Each cannabis strain has its aroma, just like wine and cigars. While others might make you scratch your nose, some are energizing. They are a class of chemical substances that produce scents that prick your nose hairs.

This article explains what they are, which ones are present in retail cannabis strains most frequently, and how to utilize a chart to discover cultivars that will be more likely to produce the effects you seek.

What are terpenes?

The trichomes on the buds contain a terpene, which is quickly lost throughout the drying and curing processes. It may also be lost during the nugs’ processing.

It can be extracted from the cannabis plant using a variety of techniques. When the plant is completely depleted, including its terpene, distillate is created, leaving only the THC. A fresh frozen flower is used to obtain live resin concentrations, which keeps them intact before extracting any oil. The terpene and cannabinoid content of the original cultivar is fully preserved by solventless extractions.

Plants get their flavour, aroma, and appearance from it that are produced in unique combinations. They are another way a plant defends itself against predators or attracts pollinating insects.

They are prized for their medicinal and medical uses. In the form of spices, teas, and flavoured oils, we ingest them daily. Two of these are the spices thyme and curcumin. Indian food adores spice curcumin. Even though it has a wide range of therapeutic benefits, its reputation is largely based on its ability to reduce inflammation and relieve pain. Thyme is another typical spice we utilize in our cooking. It has both therapeutic antifungal and antibacterial properties.

We frequently drink green, Rooibos, and ginger teas for their therapeutic benefits. They are known for their calming, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory qualities which are included in these teas. They come in a vast diversity and are also present in marijuana. They are found in cannabis and are similar to the more well-known THC and CBD molecules. Similar to these basic chemicals, it exhibits a range of therapeutic properties, such as analgesic, anti-anxiety, and anti-inflammatory properties.

There is still much to learn about how it affects the body, particularly concerning cannabis. They are thought to interact closely with the other chemicals in the cannabis plant to produce its effects (cannabinoids and flavonoids). Users who utilize these strains will have a distinctive psychedelic experience known as the entourage effect, thanks to this synchrony.

They are compounds that can be separated and employed in products like insecticides, dyes, and cleaning solvents (Pinesol cleaner contains pinene terpene). To aid create the intended effect, they can also be separated into particular cannabis products like edibles.

They are not specific to or only found in cannabis. However, for people who don’t use cannabis, some of the most well-liked are:

Thymol – is present in blueberries, mangoes, and gruyere cheese, as well as other herbs and cheeses. It smells soft and delicious. Both culinary and antibacterial3 uses employ it.

Borneol – an essential oil with anti-inflammatory and anti-anxiety characteristics that is present in over 250 essential oils, including cinnamon.

Sabine – is a warm, spicy substance that is present in turmeric. According to specific research, it might help increase immunity and battle bacterial infections.

How Trees, Plants, Animals, and Insects Utilize Natural Terpenes!

Significant components of biosynthetic synthesis are terpene. For instance, triterpene squalene is a source of derivatives such as steroids.

Terpene and terpenoids are the main components of many different kinds of plants and flowers’ essential oils. They both play a crucial role as ecological interaction mediators in plants. They aid in recruiting mutualists like pollinators, disease resistance, plant defence against herbivory, and perhaps even plant-to-plant communication. In addition, they appear to function as wound healers and antifeedants.

Trees emit more terpene when the weather gets warmer, which may act as a natural cloud-seeding process. The clouds’ reflection of sunlight helps the forest maintain its desired temperature.

Insects also employ terpene as a line of defence. For instance, termites of the Nasutitermitinae subfamily repel predatory insects by firing a resinous combination of terpene from a specialized device known as a fontanellar gun.

10 Types of Terpenes And What Do They Do

LIMONENE

Most frequently, citrus fruits contain this terpene, including lemons, limes, and oranges. It has been linked to various benefits, including lowered stress and enhanced energy. It may also have natural digestive benefits. Like many other different terpenes, limonene activates enzymes that start the fat-burning process when consumed. The most reliable method of generating energy is fat burning.

Many people attribute greater mental clarity to limonene-rich essential oils. Similar results can be achieved with limonene-rich hemp strains.

PINENE

Pinene, the pine tree’s eponymous terpene, is a well-known bronchodilator. That implies that it improves breathing by expanding the lungs! Due to this property, pinene is especially beneficial for those who have asthma.

Similarly calming is pinene. Hemp strains like Trophy Wife or Jack Herer can be smoked or vaped to get the same advantages. You get extra points if you consume it while strolling through a pine forest.

