Terpenes – what are they and why should you care?
Odds are, your nose is delighted every time you walk into your local Sonoma County dispensary. Saturated with smells — sweet and floral, pungent and funky, spicy and earthy — those sharp aromas are created by various terpenes. The building blocks of scent and taste, terpenes interact with the body in a variety of ways. When you open a fresh jar of Santa Rosa cannabis and breathe in, your senses are perceiving a collection of terpenes.
Science talk — terpenes are aroma emitting phenols made by many plants. Terpenes bind to receptors in the brain and cause different psychological effects. Think of it as aromatherapy. Relaxing or stimulating and everything in between, terpenes do more than provide flavor and smell. The terpenes in Sativa strains tend to be uplifting, whereas the terpenes found in Indica strains are frequently calming and sedative. With over 100 identified terpenes in the cannabis plant, each strain of flower has its own unique terpene profile. Thus, different scents, flavors and effects.
Myrcene
One of the most prevalent terpenes in cannabis is myrcene. Earthy and musky, myrcene smells almost clove-like, with notes of fruit and a hint of red grapes. This terpene is so common that if you randomly picked a jar off our Santa Rosa Cannabis Dispensary’s shelves, it would be myrcene-dominant around 30% of the time.
Strains with 0.5% or more of myrcene are generally indicas with soporific effects. Incredibly relaxing, it has been reported that this terpene is useful in reducing inflammation and chronic pain. A powerful sedative, when working synergistically with THC, myrcene is ideal for people suffering from insomnia, bodily discomfort, and even cancer.
Not just in cannabis, myrcene is also found in hops, lemongrass, eucalyptus, thyme and mangoes. It is responsible for the peppery, balsam scent in a hoppy IPA, and may be why lemongrass tea has been used as a sleep-aid in traditional folk medicine for centuries.
Try it!
Flora Terra, the best dispensary in Sonoma, carries many strains rich in myrcene. Some stand-outs include:
- Liv Emerald Grape Cream Cake Flower
- Absolute Extracts Grand Daddy Purple Cartridge
- Smoakland Grape Ape Shatter
- Plus Granddaddy Purple Edible
- Jetpacks Tangie Prerolls
Terpene Tip:
Mango contains quite a bit of myrcene. Rumor has it that consuming the fruit 45 minutes before a cannabis session may strengthen the effects of THC and result in a faster onset of those lovely psychoactive feelings. Does mango produce a better high? Experiment and let all of us at your favorite dispensary in Sonoma County know!
