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Why the labels ‘sativa’ and ‘indica’ tell you very little about your pot – National
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It’s often presented as Cannabis 101: indica strains (from the shorter, bushy version of the plant) are sedating, while sativa (from the taller, spindlier version) are more uplifting.
It’s a claim repeated on most provinces’ cannabis education sites. But is it accurate?
“In brief, I would say no, it is not,” says Jason Busse of McMaster University’s Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research.
“I think the classical characterization of indica versus sativa is not very helpful when you’re trying to understand what the active agents in the product are going to be.”
Washington State-based cannabis scientist Ethan Russo agrees.
“It’s scientifically invalid. Whether it’s actually leading anyone astray, I don’t know, but these things are so interbred to make the whole discussion ridiculous.”
Part of the problem, scientists say, is that the original subspecies of sativa and indica have been hopelessly scrambled by decades of interbreeding, done in black-market conditions. The other is that there simply isn’t research that supports predicting those effects.
“It’s hard for us to know whether this is accurate or inaccurate, because it hasn’t really been studied to the extent that people would like it to be,” says Vancouver-based cannabis writer Amanda Siebert.
“It’s a framework that’s used because it makes it easy for consumers to pick products, but is it the most accurate? I don’t think so.”
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Most provincial sites predict effects of sativa, indica. Should they?
A quick look at provincial cannabis sites show that most predict the indica is sedative/sativa is energizing effect, though always with a bit of hedging.
Quebec’s site says that indica’s effects are “usually described as potentially calming, relaxing or sleep-inducing,” while sativa is “usually described as potentially energizing, uplifting or mentally stimulating.” (They add that, “There is no scientific proof of these effects, which can vary from person to person based on numerous factors.”)
P.E.I. says the strains “are often thought” to have those effects, New Brunswick cautions that “the possible effects below do not necessarily apply to all people,” Newfoundland and Labrador says that, “Most consumers have used these three cannabis types (sativa, indica and hybrid) as a touchstone for predicting effects,” while Alberta says that “most people find” that the two subspecies have different effects.
Ontario and B.C. are the exceptions, avoiding claiming that sativa and indica have different effects at all. Ontario’s site confines itself to saying that the plants grow differently.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation did not respond to a request for comment on the information on their site,.
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Plants’ appearance tells you little
Where does the claim come from in the first place?
“I doubt anyone knows at this point,” Russo says. “There are all kinds of claims – it’s a problem. It’s just another byproduct of prohibition.”
A study published in October argued that years of interbreeding have made it impossible to tell the two subspecies apart.
“Categorizing cannabis as either sativa and indica has become an exercise in futility,” wrote John McPartland, who teaches at the University of Vermont’s medical school. “Ubiquitous interbreeding and hybridization renders their distinction meaningless.”
McPartland did not respond to an interview request.
As a result, Siebert says, simply looking at a plant doesn’t tell you much about its psychoactive effects.
“People will say that a sativa plant grows skinnier leaves, and much taller, and an indica plant will grow short and stout. Does that speak to the content of THC and CBD and the terpenes in the flowers? Not necessarily.”
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Looking in the wrong place?
The experts that Global News spoke to said that a better guide to predicting effects were substances called “terpenes.”
Terpenes are the chemical compounds that make one cannabis strain smell like lemons (‘limonene‘), or another like pine needles (‘pinene‘). Combined with THC, they may also be the key to understanding why different strains of cannabis can have different effects on the mind.
“Myrcene plus THC equals sedation. Myrcene is what I call the ‘couch lock factor’ in cannabis,” Russo says.
“Similarly, limonene will produce a mood-elevating effect, strong antidepressant effect, in combination with THC. There are many others.”
“I think that terpenes are really going to emerge, if they haven’t already, as the next tool that we use to classify cannabis,” Siebert says.
In this interpretation, a plant with more of an indica or sativa appearance might have more or less of given terpene, or not as the case may be.
Most provincial sites tell buyers what terpenes are present in dried flower, but rarely explain what terms like ‘caryophyllene‘ and ‘pinene’ actually mean. (B.C. is an exception.)
WATCH: How has legalization changed marijuana consumption in Canada?
Individual differences are key
To confuse things further, cannabis works on different people differently. One person having one kind of experience with a strain doesn’t necessarily mean that another person will have a similar experience.
“I like to keep track of what I’m consuming, and what terpenes are in it, and then I say, ‘Oh, this had this in it, and it made me feel this way,’” Siebert says. “[But] something that works for me, that might make me feel uplifted, might cause someone else to feel tired, or sedated.”
Research, proper breeding on an illegal plant has been challenging
“It’s been virtually impossible to do research on an illegal product,” Busse says. “It’s been very difficult. So there’s a great deal of work going on right now, but there are huge gaps in our knowledge about both the short- and long-term effects.”
