Do terpene-enriched hemp cones add more than flavor?

Competition in the roll paper industry is fierce. Companies have designed and manufactured paper for smoking since the 18th century. Machines are still pumping, weaving and stacking sheets of paper. More recently, the rolling paper industry has been driven by hemp and convenience, although cones are rarely infused with hemp-derived terpenes.

Fall behind without hemp

From fueling our cars to building cities, hemp should always be king after legalization. The weight that hemp and terpenes have on cannabis users can be found in the papers. Rolling paper manufacturers, lagging behind their competition, are trying to offer terpene-enriched hemp-based cones and rose-petal cones.

Zig-zag papers, which emerged in the 19th century, lagged behind their competitors. Nature speaks to cannabis consumers — rather than cardboard or marketing terms — and what pulp is more natural than hemp. But I asked Lorenzo De Plano, Vice President of Zig Zag Brand, if adding terpenes in the mix added anything beyond flavor.

Zig Zag’s Introduction to Skittles

Zig Zag – distributed in North America by Turning Point Brands Inc. since 1997 – began with paper brochures in France in 1876. Their recent innovations include non-infused cones. But the company started production before De Plano was discontinued.

“Introducing Kegel was something that we had entered the market in a much more material way over the past few years. So then we really start to actively push them.”

“Our focus has been to conquer and innovate the brand and adapt what we call the next generation of products. That’s what we’re concentrating on in development.”

Lorenzo De Plano, Vice President of Turning Point Brands and Zig Zag.

Reasons for choosing a variety

Consumers choose their cannabis predominantly on the basis of THC, with a misunderstanding of indica and sativa. Among all this, terpenes represent a significant factor in various chemovars.

“We went through hundreds of different terpene profiles. And then we developed four unique terpene-infused cones made with hemp wrap. It’s a unique way to give the product a taste that we believe is more natural.”

“We came to the conclusion that we wanted something more unique from the selection we picked. So instead of a strawberry-scented waffle, we have more of a waffle with strawberry shortcake cake.”

Lorenzo

Are terpenes just taste?

Papers infused with terpenes are still emerging. As a consumer, De Plano instead passed on first-hand experience.

“It’s very close to the source… I think it creates a nice entourage effect of using the product because it creates a consistent experience with no external variables affecting that experience.”

“When you cook outdoors with a propane grill instead of cooking something on a real griddle over a fire. The flaming pan is much more authentic and preserves the authenticity of the experience.”

Lorenzo

terpene sources

Vape pens, edibles, and various other cannabis products can contain added terpenes. But terpenes from non-hemp plants are diluting the market. Flavored rolling papers aren’t new, but hemp-derived iterations are uncommon.

“They are all derived from hemp plants. And the terpenes themselves come from this source. And so, over time, through a series of extraction processes, we arrive at the final product that is eventually encoded into the bags and wraps.”

Lorenzo

raw lemons

Josh Kesselmen founded Raw Rolling Papers in the 1990s. Raw, which is distributed by HBI International under BBK Tobacco & Foods LLC, partnered with Orchard Beach to create terpene-infused cones. And the Raw brand cigarette papers are made exclusively from hemp.

Raw recently released a few select strains of terpene-infused cannabis cones. And Kesselmen claimed on social media that the project took years to develop.

Know of another source for infused cones? Let us know if you’ve tried a terpene-infused hemp cone in the comments.