Cannabis indica

Cannabis indica Lam. (sometimes classified Cannabis sativa spp. indica) is a putative species of Cannabis, although not all botanists agree that it should be treated as separate from Cannabis sativa L. ([1]). Schultes described C. indica as relatively short, conical, and densely branched, whereas C. sativa was described as tall and laxly branched ([2]). According to Anderson, C. indica has short, broad leaflets whereas those of C. sativa are relatively long and narrow ([3]). Cannabis indica plants conforming to Schultes's and Anderson's descriptions may have originated from the Hindu-Kush mountain range. Due to the often harsh and variable climate of those parts, C. indica is well-suited for cultivation in temperate climates.

Wide-leafed Cannabis indica plants in Afghanistan and Pakistan are traditionally cultivated for the production of hashish. Pharmacologically, the wide-leafed "indica" landraces tend to have a higher cannabidiol (CBD) content than "sativa" drug strains ([4]). Although most commercially available "indica" strains have been selected for low levels of CBD (which is not psychoactive), some users report a less "cerebral" and more "stoning" effect from "indica" than from "sativa". Differences in the terpenoid content of the essential oil may account for some of these differences in effect([5, 6]). Common "indica" strains for recreational use are 'White Widow' and 'Northern Lights'.

A recent genetic analysis included both the narrow-leaflet and wide-leaflet drug "biotypes" under C. indica, as well as southern and eastern Asian hemp (fiber/seed) landraces and wild Himalayan populations ([7]).

See Also

List of cannabis strains

References

1. Small, E., and A. Cronquist. 1976. A practical and natural taxonomy for Cannabis. Taxon 25: 405–435.
2. Schultes, R. E., et. al. 1974. Cannabis: an example of taxonomic neglect. Harvard University Botanical Museum Leaflets 23: 337–367.
3. Anderson, L. C. 1980. Leaf variation among Cannabis species from a controlled garden. Harvard University Botanical Museum Leaflets 28: 61–69.
4. Hillig, K. W., and P. G. Mahlberg. 2004. A chemotaxonomic analysis of cannabinoid variation in Cannabis (Cannabaceae). American Journal of Botany 91: 966-975.
5. McPartland J. M., and E. B. Russo. 2001. Cannabis and Cannabis extracts: greater than the sum of their parts? Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics 1(3/4) 103-132.
6. Hillig, K. W. 2004. A chemotaxonomic analysis of terpenoid variation in Cannabis. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 32: 875-891.
7. Hillig, K. W. 2005. Genetic evidence for speciation in Cannabis (Cannabaceae). Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 52: 161-180.