Editing Cannabis (section)

===Popular usage===
{{hatnote|Popular terms are discerned from scientific taxonomy by the lack of italics, use of quotes and uppercasing.}}
The scientific debate regarding taxonomy has had little effect on the terminology in widespread use among cultivators and users of drug-type ''Cannabis''. ''Cannabis'' aficionados recognize three distinct types based on such factors as morphology, [[Range (biology)|native range]], aroma, and subjective psychoactive characteristics. "Sativa" is the most widespread variety, which is usually tall, laxly branched, and found in warm lowland regions. "Indica" designates shorter, bushier plants adapted to cooler climates and highland environments. "Ruderalis" is the informal name for the short plants that grow wild in Europe and Central Asia.<ref name="pmid30426073"/>

Mapping the morphological concepts to scientific names in the Small 1976 framework, "Sativa" generally refers to ''C.&nbsp;sativa'' subsp. ''indica'' var. ''indica'', "Indica" generally refers to ''C.&nbsp;sativa'' subsp. ''i.'' ''kafiristanica'' (also known as ''afghanica''), and "Ruderalis", being lower in THC, is the one that can fall into ''C.&nbsp;sativa'' subsp. ''sativa''. The three names fit in Schultes's framework better, if one overlooks its inconsistencies with prior work.<ref name="pmid30426073">{{cite journal | vauthors = McPartland JM | title = ''Cannabis'' Systematics at the Levels of Family, Genus, and Species | journal = Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research | volume = 3 | issue = 1 | pages = 203–212 | date = 2018 | pmid = 30426073 | pmc = 6225593 | doi = 10.1089/can.2018.0039 }}</ref> Definitions of the three terms using factors other than morphology produces different, often conflicting results.

Breeders, seed companies, and cultivators of drug type ''Cannabis'' often describe the ancestry or gross [[phenotype|phenotypic]] characteristics of [[cultivar]]s by categorizing them as "pure indica", "mostly indica", "indica/sativa", "mostly sativa", or "pure sativa". These categories are highly arbitrary, however: one "AK-47" hybrid strain has received both "Best Sativa" and "Best Indica" awards.<ref name="pmid30426073"/>