An understanding of terpenes is
the best tool you can acquire for the appreciation of cannabis. Indeed, far more than often-unreliable cannabinoid
test numbers, it’s the terpenation of a given crop that will not only shed light
on its potency, but also indicate the type of experience you are likely to have
once you ingest some. This is why
budtenders will urge you to “follow your nose” when choosing which strain best
suits your needs.
Terpenes (the word terpenoids is sometimes used interchangeably, though, strictly
speaking, the words are not synonymous) are the hydrocarbons that give plants,
and a few insects, their smell. Ever wonder
how cannabis and blueberries, or pine trees, or clementine rinds, can have
nearly identical smells? Because the
same compounds are responsible for the smells in each... the same terpenes, I should say.
The word terpene derives from turpentine,
which is named after the Mediterranean relative of the pistachio from which it was
first derived. Pine trees were soon
found to be better suited to the task, and the name became associated with
them. Having learned this, you’ll not be
surprised also to learn that one of the more prevalent terpenes in cannabis is the
one most associated with pines, the eponymous pinene, or alpha-pinene (though,
again, technically, the two are quite distinct from one another). When you smell properly-grown Durban Poison
or Jack Herer, that wonderful coniferous aroma you’re getting is pinene. Among other properties, pinene induces bronchodilation,
meaning it widens the bronchial passages.
To walk in the mountains in a fir or pine forest, take a deep breath,
and marvel at how pure and sweet the air is, is to experience one healthful
benefit of terpenes. The trees are actually
opening up your lungs so they can receive more air: nature’s asthma inhaler!
Though terpenes are physiologically-
and psycho-active, they don’t do much on their own. Lavender oil won’t put you to sleep, but it
does calm you down. Lemon oil won’t keep
you up all night, but it does quicken the wit a bit. This is precisely how terpenes function in
cannabis.
Think of your herb as a spaceship. The THC is the main thruster, the big glowing
plume of fire pushing it across the sky.
The terpenes, then (and, to be accurate, all the other cannabinoids and
the entourage effect entire, but those are topics for another day), are the directional
thrusters, the little jets on the sides that determine course. Alone, they don’t do much, but in concert
with the main engine, they can direct the ship to wildly different destinations.
Piney, sour, citric, and diesely smells
tend to obtain in narrow-leaf strains (commonly known as sativa; we’ll discuss how the modern taxonomy suggests that all “smoking
weed” is in fact cannabis indica at
another time). These smells are a good
indicator that the herb in question will be stimulating, as bright in effect as
its nose would suggest. Mental focus and
energy can be expected from these strains, but sometimes also jitteriness and
paranoia.
Conversely, smells of blue and red fruits
(think: blueberry, blackberry, or cherry), hops, white flowers (think: stargazer
lily), or the skunky funk immediately recognizable to aficionados of OG Kush,
herald a much more relaxing, often sedative experience. These aromas are common to broad-leaf (usually
called indica) strains. The drawback here might be unwanted couchlock
or passing out.
In the end, how important is a a strain’s
nose? Extremely. I’ve never smoked cannabis that smelled great
that I didn’t enjoy (a 12.4% Super Lemon Haze comes to mind), and I’ve rarely
smoked something that bored my olfactories yet rocked my world (e.g. several
strains north of 30% THC that just did not
deliver).
So, moving forward, pay close attention to
the relationship between the smell of your cannabis and the way it makes you
feel. This will allow you to establish a
personal frame of reference and thus greatly expand your ability to think about
herb in something approaching a systematic, maybe even scientific, way. You’ll notice that, even if you find my
descriptors and distinctions to be total bullshit, there is a consistency to
this method of evaluation that bests any other short of just going ahead and
smoking the stuff. There’s simply no
better way to preview the quality of a given cannabis.
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