Cannabis indica

In 1785, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck published a description of a second species of Cannabis, which he named Cannabis indica. Lamarck based his description of the newly named species on plant specimens collected in India. Richard Evans Schultes described C. indica as relatively short, conical, and densely branched, whereas C. sativa was described as tall and laxly branched.{{cite journal |author=Richard Evans Schultes |author-link=Richard Evans Schultes |author2=William M. Klein |author3=Timothy Plowman |author4=Tom E. Lockwood |name-list-style=amp |year=1974 |title=Cannabis: an example of taxonomic neglect |journal=Harvard University Botanical Museum Leaflets |volume=23 |issue=9 |pages=337–367 |doi=10.5962/p.168565 |url=http://wlbcenter.org/Schultes%20Publications/BotMusLeaf_23_337-367.pdf }} Loran C. Anderson described C. indica plants as having short, broad leaflets whereas those of C. sativa were characterized as relatively long and narrow.{{cite journal |author=Loran C. Anderson |year=1980 |title=Leaf variation among Cannabis species from a controlled garden |journal=Harvard University Botanical Museum Leaflets |volume=28 |issue=1 |pages=61–69 |doi=10.5962/p.168641 |s2cid=90557456 |url=https://archive.org/details/cbarchive_107150_leafvariationamongcannabisspec9999}}[http://www.bio.fsu.edu/faculty-anderson.php Dr. Loran C. Anderson - FSU Biological Science Faculty Emeritus] C. indica plants conforming to Schultes's and Anderson's descriptions originated from the Hindu Kush mountain range. Because of the often harsh and variable climate of those parts (extremely cold winters and warm summers), C. indica is well-suited for cultivation in temperate climates.{{Cite news|url=https://www.marijuana-seeds.nl/blog/how-to-grow-marijuana-in-sub-tropical-and-temperate-climates|title=How to Grow Marijuana in Sub-tropical and Temperate Climates|date=2017-05-09|work=MSNL Blog|access-date=2018-07-15|language=en-GB}}

The specific epithet indica is Latin for "of India" and has come to be synonymous with the cannabis strain.{{Cite web |title=indica Meaning {{!}} Pop Culture |url=https://www.dictionary.com/e/pop-culture/indica/ |access-date=2022-06-30 |website=Dictionary.com |language=en-US}}

There was very little debate about the taxonomy of Cannabis until the 1970s, when botanists like Richard Evans Schultes began testifying in court on behalf of accused persons who sought to avoid criminal charges of possession of C. sativa by arguing that the plant material could instead be C. indica.{{cite journal |last1= Bosse|first1= Jocelyn|date= 2020|title= Before the High Court: the legal systematics of Cannabis|url= https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10383441.2020.1804671|journal= Griffith Law Review|volume= 29|issue= 2|pages= 302–329|doi= 10.1080/10383441.2020.1804671|s2cid= 229457146}}