LINALOOL

A terpene, lavender has a relaxing and tranquil scent—the soothing and anti-inflammatory properties of linalool help to promote improved health by calming the nervous system. According to certain studies, linalool activates the same TRPA and TRPV channels as CBD, causing less pain and inflammation.

GUAIOL

The terpene guaiol is less well-known than some others, but it ought to be. Pinene and this terp have a lot in common. Guaiol is obtained from the bark of the guaiacum plant, which gives it its name. Like pinene, guaiol has a woodsy, earthy aroma.

According to research, guaiol may have antiviral and anti-bacterial properties.

EUCALYPTOL

A terpene called eucalyptol is frequently found in hemp, salvia, and eucalyptus. According to studies, it might assist in immune system regulation and innate immune response activation. Eucalyptus oil could prevent the immune system from overreacting to short-term problems by building things up from the ground up.

BETA-CARYOPHYLLENE

This particular terpene is intriguing. Beta-caryophyllene is frequently found in cloves and black pepper but is also present in hemp. Furthermore, studies have shown that it binds to the same endocannabinoid receptors as CBD, making it a “dietary cannabinoid” in the eyes of experts.

A better neural system and less inflammation are linked to this terpene.

BISABOLOL

A typical source of bisabolol is chamomile flowers. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, according to research. According to reports, bisabolol smells delicately flowery.

MYRCENE

Almost everywhere you go, Myrcene is there. Mangoes, thyme, basil, and hops all contain it. And hemp, the botanical relative of hops, of course. This terpene is popular among hemp and cannabis users because it contributes to the phenomenon known as “couch lock.” The myrcene in hemp also has calming effects. Myrcene may help you sleep better by lowering inflammation, enhancing immunity, and calming your nervous system.

CAMPHENE

Even though camphene is a “minor” terpene, it has many advantages over other terpene. Everything from lowering cholesterol levels to preventing infections is a possible effect of camphene. Consider the aroma of camphene as a blend of pinene and myrcene. It smells strange. There can always be too much of anything, even something extraordinary; therefore it may be for good reason that this terpene is hard to find.

TERPINOLENE

Terpinolene serves as the last item on our list. This terpene, which is also present in apples, lilacs, nutmeg, allspice, and other plants, has a complex sweet + spicy aroma. Pinene and terpinolene concentrations are exceptionally high in some more “earthy” hemp strains. According to this 2013 study, consuming it might inhibit the development of dangerous cells. True to its fragrance, Terpinolene may also assist by soothing the nervous system.

What is a Terpene Chart?

Terpene charts are heuristic tools for recognizing the effects, flavours, aromas, and essential information associated with common terpene. Terpene charts typically concentrate on its frequently found in cannabis or hemp and can be obtained and used in various products to achieve specific results. Terpene charts are typically in the shape of a wheel but can also be in the form of bar charts.

This chart can assist medicinal marijuana patients and recreational cannabis users in understanding them and their potential effects on the body.

The chart below will help you understand how it may affect your cannabis experience.

How Do I Read A Terpene Chart?

Let’s use this chart above. Always begin with the key when reading the chart. The names of six primary terpene found in cannabis and hemp can be found in the largest quadrants closest to the center: humulene, pinene, linalool, caryophyllene, myrcene, and limonene. In the following quadrant, you’ll find each terpene’s boiling point, unique aromas, specific effects, other plant life these terpene are found in, and possible treatment properties each terpene possesses.

Myrcene has a boiling point of 168°C, as you can see. It has an aromatic profile of musk, cloves, herbal, and citrus. According to Leafly’s chart, Myrcene is thought to have sedative qualities and may improve the psychoactivity of THC (the cannabinoid in cannabis that causes people to feel “high”). Myrcene can be found in mango, thyme, citrus, lemongrass, and bay leaves, and it has antiseptic, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties.

FAQS:

Do terpene get you high by themselves?

They are not always the compound in cannabis that causes the psychoactive effects you experience when you consume them. Although you may have mild psychoactive effects of terpenes, their main result when conversing with your body is to affect the other active substances in the cannabis plant.

What is the difference between terpene and terpenoids?

They have similar chemical structures, and both have prospective therapeutic benefits that need to be investigated further. They can also be identified in cannabis and other plants, and they are used in various household items and herbal remedies.

