The Secret of Runts, Counterfeit Banana Terpenes, and Approved Solvents – Breaking cannabis news today

Runts quickly became one of the most popular cannabis chemovars (strains) in 2020. Of course, expect a high price. A well-known aroma and taste of sweets and fruits characterize Runts and varieties crossed with them – for example, Banana Runts. Little known, however, is the secret blend that defines various fruit flavors in cannabis. However, a deeper look reveals a little-known secret in the cannabis industry. At least two solvents approved for cannabis processing in Canada can create an aroma that tastes like banana candy.

Banana Runts in an LED flower room. Photo courtesy of Gastown, @gastownfire.

What terpenes are in runts?

Runts have a balanced but complex terpene profile that encompasses part of the aroma and taste of the chemovar. This author wonders whether runts also have a specific, sweeter isomer of linalool – at least when compared to more gaseous chemovars like Jet Fuel or Grease Monkey. Notes of nostalgic, sweet candy aren’t responsible for the fruit’s full seductive properties, however.

In fact, a distinct aroma of sweet oranges can come from a typically rare and smaller (secondary) terpene known as valencene. Ocimene is also reminiscent of sweet oranges. And then there is the far more common, albeit much more bitter, terpene, limes. In addition to this blend, myrcene is a primary terpene known for its grape musk, but with a strong hint of mango. Runts can contain all of these terpenes, but they alone cannot mimic the full and dynamic profile of cannabis.

The secret aroma of an ester

Certain aromas and flavors in cannabis do not come from terpenes or even flavonoids, but from thiols and esters. In comparison, bananas and other fruits have a unique flavor profile that consists of the same complex aromatics.

Hexanoates are one such group of these esters and are behind the fruity scents of strawberries, bananas and pineapples. In addition, the cannabis plant uses hexanoate to produce terpenes and cannabinoids! Does this mean that hexanoate is a possible attribute of Runts and even special phenotypes of Nuken, including the infamous Space Monkey, which is descended from Skunk and Panda?

Is Banana Oil Artificial?

The artificial banana flavor is often based on a chemical called amyl acetate, which is literally known as banana oil. Mixing 1-pentanol or isoamyl alcohol (3-methyl-1-butanol) with acetic acid gives synthetic amyl acetate analogs. These three ingredients are approved solvents (Class III) in Canada’s legal cannabis industry and in the United States.

However, it is a misnomer to call banana flavoring made from banana oil an artificial flavor because amyl acetate is found in real bananas. The cannabis industry can learn from the alcohol ester amyl acetate, which is responsible for the flavor of Cavendish bananas. In other words, the pleasant solvent was more pronounced in the Gros Michel, the older chemowar of the banana before a fungal disease wiped out the monoculture plant.

Can terpenes cut it?

Much like bananas (and other fruits), plant-derived terpenes alone cannot mimic the taste and aroma of cannabis chemovars. To a connoisseur, counterfeit terpenes often lag behind the authentic profile of cannabis. Linalool and other terpenes found in cannabis are also an important part of a banana’s distinctive profile. A careful mix of terpenes like bisabolol and geraniol can get away with a sweet, floral, and almost candy-like nose.

Dynamic chemovars remain incomplete even with the delightful orange flavors of ocimen or valencene. Or the berry notes of Nerodiol. In summary, the secret full profile of Runts likely depends on more complex aromatics. Hexanoates and other esters are unsung components of famous cannabis chemovars thanks to their tiny amounts.

Let us know in the comments if you want to learn more secrets in the cannabis profile. What’s your favorite fruity strain from 2021 until now?

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2. Hanuš LO, Hod Y. Terpenes / Terpenoids in Cannabis: Are They Important? MCA. 2020; 3 (1): 25-60.
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