Cannabis Terpenes 101 And Giveaway

Just when you thought weed couldn’t get any fancier or next level, a new frontier has suddenly emerged for those looking to enhance and customize the effects of cannabis  even more. So let’s dive head first into it with this Terpene 101 guide and giveaway.

You’ve probably already heard or read about the hippie folklore that eating a mango before smoking some herb can improve or lengthen the high. The science behind this claim is that the lovely fragrance of mangoes contains a chemical called myrcene. Also known as a terpene, it turns out that this is just one of many other terpenes that seem destined to have a large part to play in the future of cannabis consumables.

If you’ve ever ripped a bong, busted a dab or toked on a joint you have already experienced the flavours and effects of terpenes as they are an existing fundamental component of the plant. That dank cheese, berry, chemi, minty, peppery or citrus aroma is made up from the various terpenes that exist within the herb. Besides smelling great they also play an essential part in improving or moderating how THC and CBD are absorbed into your bloodstream. Common cannabis terpenes are:

Popular Terpene Plants

Limonene – Citrus aroma that is found in most lemon and citrus themed strains.

Pinene – Aroma of pine that is found in most strains that smell distinctly of fresh wood or herbs.

Caryophyllene – This is the one that often makes people sneeze due to a very spicy or pepper aroma.

Myrcene – Rich musky and earthy tones that often feature in cheese orientated strains.

Linalool – Fruity and sweet aromas that you will find any many berry, fruity or tropical strains.

As many of these terpenes are readily available in legal plants, herbs and fruits; there is now a fast emerging industry to provide these essential oil extracts to those who wish to take their dank to 11 out of 10 or those who just want to spice up their shwag a bit. Let me be clear from the start that adding terpenes to your weed will not make it stronger or transform it into some uber kush. They are designed to compliment the existing strength and unlock some of the existing or lost potential of your weed or dab to perform at it’s best. Kind of like a condiment for your chronic.

CBD Terpenes in E-Juice

These products are frequently found in blends that are dialed in for specific mood enhancing effects. Expect to see mood offerings along the lines of relaxed, creative, focussed, pain relief and insomnia. You can also further blend these to customize your personal preference to the max.

Personal experience has taught me that terpenes are best used with a very light hand as they are typically packaged in small concentrated amounts. Using more than a single drop per joint, bowl or dab can leave a very strong taste that may easily dominate the entire flavour profile. While writing this article I accidentally got less than a drop on the tip of my nose and it smells like a face full of pepper spray. Also did a generous dose on a bong and it tasted like downing a bottle of furniture polish… fucking awful. My top tip is that you first add a drop to a couple of grams of bud, dab or E-juice before using, then mix or maul to get an even spread of the terps.

A small circle of master growers and extractors are already producing cannabis derived terpenes for cannaseurs who want nothing but the purist products, but I would not hold my breath about these being easily available until global laws regarding the plant are generally more relaxed.

The cherry on the high grade cake though is that you can even purchase terp blends that emulate the specific profiles of existing popular strains. These for me are leaps and bounds tastier than the more generic offerings out there. The complexity of the combination closely resemble what you would expect when opening a bankie of dank and means that you don’t end up with a one dimensional flavor that the simpler blends often deliver.

Full True Terpene Profiles

Competition

Courtesy of our friends over at CannaHealth, we had a fistful of 100% natural Revivify Mood Terps up for grabs. These include profiles for Concentrate, Imagination, Calm, Meditation, Amorous and Relief.

Terpene Prize

To enter all you need to do is:

1 – Like The High Co’s Facebook page just in case you hadn’t already.
2 – Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest cannaculture news, reviews and more.
3 –  Leave a comment below about what your favourite weed fragrance is?

Competition terms
Winner will be randomly selected.
Winner will be notified by email, so please use your real email address.
Prize will be delivered to your door anywhere in South Africa.
Entries close 4:20PM on 30/11/2017.
Decision is final.