Cannabis contains hundreds, if not thousands, of chemical compounds. Besides the well-known cannabinoids like THC and CBD, there are terpenes that play an important role in the smell, taste and your experience while consuming a joint, cannabis oil or a space cake. For example, we know that Purple Haze gives an uplifting and happy-making effect and weed from Do Si Dos is a recipe for an evening of couch-lifting.
Terpenes are aromatic molecules found in many plants and give each strain of weed its unique character. Therefore, contrary to what you hear on the street about indica and sativa, these compounds make the difference between an energetic high or chilling out in the park. Most strains therefore give a mixture of these almost opposite effects.
Note: You do read medical and health claims about terpenes, such as that they can be antibacterial or anti-inflammatory. These kinds of claims are about the pure terpenes. We limit ourselves to the amounts that can occur in cannabis, often up to a few percent of the dry weight of a bud.
Terpenes in short:
Getting high? Terpenes such as limonene and pineene probably play a large role in the uplifting properties of many cannabis strains.
Prefer getting stoned? On the other end of the spectrum, you see terpenes such as myrcene and linalool contributing to the relaxing and narcotic effects typical of other cannabis strains.
There is no difference in how weed works because it is a sativa or an indica. It is down to a close interplay of cannabinoids and the terpenes discussed below what the effect of your weed is. After all, weed has been crossed (hybrids) with each other a lot.
Terpenes can occur in thousands from one percent to a few percent of the total weight of a bud of weed; much less than THC or CBD. This is slightly different from the terpene profile, which just adds up all the terpenes. Thus, limonene can be as much as 30% of the terpene profile, but only 2% of your bud weed.
By limiting the temperature during use, you can ingest more or less of some terpenes (and other substances). In doing so, you can also influence the nature of the high.
Finally, keep in mind that your state of mind (set) and environment (setting) have more influence on how your weed works than you think. If you're tired from working out and lying on the couch watching a movie, you can puff all the Super Lemon Haze you want, but you probably won't get more energy.
Continue reading below explanation of 22 terpenes in Cannabis!