Want the best weed in the pharmacy? Forget the highest THC percentages and opt for terpene profiles instead

Many argue that the best thing about cannabis is THC, but I believe the terpenes are king in this plant. Terpenes give plants their aroma and flavor, and like all consumables, people are unlikely to consume anything that doesn’t smell good.

Close your eyes and imagine the scent of pine emanating from your last Christmas. If you’re having a hard time remembering it, visit the nearest grocery store or farm and smell the ripe fruit that has just been harvested or stored. It would surprise you greatly to capture the unforgettable scent of lavender or eucalyptus that envelops you upon entering a salon or spa.

My point here is that aroma is directly related to experiencing nature and the world in general.

Every natural place or area you are in has its unique smell. The scent given off in a place can improve your mood or put you off. Flavors help solidify important memories and make those memories worth remembering. For example, when I smell strawberries, I think of my late grandparents’ farm and the fond memories I made there with my siblings and cousins. No matter how faint the aroma, it can instantly transport you to another place or time.

Terpenes are the amazing compounds responsible for creating those distinct flavors. Renowned scientists worldwide have taken the time to study these compounds and shed more light on their existence. While the information available is still limited, it’s better than nothing.

A general overview of terpenes

Terpenes are found in most plants and trees, such as lavender, oranges, roses, mint, and our favorite plant, cannabis. Very little attention has been paid to these connections in the last decade, although they occupy a crucial position.

In the cannabis ecosystem, terpenes play a direct role in the acceptance of cannabis in the human body. The first sense a consumer encounters when holding cannabis is its aroma. All forms of cannabis, whether indica, sativa, or hybrid, contain terpene compounds. These connections determine how the entourage effect plays out. They are a key determinant of the psychoactive and therapeutic effects of cannabis. However, they were not accounted for as they should be. To understand how cannabis compounds interact with receptors in the body requires a thorough understanding of the vital role of terpenes.

The cannabis industry must prioritize research into these compounds to improve the quality of their products.

The industry is now at a critical turning point. By 2028, the global cannabis industry will be worth at least $70 billion. Until then, the industry needs to come together to study the various compounds in the revered cannabis plant. Every player in the industry, including breeders, testers, growers, retailers, and consumers, must make terpene research a priority. You must also try to figure out the other important characteristics of cannabis plants that should be prioritized. THC and CBD are not the only important compounds in cannabis, and studying them alone will not add the diversity needed to the ecosystem.

Why is terpene research important?

The cannabis industry has a lot to lose by continuing to prioritize only THC and CBD studies instead of looking at the other vital compounds. The industry needs to clearly understand the unique compounds found in all forms of cannabis plants.

For starters, cannabis testing labs can focus on extracting and testing the most dominant terpenes. This would save the industry from missing out on unlocking hundreds of varieties. The less common terpenes can be considered once more information is gathered about dominant terpene compounds.

Regular cannabis users probably have no idea or understanding of how knowledge about terpene compounds could boost the breeding and testing niche in cannabis production lines. The lack of useful information has had a detrimental effect on breeders. A majority of them don’t understand why cannabis produces aftermath as they can’t directly link it to genetics. Working with a few terpene profiles would give them better ways to improve cannabis genetics rather than just focusing on cannabinoids and their levels.

Misconceptions about the potency of cannabis and terpenes

The cannabis industry has several misconceptions regarding the potency of cannabis products. Over the past 10-20 years, many breeders have focused on creating high-THC products rather than genetic diversity. Consumers believe that the “skunky” aroma of some cannabis strains indicates high THC levels. I am afraid that is not correct. The intense Skunk smell can be attributed to the sulfur compounds present in the plant.

With proper terpene profiling, they would be a far more accurate way to get more information about different effects induced. Growers continue to miss a lot as the focus shifts to increasing THC levels in cannabis plants. In contrast, they should focus on the “champagne” of the cannabis powerhouse, namely the terpene compounds.

Utilization of the terpene market

The parents impart unique flavors and aromas to plants, fruits, spices and flowers. Some of the dominant terpenes are linalool, myrcene, pinene, and limonene.

The best thing cannabis growers should do is address the prospect of creating diversity through terpenes. This would prevent cannabis from following the same path as tomatoes. Tomatoes are an excellent example of what happens when a traditional market focuses more on increasing yield than improving flavor and aroma profiles. Tomatoes in the US are genetically more or less the same. There is little or no genetic diversity in the breeding process, and no industry wants that.

final remark

More information about the terpene profiles of cannabis plants will help breeders create different collections of cannabis genetics.

As an industry, breeders and other cannabis operators must decide to learn more about which dominant or less common terpenes produce the different aromas. Then growers can take the next step by accessing these reports to grow genetically diverse plants with sufficient terpene levels. This is just the surface of cannabis research. With successful alignments across the legal industry and a more intense focus on cannabis genetics inbreeding, you can expect dozens of newly developed cannabis plants with brand new scents.

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