When you buy high quality CBD oil, there are a few things you should look for: the CBD content, the THC content, the efficacy or potency, and the terpenes. Some CBD strains don’t contain terpenes, which is unfortunate because it may be highly beneficial to the CBD experience.
Terpenes are one of the most important ingredients in cannabis and CBD products, but they’re often less talked about than CBD itself. It’s one of the most popular compounds in the cannabis plant, and when used in CBD products, they’re more potent and effective than without.
It’s important to understand everything you can about what’s in your CBD. Here are seven things you should know about CBD terpenes.
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Terpenes are responsible for the scent of a cannabis plant.
When you smell different scents in hemp, that’s the terpenes present. Some strains of hemp have more of certain terpenes than others. These work together with flavonoids, the compound in hemp that contributes to the flavor of the product, to bring taste and therapeutic scents to your CBD.
It’s important to note that your sense of smell and sense of taste are very closely interconnected. Smell helps your taste buds work properly, so if a product smells great, consumers are more likely to enjoy it.
This is part of what makes terpenes so important. It easily maximizes the user’s experience and makes CBD easier to consume and enjoy because it smells as good as it tastes. Likewise, unpleasant smelling terpenes can contribute to an unpleasant experience with CBD.
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There are over 100 terpenes in a cannabis plant.
The compounds found in cannabis are diverse and offer multiple benefits depending on your biological makeup and particular needs. Terpenes can contribute to that, and there are more than 100 varieties of terpenes to offer.
Some of the differences in the many terpenes are very subtle. Several types may smell and look like the others, while some offer stark differences in scents and benefits. Usually, terpenes are classified into the most common types of taste: bitter, sweet, sour, and spicy.
Of course, you’re welcome to research each individual terpene and the scents and flavors found there, but it’s easiest to look at them in these four common categories.
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Myrcene is the most common terpene in cannabis.
CBD’s iconic taste and smell comes from the myrcene terpene. It gives off an earthy, almost herbal aroma. Some say that it’s similar to the scent of cloves. Myrcene’s strongest point is that it can relieve muscle tension and anxiety. It may also help with inflammation and have antibiotic and anti-cancer properties.
Other common terpenes including caryophyllene, linalool, limonene, pinene, and humulene. Each is found in cannabis as well as in other plants like hops, sage, basil, pine trees, peppermint, and more. If you know what these smell like, you’ll get a good idea of how CBD can smell, and taste based on the terpenes present in them.
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Terpenes are extracted from cannabis in various ways.
According to Penguin, the most common methods of extracting terpenes from hemp are distillation, trapping emissions, and solvent extraction. Distillation extraction occurs when pressure and steam separate the terpenes from the rest of the plant.
Terpenes could also be removed through trapped emissions. Technology that collects the plant’s emissions can capture terpenes from the air, although this is a difficult science to master.
Chemists can also dunk terpenes into solvents that separate the terpenes from the plant. The solvent evaporates after the plant is removed and what’s left are the terpenes.
The way that terpenes are extracted from cannabis matters. Distillation is the recommended method because it prevents chemical contamination and yields the highest quantity of terpenes. When terpenes are extracted without contaminants or the wrong terpenes, you’re able to get the best medicinal benefits from your CBD. The health and potency of CBD is questionable with unconventional extraction methods.
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Isolate CBD does not contain terpenes.
Isolate CBD is the purest form of CBD. It’s extracted purely from the plant without terpenes, nutrients, and THC intact. If you’re looking for the best CBD oil that contains terpenes for flavor and aromatherapy, isolate CBD is not for you.
Typically, full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD products contain terpenes. However, that’s not always the case. Some full-spectrum and broad-spectrum products extract the terpenes from your CBD, so you won’t have the benefits of them. It’s important to do your research carefully to ensure you’re getting the best ingredients in your CBD products.
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It’s believed that terpenes can affect your mood.
The scent of CBD does more than just enhance the taste. It can also be used as an aromatherapy tool designed to improve your mood. Through preliminary studies and anecdotal research, it’s believed that terpenes in CBD can boost energy, tiredness, happiness, or peace for the user.
Terpenes are often used in essential oils to promote the therapeutic benefits. The different terpenes found in CBD can yield different results for the user. For example, lavender scents can decrease anxiety while lemon can promote energy and happiness.
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Terpenes could be a huge contributing factor to the entourage effect.
The entourage effect is somewhat fuzzy from a scientific viewpoint. It’s hard to prove exactly how it works and if it works to promote certain emotions and physical improvements for CBD users. However, there’s a popular school of thought that CBD terpenes contribute to the entourage effect.
Terpenes and cannabinoids may work together in your bloodstream to deliver a more holistic feeling of health and wellness throughout your body. Terpenes may have their own medicinal benefits that can be transmitted once it’s entered your bloodstream.
At the very least, CBD terpenes likely have therapeutic effects because of their aroma. Altogether, CBD containing terpenes could have incredible benefits from a holistic health perspective.