Terpenoids are generated from terpene, although they are both organic compounds. They are simple hydrocarbons, whereas terpenoids are oxygenated hydrocarbons with methyl groups moved or removed.

How is terpene different from CBD?

Cannabinoids and terpenes are chemical compounds in the cannabis plant that are not intoxicating. Instead, they collaborate as the entourage effect, which proposes that all elements of the cannabis plant collaborate with the body to produce a unique experience.

However, there are significant differences between terpenes and cannabinoids.

They are chemical compounds that give plants their flavour and smell and can assist in determining plant colour. They bind to a wide range of receptors in the human body. They do not directly interact with the endocannabinoid system, but they can influence how cannabinoids are absorbed in our bodies.

CBD, like THC, is one of over 150 cannabinoids discovered only in the cannabis plant. CBD has no odour and works by interacting with cannabinoid receptors to modulate the endocannabinoid system.

How can you grow to produce the most vaporizing terpenes?

The terpene content of each strain or cultivar can differ from one grow to the next. It can be affected by a variety of factors, including:

• The superiority of genetics,
• Type and quality of soil,
• Whether or not plants are flushed, lighting
• Harvest time and post-harvest care, such as curing and trimming.

Can terpene be affected during curing and processing?

They are found in the trichomes of buds and are usually discarded during the drying and curing processes. It can be lost during the processing of the nugs.

It can be extracted from the cannabis plant using a variety of methods. Making distillate means stripping the plant of everything, such as terpene, and leaving only the THC. Before extracting any oil, live resin concentrates are extracted from the fresh frozen flower, which preserves them. Solventless extractions retain the entire terpene and cannabinoid profile of the original cultivar.

References:

What are terpenes? (2020, March 6). Www.medicalnewstoday.com. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/what-are-terpenes

Rahn, B. (2019, January 16). What Are Cannabis Terpenes and What Do They Do? Leafly. https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/terpenes-the-flavors-of-cannabis-aromatherapy

Cannabis Terpene: What They Are and How They Work. (2021, May 20). Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/cannabis-terpenes

Cannabis industry gets crafty with terpenes. (n.d.). Chemical & Engineering News. https://cen.acs.org/biological-chemistry/natural-products/Cannabis-industry-crafty-terpenes/97/i29

Sommano, S. R., Chittasupho, C., Ruksiriwanich, W., & Jantrawut, P. (2020). The Cannabis Terpenes. Molecules, 25(24), 5792. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25245792

Russo, E. B. (2011). Taming THC: potential cannabis synergy and phytocannabinoid-terpenoid entourage effects. British Journal of Pharmacology, 163(7), 1344–1364. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1476-5381.2011.01238.x

Pamplona, F. A., da Silva, L. R., & Coan, A. C. (2018). Potential Clinical Benefits of CBD-Rich Cannabis Extracts Over Purified CBD in Treatment-Resistant Epilepsy: Observational Data Meta-analysis. Frontiers in Neurology, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2018.00759

Rufino, A. T., Ribeiro, M., Sousa, C., Judas, F., Salgueiro, L., Cavaleiro, C., & Mendes, A. F. (2015). Evaluation of the anti-inflammatory, anti-catabolic and pro-anabolic effects of E-caryophyllene, myrcene and limonene in a cell model of osteoarthritis. European Journal of Pharmacology, 750, 141–150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejphar.2015.01.018

Klauke, A.-L. ., Racz, I., Pradier, B., Markert, A., Zimmer, A. M., Gertsch, J., & Zimmer, A. (2014). The cannabinoid CB₂ receptor-selective phytocannabinoid beta-caryophyllene exerts analgesic effects in mouse models of inflammatory and neuropathic pain. European Neuropsychopharmacology: The Journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 24(4), 608–620. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2013.10.008

Rufino, A. T., Ribeiro, M., Sousa, C., Judas, F., Salgueiro, L., Cavaleiro, C., & Mendes, A. F. (2015). Evaluation of the anti-inflammatory, anti-catabolic and pro-anabolic effects of E-caryophyllene, myrcene and limonene in a cell model of osteoarthritis. European Journal of Pharmacology, 750, 141–150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejphar.2015.01.018

OKUMURA, N., YOSHIDA, H., NISHIMURA, Y., KITAGISHI, Y., & MATSUDA, S. (2012). Terpinolene, a component of herbal sage, downregulates AKT1 expression in K562 cells. Oncology Letters, 3(2), 321–324. https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2011.491

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