Leafly’s top-rated indica strains of 2023

'Indica' is one of three types of weed strains in the legacy pot classification system. An aging, imperfect system? Yes. But most dispensaries offer indica strains as the sleepy counterpoint to sativa strains, which users report as more energetic. Budtenders pitch indica strains as offering relaxation, hunger, and body effects, compared to other cultivars that reviewers say help them focus, lift the blues, or suppress appetite. Many patients also state in Leafly reviews that they use indica strains to help them manage symptoms like pain, inflammation, muscle spasms, nausea, and other body issues. Indica strain users also report managing nervous disorders like stress and anxiety. Many modern and popular indica strains are mixes of indica and sativa parents found in the wild. In other words, it's very hard to find pure indica strains. In fact, indica strains comprise the second smallest segment of the Leafly database. Leafly lists 870 indica strains, 548 sativa strains, and 3,800 hybrid strains.

It can take more than one try to find the indicas you love. But here are some super-popular, strong indica strains to check out and see if the effect fits your needs.

Updated January 2023

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Frequently asked questions

What are the best indica strains?

How do you define the best indica strain? According to Leafly reviewers, it boils down to ten indica strains, old and new, that Leafly reviewers love for how sleepy it makes them feel. You'll note "kush" and "purple" in many indica strain names, which refer to their lineages like Humboldt Purple or Kushes from the Hindu Kush region of Asia.

Alien Bubba: Alien Bubba fans swear by this cross of Alien Kush and Bubba Kush, which can abduct you just as hard as the parents. Its tea, earthy and nutty taste is vintage, too.
Blackberry Cream: Exotic Genetix's Blackberry Cream has been putting fans in a dessert coma since at least 2016. They rave for this cross of Blackberry Kush and Cookies and Cream.
Blue Knight: Shocker, the strain with Blueberry and Kryptonite makes reviewers go lights-out, nighty-night. It's an older genetic, but it checks out.
Blue Zkittlez: Zkittlez on its own gets tagged an indica strain, but Blue Zkittlez pushes the sleepy effect even harder. Thanks to the candy aisle terpenes from the Z, BZ might be the tastiest of the bunch.
Cement Shoes: Cement Shoes encase your feet in rock and toss you into the ocean to sleep with the fishes. Animal Cookies, OGKB, and Wet Dream all lend genes for THC to this crusher.
Death Bubba: Fluff your pillow whenever you see "Bubba" in the name. Fill out your will when they add "Death" to the title. Death Star x Bubba Kush have been smashing insomnia for the better part of a decade now.
El Chapo OG: Lots of OG Kush crosses hit like a truck and sit you down. Chapo OG backs up its intimidating name with effects that insist you take a nap.
Face-Off OG: Usually, Face-Off OG pops up in crosses, but if you can get at this original type of OG Kush, it should live up to its face-ripping reputation. Archive Seed Bank breeder "Fletch" popularized this strain via Dosidos.
Forbidden Fruit: Weirdly, this Bay Area cross of GDP x Tangie gets listed as an indica strain. Tangie is more of a sativa-dominant hybrid strain, but together they lean toward the GDP effect with gobs of THC and the terpene myrcene driving the relaxing effects. Forbidden Fruit is the friendliest indica strain of the bunch.
Purple Hindu Kush: Take the famous Hindu Kush and throw some more purple at it and boom—a forever strain. PHK has some of the oldest reviews in Leafly, and some of the newest. Get all prepped for a weed nap and explore the Kush.

What are the most popular indica strains right now?

That relaxed, calming effect indica strains provide is very close to what cannabis consumers crave the most. Consequently, cannabis strains that lean hard to the sleepy side are more popular than their counterparts. While some indica strains get higher ratings for their sleepy effects, different indicas prove more popular for a variety of reasons. These 10 most popular indica strains captivate the culture partially for how they make consumers feel and how they smell, look, and grow.

BernieHanaButter: Get ultra-modern with your indica strain love with Cookies' current favorite, BernieHanaButter, available in multiple states. Expect lots of GSC effects that hit strong and sedative.
Bubba Kush: The beginning of the OG Kush era launched with the indica strain Bubba Kush, popularized by Matt' Bubba' Berger in the '90s in L.A. Pungent, earthy, and calming—patients trust the Bubba with their stress, pain, and insomnia issues.
Donny Burger: Donny Burger carries the flag for the GMO Cookies movement in 2022. It's GMO crossed with Han Solo, which ultimately involves more GMO. The cheesy, ammonia, diesel funk of Donny Burger and the aroused, giggly, sleepy effects keep adding fans. Users find GMO more relaxing than Donny Burger, even though GMO gets listed as a hybrid strain.
Grand Daddy Purple: This Northern California classic can look purple, taste like sweet grape flavor, and bring on hunger and chillaxation. It's hard to find the real GDP strain in '22, but the flavor profile abounds in carts. Alien Labs' new Y2K seeks to reproduce the GDP of the 2000s.
Ice Cream Cake: Wedding Cake and Gelato #33 form one of America's leading indica-listed strains, Ice cream Cake. The sweet, vanilla, and butter notes help patients reduce anxiety and stress, according to reviews on Leafly.
Master Kush: Your journey through indica strains must include so-called 'Kushes' like Master Kush and Hindu Kush. They sport the dense, dark look, hashy smell, and couchlock effect of the real thing from the foothills of the Himalayas.
Northern Lights: In the beginning, there was Northern Lights—an elemental cross of 'Ghani and Thai from Europe that endures to this day. This indica strain is good for stress, anxiety, or pain, Leafly reviewers report.
Purple Octane: Ready to taste the indica strain of tomorrow? Seed Junky Genetics further refines GSC genes in Purple Octane, which combines (Biscotti x Sherb BX1) x (Jealousy F2). It's purple. It's grapey. It's gassy. And it'll pin you to your seat.
Purple Punch: You'll find Purple Punch in everything in the 2020s. It grows great, looks great, and yields versatile, approachable tastes and effects. Grape, berry, and blueberry flavors come from GDP crossed to the gas of Larry OG.
Romulan: Ancient, alien-green Romulan still rocks consumers as an old-school indica strain with a piney scent and sleepy, hungry, and tingly effects. Reviewers love it for stress, pain, and insomnia.

How will an indica strain effect you?

While indica strains effect everyone differently, the most common feelings associated with indica-dominant strains are relaxation, sedation, and sometimes hunger. When smoking an indica strain, it is important to monitor your dosage, as smoking too much may cause intense drowsiness.

Are indica strains an upper or a downer?

They don’t call it ‘in da couch’ for nothing. Leafly reviewers strongly report that indica strains make them relaxed, as well as sleepy, happy, and hungry. They also report using the cultivars for stress, pain, insomnia, as well as anxiety.

Is there a ‘best’ indica strain?

While many people have their own personal favorite indica strain, there is no universally accepted ‘best’ indica strain. While some strains are more potent in THC than others, many prefer less potent strains to avoid the drowsy effects that indica strains are known for. Among the strongest indica-dominant strains are Ice Cream Cake, Brownie Scout, and Slurricane.

What are indica strains used to treat? Can they help with inflammation?

It is unclear whether or not indica strains can be used to help with inflammation. Medical marijuana patients tell Leafly they often use indica strains in the hope of relieving mild symptoms like inflammation, although more scientific research is needed on this topic.