Broad-leafed C. indica plants in the Indian Subcontinent are traditionally cultivated for the production of charas, a form of hashish. Pharmacologically, C. indica landraces tend to have higher THC content than C. sativa strains.{{cite journal|last1=Fischedick|first1=Justin Thomas|last2=Hazekamp|first2=Arno|last3=Erkelens|first3=Tjalling|last4=Choi|first4=Young Hae|last5=Verpoorte|first5=Rob|title=Metabolic fingerprinting of Cannabis sativa L., cannabinoids and terpenoids for chemotaxonomic and drug standardization purposes|journal=Phytochemistry|date=December 2010|volume=71|issue=17–18|pages=2058–2073|doi=10.1016/j.phytochem.2010.10.001|pmid=21040939|bibcode=2010PChem..71.2058F }}{{cite journal |author1=Karl W. Hillig |author2=Paul G. Mahlberg |year=2004 |title=A chemotaxonomic analysis of cannabinoid variation in Cannabis (Cannabaceae) |journal=American Journal of Botany |volume=91 |issue=6 |pages=966–975 |pmid=21653452 |doi=10.3732/ajb.91.6.966|doi-access=free }} Some users report more of a "stoned" feeling and less of a "high" from C. indica when compared to C. sativa. (The terms sativa and indica, used in this sense, are more appropriately termed "narrow-leaflet" and "wide-leaflet" drug type, respectively.)"Sativa vs Indica." AMSTERDAM – THE CHANNELS. Web. 5 December 2010. . The C. indica high is often referred to as a "body buzz" and has beneficial properties such as pain relief in addition to being an effective treatment for insomnia and an anxiolytic, as opposed to C. sativa's more common reports of a cerebral, creative and energetic high, and even (albeit rarely) including hallucinations.{{cite web|title=Difference Marijuana Cannabis Sativa and Indica, Sativa or Indica Marijuana Seed Strains.|publisher=Amsterdam Marijuana Seeds Seed Bank|url=http://www.amsterdammarijuanaseedbank.com/Growguides/general-marijuana-info/difference-sativa-indica.html|access-date=2010-12-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512095549/http://www.amsterdammarijuanaseedbank.com/Growguides/general-marijuana-info/difference-sativa-indica.html|archive-date=2012-05-12|url-status=dead}} Differences in the terpenoid content of the essential oil may account for some of these differences in effect.{{cite journal | last1 = McPartland | first1 = J. M. | last2 = Russo | first2 = E. B. | year = 2001 | title = Cannabis and Cannabis extracts: greater than the sum of their parts? | journal = Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics | volume = 1 | issue = 3/4| pages = 103–132 |doi=10.1300/J175v01n03_08}}{{cite journal |author=Karl W. Hillig |year=2004 |title=A chemotaxonomic analysis of terpenoid variation in Cannabis |journal=Biochemical Systematics and Ecology |volume=32 |issue=10 |pages=875–891 |doi=10.1016/j.bse.2004.04.004|bibcode=2004BioSE..32..875H }} Common C. indica strains for recreational or medicinal use include Kush and Northern Lights.{{Cite web |title=Northern Lights aka NL Weed Strain Information |url=https://www.leafly.com/strains/northern-lights |access-date=2023-02-18 |website=Leafly |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2020-06-09 |title=Marijuana strains: The best of indica, sativa, hybrid, and more |url=https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/marijuana-strains |access-date=2023-02-18 |website=www.medicalnewstoday.com |language=en}}

A recent genetic analysis included both the narrow-leaflet and wide-leaflet drug "biotypes" under C. indica, as well as southern and eastern Asian hemp (fiber/seed) landraces and wild Himalayan populations.{{cite journal |author=Karl W. Hillig |year=2005 |title=Genetic evidence for speciation in Cannabis (Cannabaceae) |journal=Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution |volume=52 |issue=2 |pages=161–180 |doi=10.1007/s10722-003-4452-y|s2cid=24866870 }}

In 2011, a team of Canadian researchers led by Andrew Sud announced that they had sequenced a draft genome of the Purple Kush strain of C. indica.{{Cite journal | last1 = Van Bakel | first1 = H. | last2 = Stout | first2 = J. M. | last3 = Cote | first3 = A. G. | last4 = Tallon | first4 = C. M. | last5 = Sharpe | first5 = A. G. | last6 = Hughes | first6 = T. R. | last7 = Page | first7 = J. E. | doi = 10.1186/gb-2011-12-10-r102 | title = The draft genome and transcriptome of Cannabis sativa|pmid=22014239 | pmc = 3359589 | volume=12 | issue = 10 | year=2011 | journal=Genome Biol. | page=R102 | doi-access = free }}

{{gallery|mode=packed

|New born Cannabis plant.jpg|Seedling

|indica leaf.jpg|Broad leaf

|Flowers(Purple Kush).jpg|C. indica flowering

|Cannab2 new.png|Comparison of Cannabis species

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• [https://www.marijuana-guides.com/strains/indica/ Popular Indica Marijuana Strains]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20100922182950/http://geopium.org/Photos/Maroc_Rif2005/Maroc_Rif2005.htm Four full pages of photos of cannabis cultivation in Morocco (Rif)] on geopium.org
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20100922182950/http://geopium.org/Photos/Maroc_Rif2005/Maroc_Rif2005.htm Photos of Indica cannabis availability in Canada (Rif)]
• [https://bestbudseedbank.com/cannabis-seeds/indica/ Trending Indica Cannabis Strains]

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