I’ve struggled with joint pain for the last several years. After reading about how cannabis can prove helpful in relieving all different types of pain, I started looking for strains to target my specific needs. As a newcomer to cannabis, it was a bit of a challenge to sort through the huge selection offered at the dispensary. I first needed to educate myself on the different types of cannabis that are available. I noticed that the products were typically categorized as sativa, indica or hybrid. A little online reading taught me that sativas are known for more of a “head high,” and tend to provide energizing and invigorating effects. They are often used to reduce stress or anxiety and boost creativity and focus. Sativas are a great choice to get motivated, improve mode and help with social settings. They normally offer very high THC percentages and lower CBD. Sativa strains aren’t the best option for joint pain relief. Indicas are associated with full-body effects and are blamed for “couch lock.” They provide deep relaxation and are great for getting a good night’s sleep. They are used for reducing anxiety, soothing an overactive mind and slowing down to better enjoy life. Indicas are also the best option for treating pain and inflammation. There are a wide variety of indica strains and not all of them are suited for joint pain relief. Indicas are typically high in CBD content and include anything from high to low THC percentages. I look for a higher CBD to THC ratio and utilize a combination of topicals, tinctures and edibles. I like that the topicals are applied directly and cause no psychoactive effects. The tinctures offer very easy dosing and quick onset of effects while edibles provide more intensive, longer-lasting and delayed effects.