You may have lately come across the phrase terpenes, which is distinct from other familiar terminologies like cannabinoid, India, and Sativa. Another cannabinoid molecule has been discovered in cannabis.
What are terpenes, exactly? Knowing the types and quantities of cannabinoids in a product before purchasing it is critical.
Find out what researchers have discovered so far by reading on.
Abstract
The cannabis Sativa plant has a wide variety of chemicals that work in concert with cannabinoids to produce the desired effects, as well as compounds that act as synergistic or entourage effects.
Terpenes and terpenoids in cannabis/hemp plant materials and essential oils were detected using a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry detector. There was an evaluation of the abundance of the principal terpenes/terpenoids in the samples.
It is hoped that the findings of this study will be useful in future evaluations of the chemical mixtures with cannabinoids and their usefulness in healthcare.
2020 Author’s Date (s) S. Karger AG in Basel is the publisher.
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What exactly are they?
Terpenes are natural chemical compounds that can be found in plants and some animals. They’re in charge of giving plants their distinctive scents, flavors, and even colors. For cannabis, terpenes are what differentiate one strain from another.
Cleaning solvents, insecticides, and dyes, for example, can all be made from them. Some of them are even medicinal in nature.
While terpenes are found in practically all plants, the following are some of the more common places where people come into contact with them:
What exactly are they up to?
Plants are assumed to be protected against harsh weather and predators by the presence of terpenes. We don’t really know what they do in humans yet.
Terpenes, on the other hand, are increasingly being studied by cannabis academics and consumers alike as a means of classifying cannabis products and forecasting their effects.
The major terpenes of a strain act in tandem with the cannabinoid content — the quantity of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and other cannabinoids — to produce the effects people associate with different strains.
If two strains with the same THC content provide such varied sensations, they might explain this.
Is there a difference between them and cannabinoids in any way?
Cannabis contains cannabinoids, which are chemical substances.
The body’s endocannabinoid system is activated by cannabinoids like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The “high” that people get from cannabis is the result of this chemical reaction.
For its medical benefits, cannabidiol (CBD) is another cannabinoid that is becoming more and more popular. In spite of its similarity to THC, CBD has a distinct effect on the same receptors and does not provide a euphoric effect.
Aside from THC and CBD, there are more than a hundred cannabinoids in the cannabis plant that are not as well-known as these two.
There are also terpenes, which are among the most common substances in nature, found in the cannabis plant.
In most plants and certain animal molecules, the scent is mostly due to compounds known as terpenes. Some, like cannabinoids, may also have an effect on the body’s endocannabinoid system, but this has to be seen. When it comes to absorption and use, these chemicals are vastly different.
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The question is whether or not terpenes have an effect on people.
There are many terpenes that are bioactive, which means they can have an effect on the human body. This effect is dependent on the terpene content and the manner in which it is used.
Essential oils rely on terpenes since they have a strong scent, and aromatherapy relies heavily on them as well. A person’s mood and stress levels may be affected by inhaling the aromas of particular plants and essential oils.
Terpenes are thought by some to influence or improve the high one experiences from cannabis. The term “entourage effect” refers to the idea that terpenes interact with THC and CBD in the body in a way that enhances or modifies their effects.
There is some evidence to support these claims. As an example, according to a recent study published in Frontiers in NeurologyTrusted Source, patients with epilepsy who took a CBD-rich extract reported better symptoms and fewer adverse effects than those who took pure CBD.
Terpenes and other cannabinoids in the cannabis plant may impact how CBD is absorbed and utilized by the human body.
The isolated terpenes themselves are the subject of a great deal of medical research, and some of them may even be used for medicinal purposes.
Several terpenes have been shown to have favorable impacts on the human body, according to a study in Chemico-Biological Interactions.