The sheer volume of medical cannabis products now on the market leaves patients confused and producers competing for market share. For many growers, the way to gain a competitive advantage is to selectively breed plants to create unique cannabinoid-terpene profiles. But they need patients to understand the role terpenes play for it to matter.
Terpenes 101
Terpenes are aromatic compounds that naturally occur in plants and trees. Are you familiar with the unmistakable aroma of the pine tree? What you smell is a direct result of the terpenes found in that tree. Likewise, cannabis plants have their own unique terpenes.
Someone experienced with cannabis plants would know what those plants smell like. You could send that person into a cannabis processing plant, complete with a blindfold, and he would know exactly what was in the space. Cannabis aromas are just that unique. But what do they mean in the medical cannabis space?
Aroma and Flavor Alone
From a purely sensory standpoint, terpenes impact the aroma and flavor of a cannabis product. Both could matter to a medical cannabis patient who chooses vaping or dry heating as the primary delivery method. But for someone who uses ingestible or topical products, aroma and flavor would not matter much.
Although it is possible, I wouldn’t expect that the vast majority of medical cannabis patients choose their preferred products based on flavor and aroma. First off, the states with medical cannabis programs generally prohibit smoking cannabis for medical purposes. Smoking is just unhealthy.
Second, vaping is arguably the most preferred method of medical cannabis delivery. And while flavor and aroma are components of vaping, it is not the same experience one would get from smoking. So I am guessing that patients are far more interested in other things than flavor and aroma alone.
The Therapeutic Possibilities
Patients tend to be more interested in the therapeutic benefits of their medicines. But do not assume that terpenes are left out. They are not. Science has demonstrated that terpenes can affect the medical cannabis experience based on how they interact with the endocannabinoid system.
Some terpenes have also shown measurable health benefits. When you combine these benefits with how terpenes interact with the endocannabinoid system, you have a recipe for highly specialized cannabinoid-terpene profiles in the medical cannabis space.
The operators of the Beehive Farmacy in Salt Lake City, Utah, say that cannabinoid-terpene profiles are extremely important to today’s patients. As a medical cannabis pharmacy licensed by Utah’s regulating authority, Beehive operates two of just fifteen facilities serving the entire patient population in the state.
They explain that educating patients about cannabinoid-terpene profiles has become more important as time has gone on. Today’s patients are especially keen to understand the different profiles among brands and their respective products. Check Beehive Farmacy’s website.
Research Is Ongoing
Research into cannabinoid-terpene profiles is ongoing. From scientific organizations to state-licensed growing operations, the goal is to find the most effective profiles for treating specific health conditions. The more researchers learn, the more specialized medical cannabis cultivars become.
Cannabis science might someday reach a point at which terpenes become more important than either THC or CBD. Given that terpenes are not subject to federal cannabis laws, focusing on their potential medical benefits could prove to be a game-changer for medical cannabis patients.
For now, most of the focus on terpenes relates to flavor and aroma. Yet flavor and aroma have little to no impact on medical cannabis efficacy. It is nice if your medicine tastes and smells good, but a pleasant flavor and aroma are not really necessary to maintain wellness.
