Terpenes are the new G-Spot of the marijuana industry, a wholly misunderstood series of beneficial chemicals that have been detected inside the already generous pot plant.
Not content with yielding the fruits of THC and CBD, weed also contains terpenes, organic compounds that aid a variety of human ailments including obesity, liver cancer, menstrual pains, insomnia, bronchitis, inflammation – the list goes on and on.
Visit a local dispensary, however, and the impression from budtenders is that terpenes are some magical mystery elixir, capable of being detected by scent. They also peddle myths about edibles and oils—fables that could be dispelled if the industry started testing every product for terpenes. The following are some flat-out lies told frequently to cannabis customers:
“You can really smell the terpenes in this flower.”
You can’t. That’s like saying you can smell the THC. While terpenes are linked to different smells, they are actually detected by lab testing. A flower may have a great scent, but until there’s a label on the side of the container detailing percentages, any claims about a strain smelling of terpenes is snake-oil talk.
“Are you looking for a sativa or indica edible?”
All edibles are really neither sativa nor indica. The process to make oil strips THC and CBD from the plant without retaining all of its original properties. And the details of the remaining terpene profiles in the edible are a mystery. The industry needs to introduce terpene testing before any marketing of a sativa gummy is anything beyond courting consumers.
“You want a sativa or indica vape cartridge?”
Same as above. Your Gorilla Glue cartridge bears as much resemblance to the original strain as Frankenstein’s monster does to a human. Every company, even if they extract from their own fields of flowers, can’t escape that basic science prevents authentically labeling any oil as sativa or indica, as it has become an entirely different substance with its own properties. Until these companies start testing oil for terpenes and labeling this information on each product, weed consumers literally will not know what they are consuming.
“This flower/edible/concentrate has a great terpenes profile.”
Really? Then show me what terpenes it contains based off scientific research—like the nutritional info you get on any food package. Oh you can’t? Then stop talking about terpenes until the industry finally meets the community’s needs.
This is dumb…
1. HT peddled the info about terps indica and sativa effects.. then slam others for using it?
2. author is confused, budtenders are using terpene instead of “nose”. ie this has a great strong nose. great profile is just that a great smelling profile detected subjectively to them. wine folks use language “floral profile”.
Drs often say we shouldnt have medical cannabis for such reasons.. should we shut down our current system till more studies are done or allow the NEW industry to slowly be able to fund such things…which it has already amazing companies doing amazing things with terpenes genetics and the like… ALOT about binoids to be learned aswell, shall we not consume till its all sorted and 100% profiled for u?