There’s a reason you may find yourself sticking your nose into a container of recently purchased cannabis and breathing deep.
Those tasty aromas wafting off a freshly cured cannabis flower may smell like sweet blueberries, fresh pine trees, funky cheese, or many other delightful combinations. The experience is second only to smoking or vaping it.
The distinct smell of each strain is caused by a combination of the cannabis flower’s terpenes, which also have a direct effect on the mental and physical experience you’ll have after consuming the plant.
Given how different each strain can be, it’s beneficial for every cannabis consumer to know the basics of terpenes before they make their choice. It can help direct your cannabis experience for the best results.
Terpenes are essential oils that exist in all kinds of plants. They’re what wafts off of pine needles, giving them their woodsy, piney smell, oranges their citrusy smell, and lavender its sweet, fresh fragrance.
In cannabis, terpenes are made along with cannabinoids such as CBD and THC inside the plant’s trichomes. Trichomes are the mushroom-shaped, crystalline hairs covering the leaves and buds of the cannabis plant.
Researchers have identified over 100 individual terpenes in the cannabis plant, each with their own specific effects on a cannabis consumer’s brain and body.
The particular flavor and scent of a cannabis strain are determined by its terpene profile, which also directly correlates how each strain will affect a consumer.
Some terpenes, such as ones with a floral, citrusy taste, can enhance relaxation and stress relief. Others that have a more piney, woodsy taste may boost energy or improve concentration.
The physical or mental effects of any one terpene can be altered by the presence of other terpenes or cannabinoids in what is known as the “entourage effect.”
While this can make it difficult to predict exactly what effect a specific cannabis strain may have on the person consuming it, understanding the different terpenes and their benefits provides a good general idea of how each strain may affect you.
While there are over 100 terpenes identified in cannabis so far, there are 6 common ones whose effects are best understood.
Each cannabis consumer’s interaction with terpenes and cannabinoids can result in a different effect and there is a lot of research yet to be done. However, the following terpenes and their effects are the most widely experienced.
The full effects of terpenes are still being researched by scientists, so your best bet is to start with the terpenes that smell best to you or seem to have the most desirable effects on paper and go from there.
When choosing a strain based on terpenes, it can be helpful to look over the lab testing results. These should list the terpene percentages in each strain.
Keep in mind that terpene profiles can sometimes vary widely from harvest to harvest due to differences in the cultivation techniques and environment.
Familiarity with terpene profiles will also help you find an alternate strain when your favorite strain isn’t available.
Budtenders are usually a great resource for this, since they may have either sampled the strain themselves or will have gotten feedback from customers who have.
If all else fails, you can always follow your nose. If a strain smells good to you, that may be nature’s way of telling you that you’ve found your match.
– This article was originally posted at Green Flower
About HempWire
HempWire (HW) is an information service that provides (1) access to our news aggregation and syndication servers, (2) HempNewsBreaks that summarize corporate news and information, (3) enhanced press release services, (4) social media distribution and optimization services, and (5) a full array of corporate communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and content distribution company with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, HW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. HW has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, HW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. HW is where news, content and information converge.
To receive instant SMS alerts, text HEMPWIRE to 21000 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)
For more information please visit https://www.hempwire.com
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the HempWire website applicable to all content provided by HW, wherever published or re-published: https://www.hempwire.com/disclaimer/
Do you have a questions or are you interested in working with HW? Ask our Editor
HempWire (HW)
Denver, Colorado
www.hempwire.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@HempWire.net
This article contains Third-Party Content submitted by third parties, including articles submitted through the HW Premium Partnership Program. All opinions, statements and representations expressed by such third parties are theirs alone and do not express or represent the views and opinions of HW or its affiliates and owners. Content created by third parties is the sole responsibility of such third parties, and HW does not endorse, guarantee or make representations concerning the accuracy and completeness of all third-party content. You acknowledge that by HW providing you with this internet portal that makes accessible to you the ability to view third-party content through the HW site, HW does not undertake any obligation to you as a reader of such content or assume any liability relating to such third-party content. HW expressly disclaims liability relating to such third-party content. HW and its members, affiliates, successors, assigns, officers, directors, and partners assume no responsibility or liability that may arise from the third-party content, including, but not limited to, responsibility or liability for claims for defamation, libel, slander, infringement, invasion of privacy and publicity rights, fraud, or misrepresentation, or an private right of action under the federal securities laws of the United States or common law. Notwithstanding the foregoing, HW reserves the right to remove third-party content at any time in its sole discretion.
Legislators in states across the country are working towards strictly regulating and/or banning intoxicating hemp…
A proposal introduced by Sen. Colleen Burton that would ban delta-8 THC hemp products is…
California recently extended a ban on intoxicating hemp products with THC that was set to…
A new poll has determined that frequent consumers of marijuana like using delivery platforms to…
The demand for plant-based proteins has increased in the last couple of years as consumer…
The CBD market in the United Kingdom has grown since the compound’s extracts were designated…