So, you want to get out of bed and get things done? Feel like starting a big new project or gaining some inspiration for a new song? Well, you’ve come to the right place! For lifetimes the common perception of weed and those who use it is focused around the slow, lazy high of indica marijuana. This is understandable, as the vast majority of cannabis historically has been indica and the outwardly perceptible effects of indica are a lot more pronounced.
With the weed market growing how it is, more people are becoming aware of the other side of cannabis and many people are taking a shine to it. Sativa strains of weed are almost the diametric opposite of your traditional indica, described as having a mind high as opposed to a body high.
The Different Sativa Highs
There are many different types of high to be found in the sativa umbrella, but all these strains share a few properties. For a start, the actual plants are taller and slimmer, more like small apple trees than what many think of as a standard cannabis plant. The leaves are also longer and thinner, looking a lot more picturesque than indica leaves, and as a result these are often the leaves that end up on ganja-based merchandise.
The Sativa Experience
The actual effect on the human experience is extremely elating. With many sativa strains being likened to funky coffee, these breeds can elate and uplift the mind, making room for creativity and focusing the mind on productivity. They will even uplift the body, giving caffeine-like effects of increased energy and so they are great for use during the day (just not at work, of course!).
You can still expect a lot of the same medical benefits of indica marijuana. Think of it as the difference between day time antidepressants and night-time antidepressants – one allows you to function during the day, and the other prepares you for bed.
The Top 10 Sativa Strains Available
I only personally managed to get myself in to the sativa niche fairly recently, but I can assure any aspiring stoners that it is something you should get in to. Below I will present you the strains with the strongest sativa effect around, any of which will be a great introduction to this land of partying on weed.
10. Lemon Haze
One of the pillars of cannabis culture over in England is the irreverent Lemon Haze. Some of the most citrusy leaf I’ve found, Lemon Haze is exactly how it sounds. From opening the bag to taking your first puff, the entire experience with some high grade LH is filled with delightfully fresh hints of lemon which set the scene effectively for what is an absolutely solid sativa high. The flowers even display a green-to-yellow hue and their trichomes are a distinctive yellow colour that add to the overall lemon aura.
An archetypal example of sativa, Lemon Haze will fill its user with happiness and an uplifted mood. While not the most pronounced and over-the-top example of a creativity enhancer, this kush will get you in the mood for going out and meeting people and can aid greatly with conversation flow, much like a quaint coffee date. This makes it wonderful for the streets of Europe, where cannabis culture has a great emphasis on chilling outside with others while enjoying the good green.
9. Super Silver Haze
Hailing from the same genome as Lemon Haze, SSH combines their shared parent Haze with one of the strongest indica strains, Northern Lights, as well as the famous Skunk. The result is an extremely energetic high which permeates the happiness centre of the brain. Even given its ancestry, it is extremely easy to function on this bud and it is one of the more popular day time medicinal strains in Canada.
Though this strain may have some superior colleagues these days, SSH won multiple awards in the late-nineties and it is unlikely that it will ever truly come out of circulation. With its wonderful orange and green tones and almost corral-like buds, this weed looks as good as it tastes.
SSH is well known for its elated and long-lasting high that makes it perfect for a long summer’s day and the sharp euphoria it brings blends neatly in to you preferred evening smoke, perfect for those long summer’s nights.
8. Super Lemon Haze
Many of you may have been wondering how a strain as well-known and legendary as Lemon Haze could be at the bottom of the list. This is why. Super Lemon Haze is a lot like how it sounds. As a child of Super Silver Haze, this bud will grant the user the same level of happiness, but with a citrus twist!
Like the original Lemon Haze, this strain gives off a strong citrus whiff, but it tastes closer to lemon candy than the fresh lemon of Lemon Haze. SLH is visually best known for its dense layer of crystallised THC on the outside of the bud which teases as to the enhanced properties which can only truly be achieved by premium breeders.
While granting the user a lot of the basic sativa high, this strain’s USP is in the bubbly energy it gives its user. As one of the more hyper-active strains, those who are already very lively may want to avoid this, but those who are more mellow can certainly take advantage of this to even replace coffee!
7. Candyland
Another offshoot of one of the strongest indica strains (the mighty Granddaddy Purple), Candyland is another hybrid strain that defies the odds and shakes off the indica side of its heritage by delivering a highly social high that can almost be frustrating when experienced alone.
Candyland gets its name from the vibrantly multi-coloured bud which can contain purple, green and orange all at once with a dusty layer of crystal kief which transforms the surface into a delicious sugar candy. Fittingly, it comes with a friendly and playful high which enhances social gatherings and is often a big hit at festivals around the world.
6. Strawberry Cough
This is a strain I first got hold of at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, and not a moment too soon! I am a great fan of a nice, centred theme for a strain of cannabis and SC is a perfect example of this. Both sides of its name hold true, as the bud smell faintly of strawberries and while exhaling the user will notice this strawberry tinge dance on the taste buds.
