A survey of 455 medical cannabis patients found strain preferences were highly dispensary-specific, with many using sativa by day and indica at night | Research

The takeaway

A survey of 455 medical cannabis patients in New England found 1,987 strains listed in online databases, with patient preferences highly state/dispensary-specific, and many patients reporting a time-dependent pattern of sativa during the day and indica at night for sleep.

Medical cannabis patients and dispensary staff; cannabis researchers studying strain effects; regulators considering product standardization.

1,987 strains available but preferences driven by dispensary, not condition-specific evidence

What the researchers found

Researchers conducted two studies to understand cannabis strain preferences among medical patients.

Study I catalogued strains from the online database Leafly.com, finding 1,987 strains listed. Hybrids were significantly more likely than Cannabis indica strains to have gustatory (taste-related) names.

Study II surveyed 455 medical cannabis patients from New England about strain preferences.

Strain preferences were highly state and dispensary-specific. For example, 21.5% of Maine patients preferred Mother of Berries (M.O.B.).

Many respondents reported developing time-dependent patterns: sativa strains during the day (for energy/focus) and indica strains at night (for sleep).

Hybrid and indica strains were most common across dispensaries.

The authors called for longitudinal and controlled investigations to determine which strains are most effective for specific conditions.

Why it matters

The vast number of strains (1,987) with minimal standardization means patients are essentially navigating an unregulated product landscape. The finding that preferences are dispensary-specific rather than condition-specific suggests strain selection may be driven more by availability than by evidence.

The numbers in context

1,987 strains catalogued. 455 patients surveyed. 21.5% of Maine patients preferred M.O.B. Many patients used sativa by day, indica by night.

How the study worked

Study I: cataloguing of Leafly.com strain database. Study II: anonymous online survey of 455 medical cannabis patients in New England. Descriptive analysis of strain preferences by state and dispensary.

What this study cannot tell us

Self-selected online survey. New England-specific sample. Strain names are not standardized across dispensaries. The indica/sativa classification has limited scientific basis. No objective measures of strain effects.

How to read the evidence

Preliminary. Descriptive survey providing useful landscape data but no controlled comparison of strain effects.

When this study was published

Published in 2018. The strain landscape has continued to expand, and calls for chemotype-based rather than strain-name-based selection have grown.

The bigger picture

The indica/sativa distinction is scientifically questionable (chemical profiles do not reliably map to these categories), yet patients organize their use around it. The time-dependent pattern suggests patients are self-titrating for different symptom profiles throughout the day.

Questions still open

Are patient-reported strain preferences driven by pharmacology, expectation, or availability? Would chemotype-based selection (by cannabinoid/terpene profile) be more effective than strain-name-based selection? Can the day/night pattern be optimized with specific chemical profiles?

Common questions

Is there really a difference between indica and sativa?

The traditional classification suggests indica is sedating and sativa is energizing. However, chemical analyses show that cannabinoid and terpene profiles do not reliably correspond to these categories. Patient experiences may be shaped by expectation as much as pharmacology. Researchers increasingly advocate for chemotype-based classification instead.

How do patients choose which strain to use?

This study found preferences were highly dispensary-specific, suggesting availability drives selection more than evidence. Many patients developed personal routines (sativa/day, indica/night) through trial and error rather than medical guidance.

Read the original research

Mother of Berries, ACDC, or Chocolope: Examination of the Strains Used by Medical Cannabis Patients in New England.

Journal of psychoactive drugs, 50(2), 95-104

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Piper, Brian J. (2018). Mother of Berries, ACDC, or Chocolope: Examination of the Strains Used by Medical Cannabis Patients in New England.. Journal of psychoactive drugs, 50(2), 95-104. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2017.1390179