Cannabis 101

East Coast Pharms prides itself on providing an environment conducive to learning and education. We’ve put together this Cannabis 101 resource guide to help you understand the ins and outs of cannabis, the effects on the human body, and how you can incorporate cannabis into your plan for health and wellness.

We continuously update our resources to help educate our consumers, both medical and adult use. We are committed to ensuring accurate, up-to-date and easy to understand educational materials are made readily available. Please visit our Resource Library for more cannabis education materials or come down to East Coast Pharms at 630 Beaulieu Street, Holyoke MA for an in-person consultation.

Sativas, Indicas and Hybrids are the three main categories of cannabis. Each of them contain a large variety of strains, effects, flavor, and therapeutic properties. When purchasing cannabis at East Coast Pharms, you will notice that each strain on our menu has been assigned to one of these distinct designations, which are commonly used to identify the potential perceived effects patients and consumers may experience.

Sativa

Indica

Hybrids

Cannabinoids

Terpenes

Sativa

Sativa is a subspecies of the cannabis plant. It’s known to have a long stem with a narrow leaf structure with less bud density than other strains, the yields are typically on the smaller scale due to the bud structure of most Sativa strains. Usually a true Sativa takes 16 weeks to harvest. It is also used for Hemp. Sativa grows best in warm environments such as India and Persia. Some Medicinal effects are known to help with but not limited to, Depression, Headaches, and Nausea. Some well known Sativa strains are Sour Diesel, Durban Poison and Lambs Bread.

Indica

Indica is a subspecies of the cannabis plant. It’s known to grow short with a wide leaf structure. They are known to be sturdy and resilient. Indica strains are also known for producing comparatively larger yields with denser buds. The harvest time is usually 8 to 10 weeks. Originating from harsher mountainous regions in Afghanistan and Pakistan, it had to adapt to harsh weather conditions over the years by flowering earlier and protecting itself by producing thick layers of resin. Medical patients tend to use these strains to relieve and treat different conditions and illnesses such as insomnia, chronic pain and appetite loss. Some well known Indica strains are Northern Lights, Skywalker OG and Hindu Kush.

Hybrids

Hybrids are produced when two or more strains are crossbred to create certain desired therapeutic and balanced effects. Hybrids are also known to lean towards either Indica or Sativa depending on lineage and growth pattern. Popular Hybrid strains include Pineapple Express, Trainwreck and Blue Dream.

Cannabinoids

Cannabinoids are chemical compounds found in the cannabis plant that interact with your body to produce medical benefits. THC, CBD, CBN, THCV and CBG are examples of cannabinoids. There are more than 100 cannabinoids found in cannabis, all with therapeutic benefits and effects, which are perceived differently from consumer to consumer

Terpenes

Terpenes are organic compounds found in a variety of plants including cannabis. Terpenes contribute to the flavor, scent and color of cannabis, and like cannabinoids, they interact with your body to produce certain effects that contribute to your medical marijuana experience. This is called an entourage effect. Terpene content can vary across products due to processing techniques and method of use. Each individual experience of effects will be perceived differently person to person as they try cannabis and cannabis infused products. Because of this, we highly recommend starting with low doses and taking notes during your cannabis experience. We advise working closely with one of our dispensary agents to determine and refine a treatment regimen that is most beneficial for you and your needs.