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PL STRAINS
A cannabis strain is a named variety of the plant; because the same name varies by grower, aroma, terpenes and effect are better guides than the label. Strains are how most people shop for cannabis, but the names are loose and the same name varies by grower. These pages explain how to read strains honestly, how to choose by effect, our formulas-and-blends approach to combining them, and profiles of the best-known ones.
Start here
What a strain name really means, and a better way to choose than indica versus sativa.
Formulas and blends
Our differentiator: instead of chasing one strain, think in formulas, which chemotype plus which, for a target effect, and how to combine them.
Popular strain profiles
Honest profiles of iconic strains, with the caveat that real effects depend on the specific plant and batch.
Continue exploring
Chemotaxonomic Indexing Across Commercial Cannabis Cultivars
Comparing cannabis varieties across a catalog requires separating historical lineage lore from analytical chemotype data. In a large-scale metabolomic evaluation of 33 commercial cannabis chemovars across five licensed producers, Mudge et al. (2019, Planta Medica, PMID 31096276) identified distinct chemical clusters driven by dominant monoterpenes (beta-myrcene, alpha-/beta-pinene, d-limonene, terpinolene) and sesquiterpenes (beta-caryophyllene, alpha-humulene) that cut across vernacular Sativa and Indica categories. Complementing these chemical clusters, Lewis et al. (2018, Planta Medica, PMID 28861498) established that indexing varieties by cannabinoid ratio (Type I THCA-dominant, Type II mixed THCA:CBDA, Type III CBDA-dominant) alongside their primary terpenoid triad provides a reproducible framework for comparing flower profiles.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are cannabis strains grouped in modern analytical classification?
Modern chemotaxonomy groups cannabis into Type I (THCA-dominant), Type II (mixed THCA and CBDA), and Type III (CBDA-dominant) classes, sub-indexed by their top three quantified terpenes (Lewis et al., 2018, PMID 28861498).
Do Indica and Sativa labels predict the exact terpene profile of a strain?
No. Metabolomic profiling across licensed producers shows that terpene clusters (such as myrcene-, limonene-, or terpinolene-dominant profiles) occur across both Indica- and Sativa-labeled varieties (Mudge et al., 2019, PMID 31096276).
What is the most reliable way to compare two strains before purchasing or infusing?
Compare the batch Certificate of Analysis (CoA) for total THCA and CBDA percentages (mg/g) and the top quantified terpenes rather than relying on the cultivar name alone.
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