Jul 16, 2023
The first thing I ask someone when talking to them about their cannabis preferences is what they prefer to achieve: bodily relaxation, expansion of consciousness, total relaxation, or something in-between?
This not only guides me to understanding what type of THC, CBD, CBN content they probably like, but it also gets me thinking about terpenes.
"What do you want it to smell like, taste like?" is usually my second question, or sometimes I'll even ask, "Do you have a favorite terpene?" About 9 times out of 10, that second question will receive a, "What?" followed by a blank stare. But to that 1 person who's really done their homework, I know I've found a real bud-nerd.
What IS a terpene?
Terpenes are unsaturated hydrocarbons found in plants (and some animals!) that produce certain properties as a result. We mostly perceive the chemicals as scents or flavors.
Are there any terpenes I already know?
Probably not, but you're definitely familiar with some of them! For example, the terpene limonene smells like lemon and gives a citrusy taste. Pinene is like pine through-and-through. Eucalyptol is... you get it.
Terpenes are aromas/flavors that serve as indications of having psychoactive or physiologically-active properties.
So what's the big deal?
Terpenes developed in plants as an evolutionary mechanism. As to ward off potential grazers, plants give off an aroma and subsequent taste to say, "Back off!" Let's go back to limonene. This compound not only smells and tastes like lemon, but we also know that it's psychoactive. The more limonene something has, the more mentally focused the exposed will become. While this is advantageous in many ways, think about to the days of needing to forage in the wilderness for food; being hyper-focused would have been a definite drawback. Ergo, once upon a time, having too much of things that smelled citrusy may have been a no-go. Now we know what to expect and how to maximize that natural property.
Today we can look at these compounds from a scientific point-of-view and say, "What would I like to feel?" and make that happen just by giving what we put into our bodies- from the herbs we eat to the herbs we smoke- a sniff.
Keep your eyes peeled for explanations of different terpenes!
