"I have found that the Indica strains help control my orthopedic and migraine pain better than Sativa strains. With the sativa I feel like my muscles are "Over" relaxed and my joints (shoulders, back, knees) are grinding together even more than normal.
In addition, the Sativa causes my anxiety to spike.
I have tried edibles, caplets, and vaporizing."
First, you should understand that cannabis has been heavily hybridized since it first evolved and humans began cultivating it, so many of the original terpene and cannabinoid profiles have changed. There are some "old world" stable strains that persist and some users swear by there characteristics, but cannabis affects each user individually. The plant’s chemical components serve to try to restore homeostasis in our internal biology.
Historically, Sativas were thought to be energizing and Indicas were thought to be more sedating.
For some of the older more stable strains that have retained their genetic character that may still be true, but the overall effect of the plant or product is a result of the entire chemical profile and our internal biology. Most medicinal cannabis obtained in California is tested and the chemical profiles can be reviewed.
Certain terpenes such at "Myrcene" can produce sedation when present in higher concentrations in cannabis. Higher concentrations of myrcene tend to be more common in Indicas, thus the more sedating effect. This is not true of all Indicas, and newer hybrids may have varying chemical profiles.
Use the website address below to see an example of an Indica profile:
https://www.leafly.com/indica/granddaddy-purple
Note the concentration of myrcene on the profile.
You can compare many common strain types in this way. I suggest you keep a "treatment journal" to note your responses to various strains and compare the profiles when available to determine which strains are more therapeutic for you.
drgerhart
