A Beginner's Guide to Strains & Terpenes

"Indica or sativa?" is usually the first question anyone asks — and it's also, according to most current research, the least useful one. Here's a more accurate way to think about what you're choosing.

Indica, sativa, and why the labels are shakier than you'd think

Indica and sativa originally described the plant's physical shape — indica short and bushy, sativa tall and narrow-leafed. Over decades of crossbreeding, almost every strain available today is a hybrid, and a plant's shape tells you very little about the effects it produces. Dispensaries still use the labels because they're familiar shorthand, but the more reliable signal is underneath them: terpenes and cannabinoid ratios.

Terpenes: the part that actually matters

Terpenes are aromatic compounds found throughout the plant kingdom — the same family of molecules that give lavender its scent or black pepper its bite. In cannabis, terpenes are widely believed to shape the character of an experience alongside THC and CBD. A few of the most common:

• Myrcene — earthy, musky, found in mangoes and hops; the most common terpene in many cannabis varieties.
• Limonene — bright, citrusy; also found in citrus peels.
• Caryophyllene — peppery and spicy; the only terpene known to also interact directly with the body's CB2 receptors.
• Linalool — floral, the same terpene found in lavender.
• Pinene — sharp and green, found in pine needles and rosemary.

Ask about the terpene profile of whatever you're curious about — it's a far more specific and useful question than "indica or sativa."

Reading a Certificate of Analysis (COA)

Licensed Thai dispensaries are required to source cannabis from GACP-certified cultivation sites, which include lab testing for potency, heavy metals, pesticides, and pathogens. A Certificate of Analysis (COA) documents those results. If you want to see one, ask — a shop that can produce a current COA on request is a shop that takes quality seriously.

Format matters as much as strain

Flower, edibles, and other formats differ enormously in onset time and duration — flower's effects begin within minutes, while edibles can take an hour or more and last considerably longer. If you're new to any of this, format is often a bigger decision than strain name.