THC and CBD are the most popular cannabinoids marijuana makes, but they have very different effects on you.
In general, THC is responsible for the stimulating, elevating, euphoric part of your cannabis high, although it has many medicinal effects that aren’t part of a cannabis “high.”
CBD is responsible for body effects such as pain relief, spasm relief, increased appetite, sedation, and other mostly “medical” effects.
Generally speaking, if a strain has a high CBD content, the THC content will be lower, and visa versa.
Here are my favorite CBD rich stains and THC rich strains that you can grow right now:
High-CBD Marijuana Strains:
Harlequin – Harlequin is a mix of Thai and Columbian Gold marijuana, along with some ditchweed. Harlequin’s THC content is comparably low (about 7%) but this strain has an exceptionally high CBD content of 5-9%.
As with other high-CBD strains such as Charlotte’s Web, this one needs lots of nutrients and intense light.
Jamaican Lion – This high-CBD marijuana hybrid is a result of breeding the mother plant, Mountain Lion (a combination of 2003 Cannabis Cup winner Rock Bud and Lion Heart from Almighty seeds out of Quebec, Canada) with the father plant, Jamaican Yarders.
This hybrid boasts an 8.91% CBD content and is known for its anti-spasm effects and anti-pain effects.
Cannatonic – Cannatonic is a result of breeding an MK Ultra mother with a G13 Haze father.
Cannatonic has been known to produce an almost perfect 1:1 ratio of THC to CBD; although some testing shows a CBD content of 8-12% with THC in the 5-8% range.
Cannatonic is a great strain for reducing anxiety, pain relief, and muscle spasms.
Jorge’s Diamonds– This high-CBD strain was developed by legendary marijuana grow guru Jorge Cervantes along with collaborators at Dutch Passion, one of Holland’s most-respected cannabis seed companies.
It’s high in THC, but also high in CBD, CBN (cannabinol), and THCV… all of which have multiple medical effects.
This Indica-dominant plant needs 8-10 weeks in flowering, and when you give it lots of bloom phase nutrition such as Nirvana, Big Bud, and Bud Candy, you get high yields of tasty, medicinal weed.
LA Confidential, from DNA Genetics: This strain is a “recreational marijuana” strain more than a high-CBD strain because along with high levels of CBD, it also has high levels of THC.
This strain loves to eat, and when you give it pH Perfect nutrients and a full range of bloom boosters as well as a lot of HID light, you get very large yields in a short (46-57 day) flowering cycle.
I suggest you read this article about growing CBD marijuana. When you grow for CBD, not only do you choose different strains than for regular growing, you use different techniques.
High-THC Marijuana Strains
Bruce Banner: This strain has been described as “the strongest THC strain on the planet,” but the harsh fact is it’s mostly available only from clone sellers.
It allegedly comes from a cross between Strawberry Cough, OG Ghost Haze, and Sour Diesel.
With THC percentages as high as 29%, you obviously get massively stimulated from this high-priced, speedy Sativa-dominant weed.
If you grow it, pray for the Kush genetics to come forward so you get bushy plants with popcorn buds rather than monster plants that go tall.
OG 18, from DNA Seeds/Reserva Privada: You’ll enjoy growing this stinky, short, resinous Kush.
It takes 8-10 weeks for your dense buds to fully ripen, and I recommend you go heavy on feeding with Kushie Kush bloom booster and Bud Candy starting at week three of bloom phase.
This high is not as speedy as Bruce Banner, and if you get the phenotype with the most Indica, OG 18 will nail you to the couch.
Keep your grow room cooler than normal when you grow this cannabis strain, especially at night, and watch out for spider mites.
White Widow: This legendary strain looks like someone poured sugar on its dark green leaves.
It’s easy to grow as long as you use hydroponics base nutrients such as pH Perfect so your cannabis plants can absorb nutrients faster.
I recommend that you buy your seeds from Dutch Passion seed company. There are many companies claiming to make a White Widow strain, but their genetics and seeds are often bogus and unstable. Dutch Passion is a reliable cannabis seed company.
You’ll need 8-10 weeks for bloom phase, and you might need to drop your lights-on cycle from 12 hours to 9 hours during your last two weeks before harvest to prevent stretching or distorted growth.
Satori by Mandala Seeds – With a 28% THC content, this strain delivers a clear, clean, cerebral high and is great for making medicinal extracts.
These almost pure-Sativa marijuana plants grow very tall, so if you’re growing indoors you want to top them early and flip them into flowering when they’re a max of 2-3 feet tall.
Use bloom boosters such as Nirvana, Big Bud, Bud Factor X, and Bud Candy, especially during the last half of the 10-11 week bloom phase, because this marijuana strain adds most of its THC during the last half of bloom.
Even though it’s mostly Sativa, you can get very large yields from Satori marijuana.
Jesus OG Kush: Another winner from Subcool TGA seeds, this powerhouse has been tested at 25% THC.
When you feed it Kushie Kush and give it 8-9 weeks in bloom, you get very high yields of resinous Kush goodness.
Be sure to give this strain a lot of light, and make sure your indoor grow room humidity is below 56% during bloom phase, with good air exchange and air movement, to prevent molds from settling into the heavy, crystally buds.
In general, high-THC strains are going to give you the effects you’ve long loved about marijuana. But if you’re more of a medicinal user, high-CBD cannabis strains are what you’re looking for.
