What are the differences between sativa and indica

Many are aware that cannabis comes in a variety of strains, colors, smells and so on, but are unaware of the sativa and indica sides of the cannabis spectrum. Think of a visible light graph with sativa being at one end and the opposite indica. Both effect the type of high you get from cannabis in a huge way and come in pure forms but also a mix like white widow 60% sativa 40% indica.  When getting a mixed strain the values are not compounded, if the strain is made up from of both sativa and indica you can never for example end up with a total of more then 100%. At the full pure end of either side you will have a true pure 100% sativa or indica. Now you might want to know what is the difference between sativa and indica and how does it effect your high... Read below.

Sativa - At the sativa side of the cannabis spectrum you have more of the upbeat energized type of high. Mainly a feeling of wanting to go go go, without boredom. The high you get from sativa is felt throughout the body usually making you feel lighter and more interested in your surroundings.

Indica - You can easily achieve the stoner look with indica. The effects are felt throughout the body and head giving you a weighted feeling. Often for this very reason many people smoke indica to relax or as a sleep aid because of it's relaxing long lasting high. Helps to combat insomnia and used widely for medical pain relief. After smoking indica you might very well end up sitting on a chair or a couch starring into space with no want or desire to even lift a finger.

How to tell the difference between indica and sativa
In short it is very hard to tell the difference for a novice smoker. There are a few initial ways by just looking or smelling but are not always accurate. Indicas usually are dark green to purple in color but might have slight variations of both or others. Sativas are more associated with fruity or sweet smelling buds sometimes appearing to have a yellowish tone to it's leaves or hairs. Unless you are an expert in cannabis strains or have a laboratory at your disposal it might be hard to tell the difference between the two, but upon smoking it should be very obvious if it's mixed or a pure sativa or indica.