Whether you’ve been exploring cannabis for years or are just dipping your toe into the scene, there are a lot of terms to learn and understand. While you may have mastered the basics and know your Indica from Sativa and your THC from CBD, a concept you may be less familiar with are Cannabis Terpenes. According to Herb, “…terpenes are the oils that give cannabis plants and flowers their unique smell.” However, these feisty little chemicals have so much more going for them than just aroma.

Terpenes can be found in all sorts of different plants and aren’t unique to cannabis. These marvelous compounds are what imbue so many different plants, like lavender, cloves, and peppermint, just to name a few, with various characteristics that are potentially beneficial to the human body. In cannabis, terpenes come from the flower’s sticky resin glands, the same place that you find cannabinoids.

Types of Terpenes

There are over one hundred terpenes found in cannabis. Each terpene has its own aroma and unique characteristics. Terpenes can have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal properties. What’s more, it’s not simply cannabinoids that give each strain its unique features. Terpenes are part of what helps Indica relax you and Sativa boost your awareness and creativity. The six most common terpenes in cannabis are myrcene, linalool, caryophyllene, limonene, humulene, and pinene. Explore more of their fantastic effects here.

The Entourage Effect

There’s still a lot to discover about cannabis. Unfortunately, since this amazing plant is still illegal at the Federal level, large studies that measure exactly how cannabis works in our bodies have not been possible. However, we do know that terpenes are an important factor in how smoking affects us. In cannabis, terpenes and cannabinoids (THC and CBD), work together in unique ways to create some of cannabis’ most exciting benefits. For more on the entourage effect and its ramifications, check out this great article from Leafly.   

Ask Your Budtender

Terpenes change with each harvest, but it’s still a good idea to have an idea of what terpenes are, what strains they’re in, and their effects when thinking through your next flower purchase. The next time you stop by Whidbey Island’s best pot shop, ask us about the terpenes in your favorite strain. Or, if you want to try something new, we’ll be happy to walk you through their various properties and help recommend a new strain that’s right for you.

No matter what you’re looking for, our friendly budtenders are happy to help. Check out our menu or stop by our weed store to pick up something special today.