For cannabis plants, terpenes may be more influential than genetics



Terpenes may be a better indicator of a cannabis plant’s profile, and a better way to describe strains, than genetic ancestry, new research shows.

After analyzing more than 100 samples of cannabis, a team of Canadian and Dutch researchers found that strain names — even the most well known, Sativa and Indica —tended to be poor descriptors of a plant’s genetic makeup or its lineage.

In many cases, though, strain names did reflect terpene content, which is linked to aroma (and in THC-rich cannabis may also influence psychoactive effects).

Wait. What Are Terpenes?

Terpenes are naturally-occurring chemical compounds found in plants that give them signature scents. Highly aromatic plants including cannabis, herbs and citrus fruits have a relatively high terpene content.


Lemon zest? That’s the terpene limonene. Pine? That’s pinene. A cannabis plant may make 20 to 40 types of terpenes.


Terpenes do have an evolutionary purpose. In nature, they can repel pests like insects and fungus, or attract beneficial insects.

When People Talk About 'Strains' They're Really Talking About Terpenes

When it comes to cannabis, people may benefit from knowing more about a plant or extract than its cannabinoid profile. Yes, knowing whether a preparation is high in CBD or THC is essential. But once that’s established, could terpenes offer even more information chemical makeup and likely effects?


The Canadian and Dutch researchers thought so.


Strain names, they wrote "are routinely assigned to Cannabis cultivars by breeders, retailers and users to describe a cultivar’s morphology, aromas and/or psychoactive effects. However, it is unclear whether these labels capture meaningful information about Cannabis genetic and chemical variation. […]


They went on to say that naming "is instead probably driven primarily by a small number of key terpenes whose concentrations contribute to the characteristic aromas.”


In other words, terpenes are already a primary driver in how cannabis plants are categorized and named by the people growing and selling them. Read the full article here - https://www.nothingbuthemp.net/post/for-cannabis-plants-terpenes-may-be-more-influential-than-genetics

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