Cannabis can best be described as "any plant of the genus Cannabis; a coarse bushy annual with palmate leaves and clusters of small green flowers; yields tough fibers and psychoactive properties when ingested".

The overall differences between the Indica and Sativa types are as follows:

Indica is a shorter bush with fat leaves, indica has higher levels of CBD's then THC so it produces a "sleepy" high. Indica is a well suited variety for indoor cultivation as it doesn't get very tall and has a shorter growing season. Indica usually has a very high yeild of flowers per plant.

Sativa is just the opposite of Indica as it has higher levels of THC compounds then CBD's. Sativa produces a tall bush with very thin leaves. Sativa produces a very energetic high. Sativa usually produces less flowers than Indica.

Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC

The primary psychoactive component of the cannabis plant is Tetrahydrocannabinol - otherwise known as THC.

Cannabidiol, or CBD

Cannabidiol, also known as CBD, is a cannabinoid found in Cannabis. It is a major constituent of the plant, representing up to 40% in its extracts.

CBD alone is not intoxicating, but displayed sedative effects in animal tests. Some research, however, indicates that CBD can increase alertness. It may decrease the rate of THC clearance from the body, perhaps by interfering with the metabolism of THC in the liver. CBD appears to affect both the CB1 and CB2 receptors- with higher affinity for the CB2 receptors . Cannabis indica dominant strains of the plant are known to be higher in CBD than Cannabis sativa strains.

Medically, it appears to relieve convulsion, inflammation, anxiety, and nausea, and to inhibit cancer cell growth. Recent studies have shown cannabidiol to be as effective as atypical antipsychotics in treating schizophrenia.

In November 2007 it was reported that CBD reduces growth of aggressive human breast cancer cells in vitro and reduces their invasiveness. It thus represents the first non-toxic exogenous agent that can lead to down-regulation of tumor aggressiveness. It is also a neuroprotective antioxidant.

Biosynthesis of cannabinoid acids (redrawn after Shoyama et al. 1975): 1 = cannabigerol (CBG); 2 = cannabidiol (CBD); 3 = cannabichromene (CBC); 4 = delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).