What’s better for anxiety – Sativa or Indica? One in four Canadians experience symptoms of depression, anxiety and PTSD, with 15% in particular suffering from generalized anxiety disorder. Pretty shocking, right? It’s a sad statistic to think about, but the good news is that you’re certainly not alone. The even better news? There are so many ways to help with symptoms of anxiety.
One of the best ways to help with reducing anxiety is with marijuana. And if you already know that, then you’re here wondering: What’s better for anxiety…Sativa or Indica? These two strains are the most commonly known and purchased among the cannabis community, and are known for delivering different effects when consumed.
Sativa strains are supposed to stimulate and give an uplifting high, while Indica strains are more for deep relaxation.
But there’s more to it all than just the effects of these two species, which we’ve covered in an in-depth look at the difference between Sativa and Indica.
What we’re focusing on today is helping you understand which is better for anxiety. While you may think that Indica is best due to its couch-locking properties, it’s actually Sativa that will help most people with reducing anxiety. Read more to discover what this means, and how you can decide which is best for you.
How Does Weed Help with Anxiety?
Although it doesn’t work for everyone, many people turn to the effects of marijuana to help relieve anxiety, depression, pain, and other ailments. In 2020 alone, the most common reasons for an increase in cannabis use were 73% for relaxing, 65% out of boredom, 53% due to stress, and a massive 53% reported increasing marijuana use to help with anxiety.
To understand which strain helps with anxious symptoms, let’s break down each one.
Sativa
- Gives more of a “head high” that is uplifting, stimulating and energizing
- Helps you concentrate
- Boosts creativity
- Feelings of happiness and euphoria
- Best for daytime use to help you stay focused
Uplifted, energized, focused – these three main effects are the reason why Sativa is so widely accepted as a go-to for those wanting to lower their anxiety levels. It’s almost as if it distracts you from the anxiousness, instead helping you redirect your energy towards doing the more important things in your life. Many users often take a hit of Sativa-heavy strains during the day when they want to get stuff done.
Indica
- Couch-locking high
- Helps with deep relaxation with full-body effects
- Reduces insomnia
- Feelings of euphoria and sleepiness
- Best for nighttime use to help with falling asleep
The typical Indica strains are heavy stuff, and we’re talking heavy. This is why it’s not preferred by everyone for reducing anxious symptoms, as it knocks you out for the most part, rather than letting you function whilst still being able to live free from anxiety. If you do want to try an Indica strain for this purpose though, then we recommend choosing one with high CBD levels and low THC.
While Sativa and Indica do largely come into play, the amount of cannabinoids is also a major factor. The two most common cannabinoids are THC and CBD – THC produces psychoactive effects and CBD has no psychoactive properties. It’s for this reason it’s so important to go strain-by-strain, and product-by-product, as each one can be so different. How you may react to one strain might be completely different to how someone you know reacts to the same one.
Best Sativa Strain for Anxiety
Seeing as Sativa is the preferred strain among many for decreasing symptoms of anxiety, we’re sharing our top pick for the best Sativa strain on the market for this purpose…Jungle Cake.
Taking the best of White Fire #43 and Wedding Cake strains, this is more of a “sit back and relax” kind of strain. That being said, where it shines is its ability to keep you quite alert at the same time, helping you re-focus your thoughts and energy on the things you want.
Best Hybrid Strain for Anxiety
Hybrids are a blend between the two strains to basically give you the best of both worlds. Our top pick is the Neon Slurry Hybrid strain. This is a blend between Neon Lights and Slurricane, giving you Sativa-dominant effects.
Neon Lights gives euphoric and tingly effects, with a 19% THC content. On the other hand, Slurricane provides that touch of Indica for a balanced effect, ideal for relaxing after a long, tiring day.
Give this one a go if you want to achieve that equilibrium between Indica and Sativa, rather than just one or the other.
Relieve Your Anxiety Today
So, what’s better for anxiety – Sativa or Indica? Between the two most popular strains, Sativa is known for giving the best anxiety-reducing effects. Thanks to its energizing, invigorating effects, it helps you control your thoughts and gain more focus, slowly melting away any anxious thoughts or feelings.
Even though Sativa is more commonly known and accepted for reducing anxiety, it may not work for everyone. Some people may find it too stimulating, and therefore prefer an Indica strain to provide that calming effect they need to reduce anxiety symptoms. If possible, try small doses of each strain and see what works for you – much like the essence of these two strains, everyone is different.
