''Cannabis indica'' is an annual plant

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriat ...

in the family

Cannabaceae Cannabaceae is a small family of flowering plants, known as the hemp family. As now circumscribed, the family includes about 170 species grouped in about 11 genera, including ''Cannabis'' (hemp), '' Humulus'' (hops) and '' Celtis'' (hackberries ...

which produces large amounts of

tetrahydrocannabinol Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis and one of at least 113 total cannabinoids identified on the plant. Although the chemical formula for THC (C21H30O2) describes multiple isomers, the term ''THC' ...

(THC) and is cultivated for purposes including

hashish Hashish ( ar, حشيش, ()), also known as hash, "dry herb, hay" is a drug made by compressing and processing parts of the cannabis plant, typically focusing on flowering buds (female flowers) containing the most trichomes. European Monitoring ...

in India. The high concentrations of THC provide euphoric effects making it popular for use both as a

recreational drug Recreational drug use indicates the use of one or more psychoactive drugs to induce an altered state of consciousness either for pleasure or for some other casual purpose or pastime by modifying the perceptions and emotions of the user. When a ...

alternative medicine Alternative medicine is any practice that aims to achieve the healing effects of medicine despite lacking biological plausibility, testability, repeatability, or evidence from clinical trials. Complementary medicine (CM), complementary and al ...

, and a

clinical research Clinical research is a branch of healthcare science that determines the safety and effectiveness ( efficacy) of medications, devices, diagnostic products and treatment regimens intended for human use. These may be used for prevention, treat ...

drug.

Taxonomy

In 1785,

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, chevalier de Lamarck (1 August 1744 – 18 December 1829), often known simply as Lamarck (; ), was a French naturalist, biologist, academic, and soldier. He was an early proponent of the idea that biolo ...

published a description of a second species of ''

Cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: '' Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternative ...

'', which he named ''Cannabis indica''. Lamarck based his description of the newly named species on plant specimens collected in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

Richard Evans Schultes Richard Evans Schultes (''SHULL-tees'';Jonathan Kandell ''The New York Times'', April 13, 2001, Accessed April 26, 2020. January 12, 1915 – April 10, 2001) was an American biologist. He may be considered the father of modern ethnobotany. He is ...

described ''C. indica'' as relatively short, conical, and densely branched, whereas '' C. sativa'' was described as tall and laxly branched. Loran C. Anderson described ''C. indica'' plants as having short, broad leaflets whereas those of ''C. sativa'' were characterized as relatively long and narrow. ''C. indica'' plants conforming to Schultes's and Anderson's descriptions originated from the

Hindu Kush The Hindu Kush is an mountain range in Central and South Asia to the west of the Himalayas. It stretches from central and western Afghanistan, Quote: "The Hindu Kush mountains run along the Afghan border with the North-West Frontier Province ...

mountain range. Because of the often harsh and variable climate of those parts (extremely cold winters and warm summers), ''C. indica'' is well-suited for cultivation in

temperate climate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout ...

s. The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bo ...

''indica'' is

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

for "of India" and has come to be synonymous with the

cannabis strain ''Cannabis'' strains are either pure or hybrid varieties of the plant genus ''Cannabis'', which encompasses the species '' C. sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Varieties are developed to intensify specific characteristics of th ...

. There was very little debate about the taxonomy of ''Cannabis'' until the 1970s, when botanists like

began testifying in court on behalf of accused persons who sought to avoid criminal charges of possession of ''C. sativa'' by arguing that the plant material could instead be ''C. indica''.

Cultivation

Broad-leafed ''C. indica'' plants in the

Indian Subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographical region in Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian Ocean from the Himalayas. Geopolitically, it includes the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, In ...

are traditionally cultivated for the production of

charas Charas is a cannabis concentrate made from the resin of a live cannabis plant (''Cannabis sativa'' either '' ''Indica' subspecies or ''Sativa'' subspecies) and is handmade in the Indian subcontinent and Jamaica. The plant grows wild through ...

, a form of

. Pharmacologically, ''C. indica''

landrace A landrace is a domesticated, locally adapted, often traditional variety of a species of animal or plant that has developed over time, through adaptation to its natural and cultural environment of agriculture and pastoralism, and due to isolatio ...

s tend to have higher THC content than ''C. sativa'' strains. Some users report more of a "stoned" feeling and less of a "high" from ''C. indica'' when compared to ''C. sativa''. (The terms ''sativa'' and ''indica'', used in this sense, are more appropriately termed "narrow-leaflet" and "wide-leaflet" drug type, respectively.) The ''C. indica'' high is often referred to as a "body buzz" and has beneficial properties such as

pain relief Pain management is an aspect of medicine and health care involving relief of pain (pain relief, analgesia, pain control) in various dimensions, from acute and simple to chronic and challenging. Most physicians and other health professional ...

in addition to being an effective treatment for insomnia and an

anxiolytic An anxiolytic (; also antipanic or antianxiety agent) is a medication or other intervention that reduces anxiety. This effect is in contrast to anxiogenic agents which increase anxiety. Anxiolytic medications are used for the treatment of anxiet ...

, as opposed to ''C. sativa'''s more common reports of a cerebral, creative and energetic high, and even (albeit rarely) including

hallucinations A hallucination is a perception in the absence of an external stimulus that has the qualities of a real perception. Hallucinations are vivid, substantial, and are perceived to be located in external objective space. Hallucination is a combinati ...

. Differences in the terpenoid content of the essential oil may account for some of these differences in effect. Common ''C. indica'' strains for

recreational Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleas ...

medicinal Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practic ...

use include

Kush Kush or Cush may refer to: Bible * Cush (Bible), two people and one or more places in the Hebrew Bible Places * Kush (mountain), a mountain near Kalat, Pakistan Balochistan * Kush (satrapy), a satrapy of the Achaemenid Empire * Hindu Kush, a ...

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 Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a botanical class of '' Cannabis sativa'' cultivars grown specifically for industrial or medicinal use. It can be used to make a wide range of products. Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest growing plants ...

(fiber/seed) landraces and wild Himalayan populations.

Genome

In 2011, a team of Canadian researchers led by Andrew Sud announced that they had sequenced a draft genome of the Purple Kush strain of ''C. indica''.

Gallery

References

External links

*
Popular Indica Marijuana Strains

on geopium.org *

Trending Indica Cannabis Strains
{{Authority control Cannabis strains Entheogens Hemp Euphoriants Plants described in 1785