Blending Cannabis Strains: A Guide to Mixing Them Together

There are thousands of distinct cannabis strains in the market. While some are designed to stimulate the mind, others are meant to calm it. While some are bred only for flavor, others are bred for potency. Most smokers have a go-to strain that helps them find their sweet spot. 

In Chicago, obtaining various premium strains legally necessitates a medical marijuana card. This card grants lawful entry to multiple dispensaries across Illinois. To secure legal access, consult a cannabis doctor or opt for obtaining your medical marijuana card online.

While smoking a different strain than usual can be an interesting change, what if you smoked both at the same time? You can experience highs that are exclusive to certain strains by combining various cannabis flower and extract strains.

Reasons to Blend Various Cannabis Strains Together

Every strain has a different combination of terpenes, flavonoids, cannabinoids, and other phytochemicals that make up its phytochemical composition.

These molecules influence the nature of the psychoactive—or even non-psychoactive—experience in both significant and subtle ways. By combining the distinct genetics of several varieties, breeders create new strains by breeding them together.

But, by merely combining the qualities of each cultivar, cannabis smokers can also combine them. Growers may also be able to see what a potential hybrid between two strains might look like through that experience.

Is the Combination of Two Effects Superior?

There are thousands of cannabis strains available, which means there are thousands of possible combos to try. For example, combining two potent strains may increase your mental activity before work. Similarly, combining two stoney strains may aid in your nighttime melting.

It is possible to combine seemingly incongruous highs in a single encounter. It can be calming to add a little tension to an otherwise overwhelming variety. On the other hand, a strong Triple G combined with a mild Northern Light may prevent you from sleeping past noon.

Tame Your High

Every cannabis user overindulges at some point. Excessive consumption of high-THC cannabis can cause discomfort; however, the effects can be mitigated by consuming high-CBD flower or extract.

In essence, CBD stops THC from attaching to CB1 receptors in the brain by increasing the production of endocannabinoids. Consequently, THC’s psychoactive effects are somewhat reduced. By this, we mean that rather than being totally undone or eliminated, the effects are moderated and cooled down.

Does Mixing Two Cannabis Strains Enhance the High?

We’re sure you’re wondering if combining strains would actually improve your high, given how much we’ve been discussing it. That really depends on the outcomes you hope to achieve and your level of commitment to getting there. Trial and error is crucial and requires some experimentation in the process, but the rewards can be substantial.

Choosing a quality terpene blend will probably have a greater impact on your desired high than finding the perfect cannabinoid balance. The distinctive aromas of the cannabis plant are attributed to aromatic molecules called terpenes. More than 40,000 of these compounds have been found in nature by science, and it is these that give fruits, flowers, and trees their enticing smells.

There are more than 200 terpenes in one cannabis plant. In addition to offering enticing tastes and aromas, these molecules have a variety of physiological effects on people. Even so, they work in concert with cannabinoids to control the high—a process referred to as the entourage effect.

While some terpenes are more stimulating and cerebral, others have more of a stoning effect. By combining cannabis strains with varying terpene contents, you can customize your high and make interesting concoctions.

Strategies for Blending Various Cannabis Strains

Although it’s a wild guess, combining two cannabis strains without much thought might work. You should consider each cultivar’s terpene and cannabinoid profiles to get a more customized effect. Both strains should ideally contribute something to the mixture that the other does not.

Cannabinoids

Each high is primarily caused by the action of cannabinoids. For example, high THC content will intensify and increase the experience’s psychoactivity. THC typically produces feelings of euphoria, happiness, elevated mood, and hunger, though it can also result in anxiety and paranoia.

But CBD doesn’t make you feel euphoric. Rather, it facilitates a calm experience that reduces stress and promotes peace of mind.

Though the plant contains over a hundred other cannabinoids, that’s what most people know. Researchers have started looking much more closely at CBG, CBN, THCV, CBC, and many others, even though we still don’t fully understand most of them. In comparison to the big two, they typically occur in very small numbers, but some breeders are attempting to change that.

Try introducing a strain with high-CBG or high-CBC genetics alongside your current favorite to observe how the combination affects the effects as a whole. Smokers can let their buds cure longer and let the THC break down if they want more CBN.

Terpenes 

When combining strains, concentrate on the terpenes for two reasons: flavor and effect. A more varied range of flavors is produced by strains with different terpene profiles. Blending cultivars should take this into account as terpenes also control the high.

Tangy and zesty citrus flavors are shared by limonene and linalool, which together will amp up the fruitiness of any mixture. The earthy, deep tones of humulene and pinene complement one another and provide a refreshing forest walk experience. Another great combination of terpenes is caryophyllene and myrcene, which are both peppery and spicy, making them ideal for savory edibles.

Indica and Sativa

It’s common knowledge that sativa plants produce an energizing head high, while indica plants are more physically and stoned.

But developments in cannabis science have revealed that the situation is more complex than this. Actually, scientists propose that instead of classifying cannabis plants as cultivars (cultivated varieties), we should group them based on their chemovars (chemical varieties).

This is a sensible move given that environmental influences and phenotypic variation can cause significant variations in the chemical composition of the same strain. The attributes of particular specimens could be identified with the aid of this new system.

The morphologies of indica and sativa strains do vary, though. Thick-fingered leaves are produced by bushy indica strains. In contrast, sativa strains grow tall and lean, with leaves that have thin fingers.

There is evidence to suggest that indica and sativa cultivars may occasionally have higher concentrations of specific terpenes, even in spite of the science’s shifting conclusions. By experimenting with different strain combinations, you can effectively counterbalance the stimulating or stoning effects of each one.

Is Mixing Cannabis Strains Worth Trying?

Of course! What stands to lose for you? Undoubtedly, experimenting until you find the ideal combination will take some time. However, the journey will be well worth it if you find the right partner. Tell us your favorite combination of strains!