Sativa & Indica: The Lies, the Legacy, and the Real Truth About the Plant

Written By A Dash Of Errthang

Let’s start with this:
Cannabis didn’t start in a dispensary. It didn’t begin in a plastic jar with a child-proof lid. It didn’t get its name from a lab coat or a marketing deck.
Nah. Cannabis is ancestral. It's ceremonial. It's medicine. It's cultural.
And somewhere along the way—corporate cannabis flipped the script, renamed her, and started selling us confusion.

Let’s clear that smoke right up.

🧬 A Quick Hit of History

Cannabis has been cultivated by humans for over 5,000 years. It’s been used for:

  • Spiritual ceremonies (India, Africa, and Indigenous cultures)

  • Traditional medicine (China, Egypt, and Persia)

  • Textiles and food (Hemp production in Europe and the Americas)

Fast forward to colonization and prohibition: cannabis was demonized, renamed “marihuana” (with a racist political agenda), and criminalized—especially against Black and Brown communities. So when we talk about cannabis today, we have to understand: the language we use has been filtered through systems of oppression and profit.

🌱 Sativa vs Indica: Where That Even Come From?

We’ve been told:

  • Sativa = energetic, daytime, creative

  • Indica = relaxing, nighttime, “in da couch”

Cute, but wrong.

That classification is botanical, not experiential.
The terms “sativa” and “indica” were originally used in the 1700s by Western scientists to describe plant shape and origin, not effect:

  • Cannabis sativa: tall, thin leaves, grown in warmer climates (like Africa and Southeast Asia)

  • Cannabis indica: shorter, broader leaves, grown in cooler regions (like Afghanistan and India)

But guess what? In today’s market, most cannabis is hybridized—meaning it’s been crossed and recrossed so many times, the original sativa or indica lineage is blurred.

💨 So What Should You Pay Attention To Instead?

Chemotypes and Terpenes.
That's the real way to understand cannabis effects.

  • Cannabinoids like THC, CBD, CBG = tell you the potency and medicinal value

  • Terpenes like myrcene, limonene, linalool = give you the “vibe” (energy, focus, calm, euphoria)

Want an uplifting smoke? Look for high limonene and pinene.
Need a body relaxer for pain? Check for myrcene and caryophyllene.

Forget the “sativa/indica” labels—they’re outdated shortcuts that don’t reflect the real science or experience.

🔥 So Why Does the Industry Still Use These Labels?

Marketing.
Familiarity.
Simplicity.

It’s easier to slap “Indica – Sleep” on a package than to educate folks on chemotypes and terpene synergy. But at Frankie’s—we believe in honoring the plant and educating our people.

Cannabis is deeper than the label.

💬 Final Puff of Wisdom

Here’s what we tell our customers:
Don’t shop by name. Shop by effect.
Ask your budtender what terpene profiles are dominant. Get curious about how your body responds. Document it. Learn your endocannabinoid system. Build a relationship with the plant.

Because she’s not just weed—
She’s wisdom.
She’s ritual.
She’s medicine.
And she’s been misnamed for too long.

📍Stay tuned for next week’s blog: “Budtenders Ain’t Bartenders: Why Training Matters”
Follow @FrankiesCornerClub for weekly cannabis truths, legacy gems, and culture from the heart of Harlem.

Published & written by Lyriq Manson @shespeaksezy

A Dash Of Errthang
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