The trend of seeking out the highest THC is making an exit with the help of our local budtenders. Now that Canada has an adult, recreational-use market, we’re able to get a clearer look at what makes up our experiences as consumers. While minor and synthesized cannabinoids have made headlines, terpenes are the topic of many conversations within cannabis retailers across the country. Due to the Cannabis Act, your local budtender is unable to speak fully to the benefits of terpenes besides telling you that a certain terpene can potentially give consumers the feelings they seek.
Let’s take a step back; what even is a terpene, how do they work, and how can we use them as consumers?
What is a Terpene?
According to Healthline, terpenes are naturally occurring chemical compounds found in all plants and in some animals! Terpenes cause many of the aromas, flavors, and even colours of vegetation. Limonene, found in most citrus, produces the classic “lemon” smell of many cleaning agents, while Pinene elicits the scent of a pine forest. These compounds have practical purposes in the wild, existing as a way for the plant to protect itself from harsh weather conditions and some predators. Recent research has demonstrated that aromas are the key drivers in customer preference and subjective effects. Therefore, whether you are a licensed producer, retailer or end customer, being able to customize flavours and scents is a sure fire way to boost the overall consumption experience.
Terpenes are in cannabis, so do they get one high?
Unfortunately, not really. While terpenes will not “get you high” in the traditional sense, some are still considered to be psychoactive; as they still affect the brain. Scientists are still examining how terpenes work in tandem with cannabinoids to produce the highs we all know and love. The working theory is that both psychoactive components, cannabinoids, and terpenes, work in together to shape the experience for the user. The cannabinoids “get you high” while the terpenes modulate.
So Can I Dump Terpenes on my Cannabis to make it Better?
Well, yes, you could, but we wouldn’t recommend it. The smell, flavour, and effects that we know and love from different cultivars come from the ratio of terpenes to each other. One extra dash of limonene could ruin the effects that one may associate with a cultivar such as Blue Dream. Some are seeking to address this huge “need”, such as CannTerp with their line of cultivar-inspired terpene profiles. CannTerp has perfectly recreated the terpene profiles of cultivars such as Bubba Kush, Girl Scout Cookies, and many more. You don’t need to dump terpenes on your cannabis, as CannTerp has both Budbooster and BongBoosters. Budboosters are pearls placed with dry cannabis flower, and through time and exposure give their profiles to the plant matter. If you can’t wait, BongBooster is terpenes added to the water of any water pipe to give a flavourful hit of smoke with reduced harshness.
CannTerp has an amazing assortment of natural terpene-infused products and oils and even more information for those curious about the benefits they can derive from terpenes. For more information and to browse their collection, check out the CannTerp website.
Last Updated on November 30, 2022 by ADCANN
