What a 2021 genetics study found about indica and sativa labels
The study behind that answer is a 2021 paper in Nature Plants. The researchers took over 100 cannabis samples quantified for terpene and cannabinoid content and genotyped them for over 100,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms, which are single-letter differences in DNA. Across all of that DNA, the samples sold as indica and the samples sold as sativa did not separate into two groups. You can read the whole paper free on PubMed Central, which archives the Nature Plants study.
Why the labels still appear on menus and packages
The paper's authors explain what the words are used for. The labels are routinely assigned by breeders, retailers and users to describe a cultivar's morphology, its aromas, its psychoactive effects or some mix of the three. So one tag can point at how the plant grew, how it smells or how someone said it felt, and the tag alone does not say which.
Terpene names get used the same way. A 2023 study in ACS Omega says terpenes such as myrcene, limonene, caryophyllene and terpinolene are found in greatest amounts and are used in labeling schemes, according to the full text of the ACS Omega study on PubMed Central. Our guide to cannabis terpenes covers what those compounds are, and the cannabis glossary explains any other word on a package you have not seen before.
Hybrid is the third label you will see, and a separate study looked at it directly. A 2022 study in PLOS ONE says commercial cannabis products are routinely labelled Indica, Hybrid or Sativa. When those researchers compared THC-dominant samples, they found the ones labelled Indica, Hybrid and Sativa were highly intermingled, with no obvious segregation by label. So in that study a hybrid tag did not mark a group of its own, and neither did the other two. Use any of the three tags to cut a long menu down to a few products, then read what is printed on each one before you choose. When you are ready to compare, start in the flower aisle on our site and order ahead for in-store pickup.
Questions shoppers ask about indica and sativa
Is indica or sativa stronger?
Neither label measures strength. Connecticut's Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) sets potency ceilings by product type, not by label. Under limits effective October 1, 2026, DCP lists adult-use flower at up to 35% and other adult-use products, including edibles, pre-rolls and topicals, at up to 70%, per its potency thresholds page. The format sets the legal limit, and the THC number on the product tells you where that product sits under it.
Can you tell indica from sativa by smell?
Not reliably. The genetics study tied the labels to a small number of terpenes, but the ACS Omega authors say their importance in producing specific aromas is not well understood. Their study also found terpene expression remained remarkably similar across varieties with divergent aromas, so two varieties can smell quite different and still carry a similar terpene makeup. Smell is worth noticing on flower, just not as proof of a label.
Are indica and sativa different species?
Not in the way menus use the words. The study's authors say the everyday labels Sativa and Indica are not the same as the botanical names for the plant, so a sativa tag on a menu is a naming habit, not a species ID.
What to read on a package besides the label
Connecticut packaging carries more dependable information than the indica, sativa or hybrid word. Before you buy, look for these:
- Two symbols issued by DCP: one showing the package contains THC, and a symbol that it is not safe or legal for people under twenty-one. Each must be unobscured and not less than one-half inch by one-half inch, so they are easy to spot.
- The high-potency warning. Any concentrate above thirty percent total THC must carry the warning: This is a high-potency cannabis product and may increase the risk of psychosis.
- The package itself, which DCP says must be child-safe, tamper-resistant and light-resistant.
- THC and terpene figures, where the menu lists them. Our Derby and Hartford live menus list a THC value for every flower product and terpene values for nearly all of them. We keep the numbers off this page because they change often, so check the live menu for the product in front of you.
Compare tagged products, then pick up in Derby or Hartford
You can look over the products on the live menu, then pick up in person. Online ordering is open 24/7, and we offer online ordering with in-store pickup at the Derby store and the Hartford store. Open the Derby live menu or the Hartford live menu and read the THC and terpene numbers where the menu lists them before you check out.
If two products still look alike on paper, ask us when you pick up, or call us at 860-420-BUDS (2837) before you order.