This is, of course, only until the other half of its name presents. This is an extremely strong sativa strain with a relatively low THC content, but a wide range of other cannabinoids which expand through the throat and will make anyone cough on their first few puffs regardless of experience.
This may be a bit of a designer gimmick in some stoner’s eyes, but it is a delightful treat every now and then as it still packs a great punch and can lift you up on sunny mornings and rainy afternoons alike.
5. Amnesia Haze
To complete the mighty quadfecta of Hazes, Amnesia Haze is another huge European hit, and after winning many awards over the 2000’s and 2010’s (multi-decade award winners are rarer than you think!) this is one of the most common strains found in the weed capital of the world, Amsterdam.
Considered a more casual sativa strain, Amnesia is very popular when smoked in smaller amounts amongst large groups and is another popular choice for feverish festival goers looking for a great, stress-free time with thousands of people.
While not the most popular medicinal choice, Amnesia’s wide-set popularity has it used by many looking to de-stress and help them get out into the world.
4. Durban Poison
Originating from its namesake, the South African city of Durban, this strain is extremely popular amongst those who like to use marijuana to help them through long and busy work days. This plant is one of the most commonly known pure sativa strains and its popularity is great in its home continent and the Americas alike.
Durban Poison gives the user a perfect blend of energy, elation and clear-head creativity to help you through any fully-booked, high-stakes day with a smile on your face and a pep in your step.
This is an extremely popular strain for those looking to create shatter or cannabis oil with a sativa hit, as it has a legendarily thick and sticky layer of trichomes on its chunky leaves that give a huge yield, despite sativa generally being known as low-yield plants.
3. Green Crack
Originally known as Cush until Snoop himself renamed it, Green Crack is one of the most well-known, archetypal sativa strains in North America. With Snoop’s seal of approval, you know you’re in for a good time! This strain, while nothing too special on the eye, holds some surprising citrus and mango tastes which certainly help guide your mind to a great elation.
This is an extremely popular strain to help fight day-time fatigue and depression and even more popular for enhancing one’s regular day with bursts of energy and a willingness to mingle in nature. The main advantage of this strain’s high is the intense level of focus it grants the user and its ability to enhance even mundane tasks, allowing you to hone in on creative projects and even help you live more in the moment.
As is common with Snoop’s favourite strains, in excessive quantities this strain can have some noticeable psychedelic effects, sometimes causing altered time perception and even some noticeable visual distortions. Nothing like LSD, but still a fun extra!
2. Jack Herer
Named after the famous cannabis activist, this is a decades old strain which is as funky as both its time and name of origin. As a highly premium and specialised strain, the exact composition of its ancestry is a closely guarded secret, and there’s no wonder why when you try it.
While this is very much a sativa-indica hybrid, the majority of its subjective effects are compared to sativa strains and these parts of experience are some of the strongest sativa effects on the market. This strain was developed in the Netherlands, so you know it is going to be some top-quality kush, and many breeders across the globe have tried to emulate this breed and many more have created successful strains using this as a parent.
This strain doesn’t look too impressive, as it is from an era that certainly considered function as superior to form, so don’t let yourself be fooled by its muted appearance and go for it if it’s available, especially if looking to buy weed online in bc. This plant’s complex genetic structure allows it to deliver a huge, all-rounder high.
After you get through this strain’s surprisingly citrus smell and the herbal scent it leaves behind (reminding one more of sage than weed), you will get hit by a cacophony of a deeply relaxing body high found in indica strains combined with all the energetic and creative hits you might come to expect from any sativa blend. And don’t worry, although your muscles are relaxed, this cannabis helps you push through that and have a wonderful, if slightly slower day of fun and socialisation.
1. Sour Diesel
Sour Diesel will always hold a special place in my heart as the first sativa strain I ever tried. It’s hard to know if I can recommend this as a way to take someone’s sativa virginity, as from my personal experience, a lot of pure sativa strains just make me wish I was smoking some Sour Diesel.
With a gnarly-sounding ancestry of Chemdawg and Super Skunk, this extremely high-THC sativa strain packs a punch to every sense, from its strong, diesel-like aroma to it’s fast-acting, powerful sativa high. This is another strain that isn’t all about showing off its looks, but when you break through to the core of their dense flowers, you will find a cornucopia of delicious trichomes filled with goodness.
Even small amounts of this herb gives the user a full-on effect of a double espresso, granting the user huge amounts of energy and drive combined with an almost dream-like, hazy filter over the brain that creates fantastic conversation and innovative levels of creativity. While no good to couch-lock yourself with, this strain gives you one of the most enjoyable marijuana highs on the planet and defines sativa in the modern age.