We’ve all been there: you want to try a new strain of cannabis, but you can’t find the perfect one on the shelf. Maybe you’re looking for a strong body high, or mental stimulation and creativity. Or perhaps you need a relief from pain or anxiety. Whatever your reason, there are 750+ strains to choose from. But which do you pick?
What are 4 types of containers?
Fortunately, there are tools that can help you compare the strain. Leafly’s strain database, for example, uses cannabinoid and terpene profiles to show you which strains are similar and could produce the desired effects. This model is more accurate than simply relying on labels—the same strain sold in dispensaries in different states might have a very different chemical makeup, which can impact how the cannabis elicits an effect.
Another tool, created by scientists at Confident Cannabis, lets you visualize how molecularly similar strains might be. It compares gene expression data to a template genome and ranks genes that most closely match. This allows users to see which genes are expressed more highly in certain regions, such as the cerebellum or midbrain.
A strain is a variant—a mutated form of a virus that demonstrates a distinct pattern or behavior, according to Andrew Pekosz, PhD, a virologist and author of the book How Viruses Changed the World. The term strain is often used as a synonym for variant, but it’s inaccurate. A strain is not just a variant, but a variant that has accumulated enough mutations to make a difference in its behavior.
