Compared with Indica, Sativa is “a whole nutha thing”. In our extended family we’ve coined the term “mota” to designate the cannabis that will cause you to clean out the garage, or at very least clean your stove to shining new, and that is sativa. It motivates.
I’m sure we aren’t the only ones that think we invented this term because the outcome is so predictable that many cannabis people start every project, if not every morning, with Cannabis Sativa. It’s better than a 5 Hour Energy drink because that won’t touch any pain or spasms you may be suffering. Sativa is so effective in these areas that despite it’s propensity to grow tall and proud in your yard, (with no regard of danger from the law or theft), hundreds of thousands of people still take the chance to grow it themselves in order to live fuller, pain free, and more productive lives. It’s that important to them.
For me, focus can be greatly improved when using some sativa dominant strain. Some can also make you busy, but scattered and less productive in a chosen task. You have to find what works b
est for you. As I experimented with different kinds, most always hybrids crossed in some place in time with another Sativa or an Indica, it was quite evident which ones worked best for me in a variety of ways. Some can hit hard and dizzy you up for a short period, (I just lay down and take 5, or 15), but then your mind begins to think of things to do and you have to get up and get buzzy, (like busy, but with a slight pleasant high and fierce determination). Some strains enable you to hit the ground running and you’re busy right out of the gate. Others can take a few minutes, (up to 15 or so), and before you can brew and enjoy a cup of coffee, you have unknowingly become engaged in a full session of deep bathroom cleaning just because you walked in there to relieve yourself.
Creativity can very often be the best effect of a Sativa, and that along with focus and determination, can be an extremely fulfilling thing. But Sativa isn’t only for the artist in you. Yard work, watering, pruning, weeding, planing, harvesting, even picking up the dog poo – no task is to small or menial. In fact, you can often get them all done if something else doesn’t get your attention first. Focus! You can find yourself doing things you haven’t enjoyed in years because of your ailments. How awesome is that! That’s a huge benefit of Sativa. It IS mind altering, but in a very good way.
Pain relief. I’ve found that Sativas do a fair share of taking the edge off my most serious pains, but more importantly it allows me to ignore what’s left, if any.
It isn’t the couch-locking body suppression that can often be present with an Indica dominant strain, but for mild yet ever present aches an pains you can let them dissolve into the depth of your memory for as long as you want to stay there. A toke or two on a small pipe every few hours can keep you going all day or until you choose to stop. I must confess that I have used a Sativa throughout some days to the inevitable exhaustion of my body and then used an Indica to relax pain free and get an incredible night of sleep.
Is this an addiction? No, since I don’t feel the need to do it every day nor does my mind or body crave it. Is it dependency? Well, yes and no, and I really must stress again that this is coming totally from my experience and perspective. If I NEED something to do a specific task for that day, than yes, I am dependent of my cannabis medicine to get me through the task. If I can’t sleep because I have too much on my mind, and/or I’m in too much pain and I have to get up early for an appointment or any other reason, I can be dependent on Indica to get me to sleep fast and to give me a good deep sleep through the night? Even if I had the need for it more often or daily like some poor souls, (I usually sleep pretty well with out help), I would choose cannabis over ANY prescription or over the counter chemical available en mass at the pharmacy. Rant alert. Just ask any pharmacist, (note: NOT a doctor), what parts of your body may be harmed by use of any particular chemical drug. You will be astounded on what they can tell you, and it usually ain’t good news. Asking a pharmacist can usually be more fruitful that reading the dreaded “drug precautions” that come with these chemicals. If your pharmacist is reluctant because they are too busy or don’t want to “cross” your doctor, find another pharmacist and this may mean leaving that big box store you’ve been using for years. Get a pharmacist who is willing to have a working relationship with you. It’s so important, and such a vital step we often skip in our own health and welfare. Pharmacists know more about drugs than doctors. That’s what they’re trained to do.
Some people will argue that God put all we need on this earth for our nourishment and benefit. Some others will argue that he also gave man an innovative and incredible mind that can create, (things like pharmaceuticals), and help improve our lives. Some will argue neither, but I’m hanging with the first group, being both God-fearing and God-gob struck with what he has provided us with. That’s just me, and it seems a pretty safe bet.
Once again, I encourage you to research how cannabis can best benefit you personally. I’ve given you what I’ve learned, now take the ball and run. In my next post I will discuss different strains of medical cannabis and their effects.