Most people see the word “indica” and think Ambien. For so long we’ve equated the effects of indica cannabis strains to being couch-locked. And while it’s true that some indicas may tuck you in for the night, it’s even truer that you can’t just generalize an entire third of weed plants under one single high. 

There are thousands of indica strains; some may feel relaxed and happy, others may feel drowsy and tired, some even make you feel the complete opposite. It all depends on your body, and knowing your body is knowing that finding the right strains is up to you. Here are seven of the best indicas to get you started.

Hindu Kush

Hindu Kush is a pure indica from the Hindu Kush mountain range between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Its compact buds usually have a vibrant white shine to them due to the stark coat of trichomes on top of light green flowers. An original landrace strain, Hindu Kush is believed to be one of the first plants to be used for hash.

Hindu Kush terpenes usually hit the nose with a sweet and piney aroma, while the smoke can have sweet, floral, and pine flavors. Effects-wise, most people expect to feel a calm and relaxing cerebral high that pairs great with the ending of a long day on your balcony. Hindu Kush is a great suggestion for anyone seeking a long-lasting euphoric experience.

Northern Lights

Just as old as Hindu Kush is the famous Northern Lights. Its influence on the world of indicas can’t be stated enough. This Afghani descendant is known for having resinous buds and skunky terpenes that fill the room when the plant is cured. You can expect sweet and herbal flavors when you smoke it.

Equally as potent as it is stinky, most consumers report a hard-hitting body high that’ll leave you on stuck mode for the remainder of the evening. If you’re looking to get stoned and run through a sack of gas station snacks, this — or its popular phenotype Northern Lights #5 — may be the one.

Granddaddy Purple

Granddaddy Purple is that classic purple flower that completely changed the game of weed aesthetics. It’s a cross of Purple Urkle and Bid Bud that first came to life in 2003. Though plenty of purple flowers existed before it, GDP was one of the first to become a household name in weed culture. No budtender hears “purp” without immediately thinking of this strain.

Granddaddy Purple is world famous for its deep purple buds that give off sweet, grapey, earthy terpenes. Picture if you were to buy a bag of grapes and roll them in a blunt, that’s smoking Granddaddy Purple. 

Blueberry

From legendary breeder DJ Short comes DJ Short’s Blueberry, or simply Blueberry, another indica-leaning strain with Afghani (and Thai) genetics. It has compact green buds stacked with an assortment of purple and red-coloring that make it as pretty as it is flavorful. 

As its name suggests, Blueberry smells and tastes like fresh fruit from your neighborhood Farmers Market. Whether consumed as flower or concentrate, those berry terps are shining through. Most consumers feel a relaxed, happy, and slumped-over type of body high after consuming Blueberry. If you’re looking for a night cap that appeals to your taste buds, check out this strain.

9 LB Hammer

9 LB Hammer is a heavy indica that hits your head just like that: a 9 LB hammer. A cross of Gooberry and an OG Kush varietal, 9 LB genetics usually produce dense flowers with dark green colors and a blended coat of white trichomes. On the terpene side of things, you can expect 9 LB hammer to smell earthy and somewhat chemmy, while tasting mostly like the former. 

Where this strain lacks in terps, it more than makes up for it in effects. Most people feel a heavy head high that slowly creeps into the body, causing you to starfish in bed for the next couple of hours. 

Personally speaking, 9 LB hammer doesn’t make me sleepy, but it does produce a super duper stone that makes me want to never move again.

Forbidden Fruit

For the last fruity suggestion, it was a toss up between Grape Ape or Forbidden Fruit. And I had to go with Forbidden Fruit for three reasons: 

1. It’s one of the most beautiful cannabis flowers on the planet. 
2. The terpenes are usually pretty consistent no matter who grows it. 
3. Last week I smoked it with my grandma and she was blown away by how good it tasted.

Forbidden Fruit was born by crossing Cherry Pie with Tangie. The result is a staunchly purple flower, covered in a flurry of orange hairs, that gives off an extremely tropical guava-like aroma. When consumed, it’ll taste like you’re smoking a bowl of fruit cocktail, and the effects are much lighter than people associate with indicas and purple strains. Instead of sleepy and down, you’ll feel a relaxing euphoria that makes everything a little funnier.

G-13

You can’t talk about indica cannabis strains and not mention the lochness monster of the weed world: G-13. 

Legend has it that G-13, or Government Indica Strain 13, was a U.S. Government experiment where the intelligence agencies (CIA, FBI, etc.) collected all of the “best” and “most potent” indicas from all over the world, then bred them together to create the Megazord of all cannabis strains. The alleged reason we can all go to a dispensary and purchase this super secret government mission of a strain is because some disgruntled government agent stole a cut of the plant and leaked it to the public. Chances are that this story is not true, but it’s okay to believe it anyway.

What is true is that G-13 will absolutely knock your socks off. Regardless of how you consume it, both G-13 flower and oil usually makes people feel hungry, relaxed, and sleepy, i.e. stoned out of their minds. Its intense high might not put you to bed, but it will make you stare off into space for the next few hours as you wonder why some people don’t have middle names.

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Featured image by Dre Hudson/Weedmaps

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