Is there a real difference in the effects of indica and sativa strains of marijuana?

This study tests whether people can actually detect a difference using a randomized, blinded experiment — something that, surprisingly, has never been done before. (The closest thing was a 2023 study in which participants chose what to smoke and they were aware of what strain they were ingesting, so the effects of the strain cannot be distinguished from the influence of participant’s expectations about how it should feel.)

It is commonly believed that sativas are uplifting and indicas are relaxing. This could be a story we tell ourselves, or the dispensary sommeliers (“ganjier”) may be truly able to detect subtle variations. Whether or not the strains produce genuinely different effects under blinded conditions, there is an opportunity to better understand the true potential of Cannabis strain specialization.

The experiment is hosted as a session during a conference this Friday night. We may have a follow up session on Saturday night. We do not know exactly how many people will choose to participate, but we will not resolve the market unless there are at least 5 participants.

As participants arrive, they answer intake questions and are randomly assigned a standardized dose of either indica or sativa. They are not told which. Everyone sits together, and when it is their turn, they take 2 medium puffs from a joint which the experimenter hands them. They don’t know what they are taking or whether they had the same thing as someone else. Then everyone can relax and chat for 30 minutes, but they are instructed not to discuss how they feel or what strain they think they have smoked. After 30 minutes, participants fill out a survey and guess which strain they had.

The pre-rolled joints are sourced from a dispensary in California. Only strains categorized as pure indica or sativa on Leafly will be selected. Strains will have similar THC levels.

YES if: At least 70% of participants guess their strain correctly.

NO if: Less than 70% of participants guess their strain correctly.