Types of Weed: Indica, Sativa, Hybrid, Grow Types and Formats

By Green Vault Editorial Team · Published 2026-09-30

Quick Answer

The main types of weed are indica, sativa and hybrid, which describe the plant. Weed is also grouped by how it was grown (outdoor, greenhouse or indoor) and by format: flower, pre-rolls, vapes, gummies and THC drinks. Green Vault sells all five formats to adult members, with delivery across South Africa, usually in 1 to 3 working days in Gauteng.

The main types of weed are sorted in three ways: by plant type (indica, sativa and hybrid), by how the plant was grown (outdoor, greenhouse or indoor) and by the format you buy it in (flower, pre-rolls, vapes, gummies or THC drinks). Knowing all three makes it much easier to choose. You can see every format Green Vault stocks in the store, starting with our flower collection.

What are the main types of weed?

There are three main plant types of weed: indica, sativa and hybrid. That is the label you see next to most strain names. On top of that, weed is described by where it was grown and by the product format, so a single product might be a hybrid, greenhouse-grown, sold as a pre-roll.

Way of sorting	The types	What it tells you
Plant type	Indica, sativa, hybrid	The plant's family background and how people tend to describe the experience
Growing environment	Outdoor, greenhouse, indoor	How much control the grower had over light, climate and pests
Product format	Flower, pre-rolls, vapes, gummies, THC drinks	How you use it, how quickly you feel it and how long it lasts
Strain name	For example LA Cheese, Tangie Bomb, Jack Herer	A specific variety with its own aroma and character

The rest of this guide walks through each of these, with the products we carry in each format.

What is the difference between indica, sativa and hybrid?

Indica, sativa and hybrid are the three plant types. Sativa strains are usually described as uplifting and are often chosen for the daytime, indica strains are usually described as relaxing and body-heavy and are often chosen for the evening, and hybrids are crosses that sit somewhere in between.

	Sativa	Indica	Hybrid
Plant shape	Tall, thin leaves	Short, bushy, broad leaves	A mix, depending on parents
How people often describe it	Uplifting, energetic, head-focused	Relaxed, calm, body-focused	Depends on which side it leans to
When people often choose it	Daytime, social	Evening, at home	Any time, depending on the strain
How common	Less common in pure form	Less common in pure form	Most strains sold today

These labels are a rough guide, not a promise. Research on thousands of commercial samples has found that the indica and sativa labels do not reliably match what is in the plant, and that THC strength and aroma compounds called terpenes shape the experience at least as much. For the full comparison, including what sativa is and how to pick between them, read our sativa vs indica vs hybrid guide.

Each product page at Green Vault shows whether a strain is listed as indica, sativa or hybrid, along with its strength from our product data.

Flower.

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What is greenhouse, indoor and outdoor weed?

Greenhouse, indoor and outdoor describe where the cannabis plant was grown. Outdoor weed grows in open fields under natural sun, indoor weed grows in a closed room under grow lights, and greenhouse weed grows under a covered structure that uses sunlight but gives the grower some control over temperature, rain and pests.

	Outdoor	Greenhouse	Indoor
Light	Natural sun	Natural sun, sometimes with extra lights	Artificial grow lights
Climate control	None, depends on the season	Partial	Full
Harvests per year	Usually one	Can be more than one	Several
How the buds often look	Larger, looser, can vary more	In between	Often dense and uniform
Running cost for the grower	Low	Medium	High, mostly electricity

None of these is automatically better. A well-run greenhouse or outdoor grow can produce excellent flower, and a badly run indoor room can produce poor flower. What matters most is the genetics, how carefully the plants are looked after, and how the buds are dried and cured after harvest.

When you compare flower, it is more useful to look at the strain, the strength listed on the product page, and how fresh and well cured the buds are, than to judge on growing method alone.

Green Vault grows its own cannabis on its own farms. Our flower and pre-rolls are organically grown, and because they go from farm to your door with no middleman, the saving is passed on in a fair, farm-direct price. You can read more on our farms page.

What formats can you buy weed in?

The five formats most people choose from are flower, pre-rolls, THC vapes, gummies and THC drinks. They differ in how you use them, how fast you feel them and how easy they are to measure.

