What Are Cannabis Terpenes? Why Do They Matter?
October 11, 2019
If you’ve ever walked around the Venice Beach Skatepark, you’ve smelled cannabis terpenes. These aromatic oils are secreted from the same glands that produce cannabinoids like CBD and THC, determining whether the strain will have a citrus, skunk-like, piny, or another sort of fragrance altogether. In fact, it’s speculated that terpenes may affect more than the smell, giving users various boosts to focus, relaxation, and happiness. With food, taste and smell bleed into each other. Cannabis functions similarly, and the senses may also play a role in the effects.
Before cultivation, the development of terpenes was part of the plants evolutionary process for repelling pests and attracting pollinators. An expert beekeeper would tell you that the precise combination of plants the bees have pollinated leads to the particular flavor profile. But it goes further than that — the conditions of the plants themselves contribute to the precise notes of the honey like the notes of a fine wine. Cannabis terpenes are influenced by the same factors, including age and maturation, fertilizers, weather, climate, soil type, and the time of day the plant is trimmed.
Cannabis terpenes come in over one hundred varieties. Every plant has a unique combination of terpenes, which are then passed onto their offspring, hence why many strains have names based on their easily recognizable smell.
According to Leafly, the terpene myrcene is found in a number of relaxing cannabis strains like Blue Dream and Granddaddy Purple. Strains like Ghost Train Haze and Jack Herer boast terpinolene, a terpene associated with euphoria and being generally upbeat. Leafly also explains that the effects of a terpene can vary based on the other compounds present, a phenomenon known as the entourage effect.
The essential oils of the cannabis plant are likely to continue to grow in popularity and reputation. Many cannabis terpenes are present in other plants like pinene (found in conifer trees) and linalool (found in lavender). As essential oils, these compounds are known for their anti-inflammatory and sleep-inducing properties. Their effect is no different when sourced from the cannabis plant.
Terpenes appear to be the next successor to CBD in the cannabis craze. At her baby shower, Kim Kardashian spotlighted one such terpene company that produces make-up, lotion, candles, and other goods. One by one, cannabis terpenes are making their way into cocktails to enhance the flavor profiles and give bartenders a whole new element to work with. Over the next few years terpenes will take over the mainstream, perhaps even overtaking CBD as the hot topic in the cannabis industry.