Most other widely sold plants — apples, for example — have very formal breeding standards. Scientists can tell you who developed any given variety, when, from what parents, and what the DNA profile should look like. By comparison, cannabis genetics are in a state of chaos: a 2015 genetic analysis of marijuana products labelled by variety showed that strains that were supposed to be different were nearly the same, while strains that were supposed to be the same were different.
It’s not a very surprising result of the fact that the plant breeders were operating illegally, but it does put cannabis scientists at the bottom of a very tall hill. At a point where the public is full of questions, scientists are only beginning a process that may eventually lead to answers.
“When you compare it to other plants, or produce that is made available to consumers, cannabis is in a space where it really is the Wild West,” Busse says. “We haven’t even characterized all the active cannabinoids that are involved in the product, and we don’t know the full effects.”
WATCH: Cannabis is safer for long-term consumption than alcohol: expert
Sativa vs. indica may matter — to home growers
The only real-life situation in which an average user might want to pay attention to the difference between the subspecies is if they were thinking of growing their own, Busse says.
“If you only had a certain amount of space to grow it, you might lean toward the shorter plant. But in terms of trying to make any kind of conclusion about the potency of different cannabinoids based on whether it’s a sativa or indica strain, that’s not particularly helpful.”
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© 2018 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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In downtown Montreal, it’s festival season.
In the city’s entertainment district, a musical act was conducting a sound check on stage Friday evening — the second day of the French-language version of the renowned Just For Laughs comedy festival. Tickets for many of the festival’s free outdoor shows — limited by COVID-19 regulations — were sold out.
Two blocks away, more than 100 people were watching an acoustic performance by the Isaac Neto Trio — part of the last weekend of the Festival International Nuits d’Afrique, a celebration of music from the African continent and the African diaspora.
With COVID-19 restrictions continuing to limit capacity, festival organizers say they’re glad to be back but looking forward to next year when they hope border restrictions and capacity limits won’t affect their plans.
Charles Décarie, Just For Laughs’ CEO and president, said this is a “transition year.”
“Even though we have major constraints from the public health group in Montreal, we’ve managed to design a festival that can navigate through those constraints,” Décarie said.
The French-language Juste pour rire festival began on July 15 and is followed by the English-language festival until July 31.
When planning began in February and March, Décarie said, organizers came up with a variety of scenarios for different crowd sizes, ranging from no spectators to 50 per cent of usual capacity.
“You’ve got to build scenarios,” he said. “You do have to plan a little bit more than usual because you have to have alternatives.”
MONTREAL — MELS Studios will build a new film studio in Montreal, filling some of the gap in supply to meet the demand of Hollywood productions.
MELS president Martin Carrier said on Friday that MELS 4 studio construction will begin « as soon as possible », either in the fall or winter of next year. The studio could host productions as early as spring 2023.
The total investment for the project is $76 million, with the Quebec government contributing a $25 million loan. The project will create 110 jobs, according to the company.
The TVA Group subsidiary’s project will enable it to stand out « even more » internationally, according to Quebecor president and CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau. In the past, MELS Studios has hosted several major productions, including chapters of the X-Men franchise. The next Transformers movie is shooting this summer in Montreal.
Péladeau insisted that local cultural productions would also benefit from the new facility, adding that the studio ensures foreign revenues and to showcase talent and maintain an industry of Quebec producers.
STUDIO SHORTAGE
The film industry is cramped in Montreal.
According to a report published last May by the Bureau du cinéma et de la télévision du Québec (BCTQ), there is a shortage of nearly 400,000 square feet of studio space.
With the addition of MELS 4, which will be 160,000 square feet, the company is filling part of the gap.
Carrier admitted that he has had to turn down contracts because of the lack of space, representing missed opportunities of « tens of millions of dollars, not only for MELS, but also for the Quebec economy. »
« Montreal’s expertise is in high demand, » said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, who was present at the announcement.
She said she received great testimonials from « Netflix, Disney, HBO and company » during an economic mission to Los Angeles in 2019.
« What stands out is that they love Montreal because of its expertise, knowledge and beauty. We need more space, like MELS 4, » she said.
There is still not enough capacity in Quebec, acknowledged Minister of Finance, the Economy and Innovation Eric Girard.
« It is certain that the government is concerned about fairness and balance, so if other requests come in, we will study them with the same seriousness as we have studied this one, » he said.
Grandé Studios is the second-largest player in the industry. Last May, the company said it had expansion plans that should begin in 2022. Investissement Québec and Bell are minority shareholders in the company.
For its part, MELS will have 400,000 square feet of production space once MELS 4 is completed. The company employs 450 people in Quebec and offers a range of services including studio and equipment rentals, image and sound postproduction, visual effects and a virtual production platform.
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