Types & Strains of Marijuana
Defining the term
The term strain is often used to describe different qualities in cultivated plants like marijuana. However, that term is more like slang than a very descriptive term of the new plant variety.
A more accurate term to describe the new variety of marijuana plants being sold today would be cultivar. This word means that the new variety has been specifically cultivated, created, or purposefully selected. That is a better way to describe the different marijuana options that you can buy today.
More about cannabis strains
When you are working or involved in the horticultural and botanical industries, the term cultivar has become the preferred term over the word marijuana strains. This word is used to describe the differences between the smell, flavor, yield perceived pharmacological effects, and other characteristics each cultivated marijuana plant has.
This term only applies to the cultivated marijuana plant varieties that are grown on private farms and separates those varieties from the plants grown in their native geographical locations. The latter is called landrace to help further the distinction between marijuana plants.
What is a strain name
The different names attached to the different strains of marijuana plants actually describe the different qualities each strain comes with. For example, one name will reflect the aromatic nature of the plant while another will reflect its medicinal purpose.
other names for different marijuana strains will tell everyone where the plant came from and Afghani and OG Kosh are two examples. OG Kosh comes from the Hindu Kush mountainous region. The names Tangie and GSC are aromatic strains while Amnesia Haze describes the feeling you get when you smoke that variety.
Then the Blue Dream strain has a sweet beery flavor that also energizes its users. This strain is for those people who are looking for a more cerebral high and something that tastes good.
There are some drawbacks to the different names though. Blue Dream may taste more like herbs that came directly from the earth. It is somewhat difficult to predict through the name what the strain of the marijuana plant will taste like and make you feel. The names are actually more for marketing and not for what you get for your money.
Then OG Kosh can be found in every dispensary in Southern California and it is a very popular strain for marijuana users to buy. However, the effects the user gets will not be the same from dispensary to dispensary.
The reason for this discrepancy is that the production of this strain differs from grower to grower. They all use their own techniques, harvesting methods, and processing to produce their type of OG Kosh. This difference is seen in the quality and effects of OG Kosh the dispensaries sell.
If you want a certain effect, you need to buy the marijuana strain, not by its name, but by the unique chemical composition of the flower and your own body chemistry.
What is a descriptor
The meaning of the term descriptor is simple. It is an added word, phrase numeral that provides more information about a particular strain of marijuana plant. For example, Bubba Kush and pre-98 Bubba Kush are named after the person who cultivated the strain. These are variations of the OG Kush cultivar.
The Pre-98 Bubba Kush separates the Bubba Kush variety that was cultivated and sold prior to the other cultivators who started growing that variety. When hemp or high CBD varieties are crossed with existing cultivars the names for the new strain will change.
For example, crossing hemp with Bubba Kush results in the name Bubba Kush Hemp. The drawback to using descriptors is that they do not always provide all the information about a marijuana plant variety. They may get close but those descriptors generally provide the identity of the differences between strains or varieties.
Bottom line
There are still flaws in the system though. When you find a favorite strain that does what you want, it may be hard to find the same results from other growers. The name may be the same but the marijuana will not be identical to your favorite variety.
There will be subtle and major differences depending on how the strain was cultivated by the different growers. Flavor and effect will change due to the processing, growing, and harvesting methods, as well as the land it was grown on.
To get the same quality, flavor, and effect of the strain you used, then you should record or remember where you bought it and the brand that grew that specific marijuana strain plant.
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