Health Benefits Of Terpenes

Terpenes are the compounds that generate the smell and the mental effects of cannabis. These essential oils differ from one strain of cannabis to the other. the terpene caryophyllene oxide, for instance, smells like eucalyptus, while ß-caryophyllene smells like black pepper. As a matter of fact, ß-caryophyllene is an essential oil that can be found in cloves and back pepper, a terpene that has strong anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal and antibacterial properties.

Terpenes are responsible for more than the smell of various cannabis strains; each of them has its own health benefits cbd isolate. Green House Seeds in Amsterdam has made it their mission to study terpenes. Their work spreads over several years, and their efforts are useful for identifying cannabis strains with excellent accuracy.

                                                                                

The terpenes blend profile of each cannabis strain is a unique blend. This makes terpenes profiling one of the best methods to identify cannabis strains. Other elements that help identifying these plants are the cannabinoid profile (the TGC and CBD content), the subspecies (sarivas or indicas), the processing method, and the ingestion ways. All these factors contribute to creating the effect various cannabis strains have on the human body and mind.

                                                                                     

Franco Loja, the manager of Green House Seeds, says they've started profiling terpenes in 2009. In the beginning, they took into consideration only the fragrance, as that was their main goal at the time. All they wanted was to find a reliable tool to enable them breed cannabis strains based solely on their aroma and flavor rather than on their THC and CBD content. According to Loja, prior to their work, cannabis breeding was based solely on personal evaluations of aroma and fragrance, the process being similar to wine evaluation by sommeliers.

Loja also said that after 2011 many scientists conducted research about medical benefits of terpenes, Ed Rosenthal being one of the researchers who dedicated a lot of his time and energy to this topic. This is what has made Loja and his team consider going deeper with their investigations. Unfortunately, they didn't have the means to do proper scientific research, so all they could have done was to wait for medical institutions pursue this endeavor.

                                 

Terpenes are the main compounds in essential oils, and they can be found in most plants. They give plants their specific smell, flavors and effects. For example, the terpene limonene in citrus fruits gives these fruits the specific fragrance, but also their ability to work as effective skin cleaners. Limonene is well-known for its anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. Apparently, it also has some anti-cancer properties. You may have already noticed that some cannabis strains smell like citrus fruits - this is due to their limonene content.

                               

According to Loja, limonene is one of the most popular terpenes. It can be found in several popular strains such as Super Lemon Haze and Lemon Skunk. Cannabis specialists can identify a strain by simply smelling the cannabis plant. They are even able to predict the medical effects of various strains with pretty good accuracy.

Furthermore, terpenes are more than simple factors that enable us to identify and breed cannabis strains. They promise to be the main active ingredients of many products that will be developed in the future, thanks to the fact that their use is environmentally sustainable. Since the development of green products is one of the strongest trends of our modern world, we can safely assume terpenes will play a major role in many industries. Some of them are already used by some manufacturers in dish soaps, beauty products, laundry detergents and even teas.

Even better, manufacturers use terpenes that burn away in the smoking process to develop "legal cannabis enhancers" or incense sticks for aromatherapy that can uplift a cannabis user after smoking.

In conclusion, Loja is optimistic in regard to the future of terpenes in the medical industry. With cannabis becoming legal, chances are more scientific and medical organizations will conduct research to emphasize the health benefits of these natural compounds.