Format	How you use it	How quickly it is usually felt	Good to know	Where to shop
Flower	Grind and roll, or use a pipe or dry-herb vaporiser	Within minutes when inhaled	Most choice of strains; sold by the gram	Flower
Pre-rolls	Ready-rolled joint, just light it	Within minutes	No rolling needed; easy to share at home	Pre-rolls
THC vapes	Disposable pen, draw to use	Within minutes	No smoke or smell of burning; easy to take small puffs	Vapes
Gummies	Eat	Often 30 minutes to 2 hours	Measured strength per gummy; effects last longer	Gummies
THC drinks	Drink	Usually slower than inhaling	Measured strength per can or bottle; sip slowly	Drinks

The timings above are general and vary from person to person. With anything you eat or drink, wait before having more.

Flower and pre-rolls

Flower is the dried bud of the cannabis plant and is the most traditional type of weed. You choose the strain and the amount, then roll it or use it in a pipe or dry-herb vaporiser. Pre-rolls are the same flower already rolled into a joint, so they suit people who do not want to roll their own. Green Vault's pre-rolls are king size at 1.2g each. Both are grown on our own farms.

Pre-rolls.

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THC vapes

A THC vape is a battery-powered pen that heats cannabis oil into a vapour. Green Vault sells disposable THC vape pens, which come pre-filled and ready to use, and Bhang Bar 2g Liquid Diamond disposable vapes in several flavours. A vape is not the same as a dab pen, which is loaded with concentrates such as wax. Our guide to what a dab pen is explains the difference.

THC vapes.

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Gummies and THC drinks

Gummies and THC drinks are edibles: you swallow them rather than inhale them. Because they go through your digestion, they take longer to feel and last longer, which is why starting with a small amount and waiting matters. Green Vault stocks Peach THC gummies in several strengths, Soda Fuze THC sodas and Zativa THC drinks, including a 0% alcohol mocktail. See all of them on our edibles page.

Gummies.

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THC drinks.

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Which type of weed is best for beginners?

There is no single best type of weed for beginners, but most first-timers do better with a lower-strength product they can take in small amounts. A disposable vape lets you take one small puff and wait. A lower-strength gummy has a measured amount of THC, as long as you give it time before having more.

A few general tips:

Check the strength. Each Green Vault product page lists the THC strength from our product data. Lower is easier to manage at first.
Start small and wait. Wait 10 to 15 minutes after inhaling and up to 2 hours after an edible before having more.
Choose a relaxed setting. Be at home, somewhere comfortable, with nothing you need to do later.
Do not mix with alcohol. It makes the effects harder to predict.
Do not drive. Not after inhaling and not after an edible.

What types of weed does Green Vault not sell?

Green Vault does not sell CBD products, dab pens, concentrates such as wax or shatter, cannabis oils, cookies or chocolates. What we do sell is flower, pre-rolls, disposable THC vapes, Bhang Bar vapes, THC gummies and THC drinks, all for adults 18 and over who have registered as members.

Orders placed before 2pm are dispatched the same day and are usually delivered in 1 to 3 working days, to your door or a Courier Guy PUDO locker. We cover Johannesburg and Gauteng, and the rest of South Africa by courier. To start, register for free and confirm you are 18 or older, then browse the store.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the 3 main types of weed?

Indica, sativa and hybrid. Sativa is usually described as uplifting, indica as relaxing, and hybrids are crosses of the two. Most strains sold today are hybrids.

Is greenhouse weed better than indoor weed?

Not automatically. Indoor growers control light and climate completely, while greenhouse growers use sunlight with some control. Good genetics, careful growing and proper drying and curing matter more than the growing method alone.

What type of weed is best for beginners?

A lower-strength product taken in small amounts. A disposable vape lets you take one puff and wait, and a lower-strength gummy has a measured dose. Wait up to 2 hours before having more of an edible.

What types of weed does Green Vault sell?

Flower and king-size pre-rolls grown on our own farms, disposable THC vape pens, Bhang Bar 2g vapes, Peach THC gummies, and Soda Fuze and Zativa THC drinks. We do not sell CBD, dab pens or concentrates.

What is the difference between weed flower and pre-rolls?

Flower is loose dried bud that you roll or put in a pipe yourself. A pre-roll is the same flower already rolled into a joint, ready to light.

Shop Green Vault

Craft-grown flower and pre-rolls from our own farm, plus THC vapes, gummies and drinks, with delivery in 1 to 3 working days across Johannesburg and South Africa. Adults 18+.

Cannabis flower · THC vapes · Weed gummies · THC drinks · Pre-rolls · Full store

This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical or legal advice. Cannabis regulations change; verify current South African law before purchasing. Adults 18+ only.