Those who are patients or in recreational states are probably familiar with the word terpene. For those that don’t know, a terpene is a large and very diverse class of organic compounds that is produced by conifer plants and sometimes even some insects like butterflies and termites. Cannabis contains over 200 known terpenes, they are also present in almost all natural flora. The name comes from turpentine because terpenes are a major component of the resin. It is thought that terpenes are created by the plant to deter herbivores with the aroma or draw in carnivores that eat the herbivore threatening the plant. To know the difference between the two most used buzz words, terpenes are hydrocarbons while terpenoids contain other bonded atoms. These compounds are a base element of aromatherapy essential oils and are widely found in cannabis.
As the cannabis world continues to grow, strains are becoming more and more irrelevant as different grows are putting out completely different phenos under the same names as strains that can create very different effects. Terps grow in glands within trichomes on unfertilized feminine seeds. The way that terpenes interact with the endocannabinoid system is very similar to the way that cannabinoids do. They actually work better when they’re all together, each plant is made up of a different composition of the large quantity of terpenes known today. Terpenes have also shown to affect the dopamine and serotonin production, enhance norepinephrine activity and giving way to relief from depression and even pain.
