A hybrid is a cross of two or more cannabis strains, bred for specific characteristics. Because a hybrid mixes plant types, neither its look nor its effects can be generalized: each one depends on its parents. That is exactly why the cannabinoids and terpenes on the label tell you more than the word hybrid.

What Hybrid Means

Cannabis is usually sorted into three plant types: Cannabis indica, Cannabis sativa and, less commonly, Cannabis ruderalis. Hybrids are a mix of two or more strains (or cultivars), bred for specific characteristics; there are now hundreds of strains on the market.

The appearance of a hybrid plant cannot be generalized, because it depends on which varieties were cross-pollinated. Ruderalis, short and rugged with an autoflowering habit, is used mostly by breeders to enhance their hybrids.

What a Hybrid Will Feel Like

Indica is thought of as calming and sativa as energizing, and because hybrids are a mix of the two, the Ontario Cannabis Store says it is not possible to generalize about their effects. It goes further for every type: as hybrid breeding and research develop, the indica and sativa classification is becoming less relevant or helpful, and plant type may not be the most reliable indicator of potential effects.

How to Read a Hybrid

Its cannabinoid profile. How much THC and CBD it holds, plus any minor cannabinoids such as CBG or CBN, whose role needs more study.

Its terpenes. These give each strain its aroma and taste, and research suggests individual terpenes may play a large role in potential effects. The five most common are beta-caryophyllene, limonene, myrcene, pinene and linalool. The "entourage effect", where terpenes and cannabinoids are thought to work together, is still a theory.

How you will take it. Consumption method and the amount consumed change the experience.

You. Genetics, tolerance and other individual factors play a part. Keeping a log of what you try and how it felt is the most reliable guide.