulterating their products? Well, the list is actually quite long. As robust as the US FDA may be in doing its job, some still manage to slip through. 

Keep in mind that this is domestically made materials. I’m not talking about stuff made in China or imported from Mexico. This is domestic stuff. So if we’re intellectually honest and we want to really look at the big electronic cigarette picture, then exploding cigarettes, e-cigarettes, electronic cigarette malfunctions, faulty electronic cigarette batteries and other hysteria are side shows. That’s the bottom line.

So focus on e-juice and e-liquid because this is where the real innovation and real industry evolution will come from. When handled properly and with the proper coordination between consumers, manufacturers, distributors and government regulators, the industry might end up in a much better place and consumers might have a lot more choice and end up much healthier as well.