The Best Cannabis Strains for Beginners

The cannabis industry can be confusing, especially if you are a newcomer. Many assume that cannabis is just a single plant, but it’s not. The plant has several strains, each with its own characteristics and traits. Note that people react differently to these strains, which is why you want to select the right one for you. 

As a beginner, you can be overwhelmed by the terms used by cannabis users. You may have heard about sativa, indica, and hybrids but wondered what the terms meant or what their difference was. This guide will show you some of the cannabis strains that work better for beginners and various terms used in the cannabis world. Let’s begin by going through the different marijuana categories available on the market.

Marijuana Categories

Cannabis has more than 700 strains, classified into three main categories: indica, sativa, and hybrids. However, some cultivators have been cross breeding these categories to produce new distinctive strains.

Each strain category delivers different effects. Sativa is more energizing and invigorating, while indica is calming and relaxing. Hybrids can be dominated by sativa or indica characteristics or a balance of the two.

Mostly, budtenders will make strain recommendations based on your needs. With that in mind, let’s look at the best cannabis strains for beginners. 

Blue Dream

Blue Dream is a potent crossbreed of Blueberry and Haze. The strain is known to offer full-body relaxation and pleasant taste. Its relaxation effect comes from terpenes, which counteract the high THC levels. Blue dream has a high THC concentration, giving you an instant energetic high. This strain can help relieve stress and anxiety. However, it may not work well for beginners suffering from anxiety disorders because it’s an immediate kicking stimulant.

Jack Herer

Jack Herer is a sativa-dominant strain named after the legendary Jack Herer, an American cannabis rights activist. The product is a crossbreed of three strains: Shiva Skunk, Haze, and Nothern Lights #5. It has a bold taste and can be pretty potent. Jack Herer is suitable for beginners looking for a euphoric, energizing, and uplifting cannabis product. The hashish works to alleviate fatigue, stress, and ADHD effects. 

Jack Herer comes with fruity, herbal, and peppery flavors due to the presence of terpinolene, myrcene, and beta-caryophyllene terpenes. However, some Jack Herer variants are dominated by limonene terpenes, giving them a strong lemon flavor.

Blueberry

Blueberry is an indica hybrid strain that’s a crossbreed of Purple Thai, Thai, and Afghan strains. The three strains give this hybrid a strong genetic backbone. Developed between 1970 and 1980, Blueberry variations are likely to dominate the industry for many years to come. You can distinguish the strain through its piney, fruity, lavender, and slight pepper taste. It has a high THC content. 

Cannatonic

Cannatonic is a CBD strain derived from MKUltra and G13 Haze crossbreeds. The strain produces a short yet mellow high to give you a relaxing effect. Cannatonic is popular among medical marijuana patients since it’s known to relieve pain and anxiety. You cannot fail to notice its pine, herbal, and pepper flavors. These flavors are brought about by the presence of beta-caryophyllene, pinene, and myrcene terpenes. 

Harlequin

Harlequin is a sativa-dominant strain. It’s a crossbreed of Colombian Gold, Thai, and Swiss Sativa, as well as Nepali Indica. Some users say that this strain is more uplifting than Cannatonic. It’s ideal for beginners since it’s a combination of low THC and high CBD. The strain can be used to alleviate pain and anxiety. 

For a beginner, it can be a bit difficult to distinguish between Harlequin and Cannatonic. Both strains have a mango flavor that comes from terpene myrcene. However, their concentrations are different. 

Hindu Kush

The Hindu Kush is an indica strain named after the Kush mountains. It’s known for its calming effects. However, some users have reported relatively higher uplifting and euphoric effects. As a result, Hindu Kush can be ideal for beginners looking to relieve pain and stress. 

Compared to most cannabis strains, Hindu Kush has a more citrusy, peppery flavor. The flavor comes from terpenes such as pinene, limonene, and beta-caryophyllene. One aspect that distinguishes the Hindu Kush from other strains is its organic heritage. When cultivated in lower altitudes, the strain grows tall like sativa. However, it has a short and bushy growth in higher altitudes. These properties help the Hindu Kush adapt to different environmental conditions.

The strain is known for its spicy, vanilla, earthy, and sandalwood flavors. The flavors could be due to the presence of myrcene and delta-3-carene terpenes.

Sour Tsunami

Sour Tsunami is a crossbreed of NYC Diesel and Sour Diesel. These strains are known to have rich concentrations of CBD, making Sour Tsunami a high-CBD hybrid. Sour Tsunami comes with a fruity, herbal piney flavor, suggesting the presence of myrcene, pine, and terpinolene. The hashish is known to alleviate pain and inflammation in medical marijuana patients. 

What makes Sour Tsunami unique is its well-balanced mix of indica and sativa. More importantly, Sour Tsunami is famous for its medicinal properties, thanks to its high CBD concentration. It’s great for beginners because it doesn’t produce a high. 

White Widow 

White Widow is balanced hybrid hashish created in the Netherlands. During its creation, growers bred a Brazilian Sativa and an Indian Indica to produce it. The hashish has more THC than CBD and gives users an instant cerebral effect. Consumers have reported an uplift in mood and energy, helping them perform boring activities like house chores and solve complex problems. Although it can cause paranoia, the product is ideal for beginners looking for a relaxed yet hyper-aware high. 

The Bottom Line

As a beginner, you should look beyond the typical sativa and indica characteristics when looking for an ideal cannabis strain. Some terpenes will cater to your flavor needs. You wouldn’t want to smoke a lemony-flavored flower when you’re allergic to lemons or a piney strain when you can’t stand the smell of pines. With the above information in mind, you can make a more informed decision when shopping for your strains.