Indica

Definition: Indica refers to cannabis plants that are typically short and bushy with broad leaves, traditionally traced to the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan and Pakistan. In dispensaries, “indica” is used as shorthand for relaxing, sedating, body-heavy effects. Research shows that label doesn’t reliably predict a product’s chemistry or how it will feel.

Where Does the Term Indica Come From?

French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck described Cannabis indica in 1785 to distinguish the shorter, more intoxicating plants of India from the hemp-type Cannabis sativa that Carl Linnaeus had named in 1753. Botanists still debate whether these are separate species or varieties of one species.

What Do Indica Plants Look Like?

• Short, dense, bushy growth
• Wide, dark green leaflets
• Compact, resinous buds
• Shorter flowering time than tall tropical sativa types, which made them popular for indoor growing

Do Indica Strains Really Make You Sleepy?

Not reliably. A 2022 study in PLOS ONE that analyzed nearly 90,000 lab-tested cannabis samples found products labeled indica, sativa, and hybrid had heavily overlapping chemical profiles. Decades of crossbreeding mean most cannabis today is a hybrid. Effects depend far more on dose, THC and CBD content, and the terpene profile than on the indica label. Older claims that indicas carry more CBD aren’t supported either.

What Should You Look For Instead?

If you want a relaxing experience, look at the lab label: a moderate THC level, some CBD, and terpenes like myrcene or linalool. Start with a low dose. Heavy, sedated highs, sometimes called couch lock, come mostly from high doses.

Shopping for a relaxing strain? See our guide to indica weed strains.

Related terms: Sativa, Hybrid, Strains, Couch Lock

Sources: Smith CJ et al., “The phytochemical diversity of commercial Cannabis in the United States,” PLOS ONE, 2022; Russo EB, British Journal of Pharmacology, 2011.