Understanding Terpenes

Terpenes are the pungent and fragrant oils that color cannabis varieties with distinctive aromatic flavors like citrus, berry, mint, and pine. These aromatic oils are how Lavender gets its sweet floral aroma, blueberry gets its signature berry smell, and Sour Diesel it’s distinctive gas smell. These oils are secreted in the flower’s sticky resin glands, the same ones that produce THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids. Over a hundred different terpenes have been identified in the cannabis plant. Every strain tends toward a unique terpene type and composition. Terpenes offer additional medical value as they mediate our body’s interaction with therapeutic cannabinoids. Terpenes are by no means specific to cannabis; they can be found in many other herbs, fruits, and plants as well.