If you have spent any time researching cannabis you have likely come across terms like indica, sativa, cannabinoids, and terpenes.
Terpenes are chemical compounds that occur naturally in any living things like plants and animals.
Terpenes are typically found in cannabis, citrus fruits, herbs, and peppercorns. Terpenes are what gives different marijuana strains distinctly different flavor and smell profiles, but research is showing that terpenes also contribute to the feeling of a particular cannabis strain, that is why cannabis strains with identical THC content can produce wildly different results when consumed, based on the terpenes. There is constantly new research being conducted on terpenes and how they produce different effects on human bodies, but the general hypothesis right now is that terpenes work in tandem with cannabinoids in order to deliver them into the nervous system. Terpenes themselves don’t produce any kind of high, but they do affect the way that a particular cannabis strain may smell or taste. It is also predicted that terpenes have an effect on the way that THC is delivered, and that different terpene profiles will deliver the same amount of THC differently. New research is suggesting that some terpenes have potential effects on certain mental health ailments like depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety. Cannabinoids differ from terpenes in that cannabinoids have specific receptors in the brain that they bind to, while it is believed that terpenes somehow assist in this binding. If you are interested in trying different terpene profiles, head to your local dispensary today to speak with a budtender about how cannabis can benefit you!