Terpenes Found in Cannabis
There’s a lot of data about how you can change the concentration of CBD or THC in your cannabidiol formulation to have varying outcomes for management specific conditions. As well as manipulating the “high” that you recieve. There’s also information on how you can change the hybrid. Allowing yourself to push more toward a sativa for something more stimulating or focusing, or for an indica for something that’s going to help you relax, especially, particularly the muscle relaxation.
What Are Terpenes?
But, what is all the buzz surrounding terpenes? Terpenes are a sort of the aromatherapy of the cannabis community. They’re potent chemicals, hydrocarbons that concentrate on the trichomes of the bud or flower. The trichomes are these little mushroom-shaped crystals that are on the buds or flowers of the cannabis plant.
What Do Terpenes Look Like and What Purpose Do They Serve?
Those little crystals are covered with these shiny, sticky substances that are fragrant and provide a natural insect repellent, because the insects generally don’t like the way they smell. But human beings sometimes really love the fragrances. There can be fragrances like limonene, which is invigorating and exciting. Fragrances like linalool, which is the active terpene in lavender, which gives a sense of calming and relaxation.
Terpenes and Their Psychological Effects
However, these fragrant terpenes also give us some clues about the strain and possible psychological effects that the strain may have. There are over 100 different terpenes identified in the cannabis plant. While the differences can be subtle, they can be significant. These specific smells are consistent with certain strains and correlate with the effects that the plant may have. For example, there are vape companies now that are creating pens that are simply called Energy or Focus.
Buying Varying Terpene Ratios
Companies are having a lot of fun manipulating the terpenes so that they can give you an effect that’s more calming or more stimulating. In addition to the changes that you can make with hybrids or with just manipulation of CBD and THC ratios.
These are important because two different consumers may come into a dispensary asking the Bud Master for a sativa. One may be seeking it for higher levels or energy and athletic performance; one may be asking for sativa to increase their focus. Because of the varied terpene content within different sativa strains, the Bud Master can offer products that are going to be very specific to exactly what you’re trying to achieve with your product so maybe there’s a little bit less guess work. Sometimes you can have a lot of fun enjoying the various smells, which smell piney or lemony, based on the different terpene contents.
