The cannabis plant contains a wide array of compounds that elicit varied effects. No one strain contains equal quantities of them all, but by skillfully combining certain strains with a unique profile, you can obtain some very interesting effects indeed.
If you’d like to get creative with your stash, then here’s our guide on mixing cannabis strains.
How To Combine Cannabis Strains
While you can just throw any two cannabis strains together, you’ll obtain much better effects if you take a more tailored approach. The secret to mixing two cannabis strains is appreciating the properties offered by each. This applies mainly to understanding the cannabinoid and terpene profiles of both strains.
The cannabinoids present in a particular strain are the compounds that affect the high the most. While THC can elevate mood, induce euphoria, and stimulate hunger, other cannabinoids like CBD can really tone down the experience and induce deep body relaxation.
There are more than 100 other minor cannabinoids in the cannabis plant. CBG is one of the most well-known, and with its ability to regulate appetite and sleep and alleviate pain, it’s slowly attracting attention.
If you get your hands on strains that are high in minor cannabinoids, they can often elicit interesting effects when combined with a high-THC strain.
Terpenes are another type of compound that greatly affect the high you experience. The most common terpenes found in cannabis include linalool, limonene, pinene, caryophyllene, myrcene, and humulene.
Each is present in different quantities across the spectrum of cannabis strains. In addition to each giving off a scent that’s unique to a particular strain, they also have some unique properties that can be accentuated when combined with cannabinoids via what’s known as the entourage effect.
The Entourage Effect: Obtaining the Full Benefits from Cannabis
The entourage effect is a term that explains the effects associated with consuming hundreds of compounds in the cannabis plant simultaneously. Where individually the terpenes and cannabinoids may exhibit some effects, together their effects become greatly intensified.
For example, the terpene pinene acts as an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor — meaning that it can increase the benefits to short-term memory. When taken alongside THC, it can suppress the tendency that THC sometimes has to induce poor short-term memory.
The benefits of the entourage effect also apply to CBD. If you’re using CBD to help alleviate social anxiety, then mixing it with the terpenes limonene and linalool can help increase the anxiolytic effects even further.
A Guide to Mixing Cannabis Strains
If you’d like to try it for yourself, here are two tried and tested strain combinations that may well take your high to the next level!
Sour Diesel and OG Kush
The beauty of combining these strains is that they both lie at opposite ends of the sativa-indica spectrum. Sour Diesel is predominantly sativa and is known to provide an energetic high thanks to its abundant levels of limonene and THC.
OG Kush is heavy in the sedating terpene myrcene, meaning that it falls firmly on the indica end of the spectrum. By combining both these strains, you’ll hit the sweet spot between an energetic cerebral high and a deep body relaxation.
Chocolate Haze and Wedding Gelato
Chocolate Haze and Wedding is an exquisite combination. Where the former offers a clear-headed and lucid experience that can enhance creativity, the latter will place you firmly in your body with its heavy indica properties and THC levels of 25%.
Mixing Strains for the Perfect Effect
It’s the unique combination of two strains at the extremes that can often lead to the most interesting and sometimes more useful highs. Happy mixing!
