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The next time that you’re browsing the cannabis strains at your local dispensary, don’t just look at the THC and CBD levels. Look at the terpenes. The terpenes in your cannabis flower can dictate your entire smoking experience.
Why Do Terpenes Matter?
Terpenes are natural compounds that are found in the essential oils of different types of plants. One of those plants happens to be cannabis. These compounds matter because they influence the flavor, smell, and potency of your smoke.
The Flavor Profile
As a cannabis connoisseur, you may have noticed that the strains you’ve tried all smelled and tasted different from one another. Terpenes are responsible for this!
Terpenes influence the flavor profile of a cannabis strain, giving it a distinct taste and aroma. For instance, the terpene “limonene” has a zesty, citrusy scent, while “linalool” has a lavender-like aroma. Check out this guide for understanding cannabis terpenes to learn more about common types of terpene flavors you’ll encounter at the dispensary. This handy information might help you find the next strain to bring home.
The Potency
Terpenes are also believed to influence the efficacy of cannabinoids like THC and CBD. This phenomenon is called the entourage effect. Without all of those terpenes, your smoke might not lead to your desired result, whether you’re hoping to get high or hoping to go to sleep for the night.
Preventing Terpene Loss
Terpenes can evaporate. The more terpenes a cannabis strain loses, the more the flavor, taste, and potency will be impacted. Without enough terpenes in your stash, you could find yourself having downright disappointing smokes.
You can prevent terpenes from evaporating with the right storage solutions.
Tips for Proper Cannabis Storage:
1. Use an Air-Tight Stash Jar: Keep your cannabis in an air-tight container. Exposure to oxygen will degrade the terpenes in the cannabis flower. Boveda’s CVault storage solution is a great option for this. Its design is air-tight, smell-proof, and stylish.
2. Incorporate a Humidity-Control Pack: Terpenes will survive for longer when your cannabis is kept in an environment with the right humidity range (between 58% and 62%). Adding a humidity-control pack to your stash container will help the interior environment stay in that range.
3. Store in a Cool, Dark Place: Exposure to light and heat will speed up terpene evaporation. So, keep your stash jar in a cool, dark location (like a closet).
4. Don’t Wait Too Long: You shouldn’t wait too long to smoke your cannabis. Your cannabis is not like a fine wine – it doesn’t need to be aged after you’ve bought it to provide a better flavor profile. If anything, waiting too long will make it less potent, flavorful, and fun. After a year of sitting in a stash jar, you should think about tossing it.
Terpenes should be at the top of your mind when you look for your next cannabis strain at the dispensary. And they should definitely be at the top of your mind when you store that strain at home. By prioritizing terpenes, you can guarantee that you’ll have a great time smoking.
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.
