The beginners guide to bud

For the cannabis-curious and the future connoisseurs

TERPS

What’s all the
Terpene talk about?

Written by Aaryn Indica

When talking about the technical side of cannabis, you’re bound to hear about terpenes. Often a confusing cluster of chemistry terms, taking on terpenes is a lot easier than it may seem.

You’d be surprised how useful it is to take the time to learn your terps. And the more we know about terps, the better trips we can get out of them. So today on CannaBible, we’re tackling terpenes and all the tasty trips they send us on - so you can know your bud better than ever.

What are terpenes?

Terpenes - or just ‘terps’ - are naturally occurring compounds that are present in cannabis, complimenting and boosting THC in interesting and effective ways. In the world of weed, they come up quite a bit, and for good reason too.

Terpenes are the compounds that give cannabis its distinct and dank smell.
When you smell notes of oranges, pepper, or even a hint of gasoline in your flower - terpenes are the ones to thank. But their contributions to cannabis don’t stop there.

Terpenes are unique because they not only affect the outside of cannabis - but the inside too. While THC is responsible for getting you high, terpenes are what truly determine the type of high your weed will take you on.

Terpenes determine aroma and taste, yet cannabis manages to take this to the next level.
If you’ve ever wondered why a lemony-smelling sativa may make you feel anxious - or why an earthy-scented hybrid might give you more couch-lock than another - then the answer is simply terpenes.

Just like their unique scent profiles, each terpene has a profile of how it'll make you feel too. Different terpenes correspond to different effects. For example, Pinene smells like pine, perfect for its clear-headed and focused high. Limonene, as you can probably guess, smells like lemons - fitting for the energized and uplifted feeling it’s known for.

Caryophyllene, which smells like pepper, gives you that old-school Scooby-Doo type stoned feeling. Linalool, the top terp in lots of indica strains, smells like lavender - because it's in lavender. This terpene has a tendency to make you sleepy.

Dozens of different terpenes could be contained in one individual plant. Together, these terpenes blend into the hundreds of different delicious varieties we call strains.

Top Terp

Strains

Love your tasty terps?
We do too -
Here is Cyphr ’s top picks
for the tangiest, tastiest, and most interesting terp profiles
you can likely find near you

Looking for more strains
and terps to try?

Check out Cyphr’s

Cyphr’s

Top Terps To Know

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Most Popular Cannabis Terpenes & Their Effects

Limonene – Uplifting, mood-enhancing, and stress-relieving; often found in citrus-scented strains.

Terpinolene – Energizing, uplifting, and has antioxidant properties; often found in Sativa strains.

Pinene – Enhances focus, memory, and alertness while offering anti-inflammatory benefits.

Eucalyptol - Helps with concentration, providing a zen, calm, and concentrated high.

Myrcene – Relaxing, sedative, and helps with pain relief; commonly found in Indica strains.

Humulene – Woody, earthy aroma; known for appetite suppression and anti-inflammatory effects.

Linalool – Calming, anti-anxiety, and promotes relaxation; has a floral lavender scent.

Caryophyllene – Spicy, peppery profile with anti-inflammatory and stress-relieving properties.

How do terpenes work?

Together, terpenes and THC work side by side in something called ‘The Entourage Effect’. This interaction between THC, cannabinoids, and the particular terpenes within a strain are three of the biggest things that determine the way it might make you feel. Things like THC, other cannabinoids like CBN and CBD, and the wide collection of terpenes are balled up together to give you man's best bud, literally.

Let’s not take terpenes for granted though, because these compounds are even more notorious than you may think.

Terpenes are everywhere.
Unlike THC, Terpenes are present in almost all other plants, with the library of known terpenoids ranging in the hundreds. They give plants their distinct smells and tastes - and they’re abundant in essential oils and extracts.

That’s true for things like fruit too. If you’ve ever heard the myth that mango juice gets you higher, that’s because myrcene - a top terpene in cannabis - is present in mango as well.

Although it may sound weird, terpenes even find themselves in things like your skin care. If you ever looked at the back of a LUSH product, some of those ingredients might be terpenes. They're used as scent enhancers in some of your favorite cosmetics, and provide detoxifying effects for skin care products.

Thanks to their presence in essential oils, terpenes are even a keen compound in almost all perfumes.

Whether we’re burning essential oils as incense, or lighting up a nice blunt, terpenes are the compounds that color our world. It’s thanks to the THC though, that we’re able to enjoy the unique and uncountable psychological benefits of terpenes too.

One of the best things about terpenes however, is that they’re just as volatile as THC itself. Just like cannabinoids, terpenes can be ingested and used in topicals, edibles, vapes, or its natural state in flower.

A Word on COAs

If you’re in a legal state, or you purchase THC-A online, you should definitely get into the habit of checking the COAs.
COAs (or Certificates of Analysis) are lab reports conducted by certified third-party labs - and they’re a standard on reputable products. COAs offers verifiable proof that whatever you’re using is clean and clear things like pesticides and heavy metals.
COAs are often including as a QR code on the product’s packaging, or on the manufacturers website.

One other thing COAs are good for though - besides basic health and safety - is terpene reports.
Though not universal, lots of top brands include terpene reports in their COAs, giving you a clear report and understand of the terpenes in each and every strain they offer. By giving COAs a quick glance, you can easily pick the strain best for you on terpenes alone.

Though terpenes may sound technical on the surface, they’re something simple and special.
They’re what gives cannabis the signature stanky scent we all know and love. They’re what sets a ‘true’ sativa apart from a ‘true’ indica, and they shape our seshes every time we light up.

     Knowledge of terpenes and the highs they take you on comes in handy more than you may think.
     Taking the time to learn about terpenes gives you more control over the weed you smoke, the strains you pick, and the high they give you in the end. Knowing your favorite terpenes, and how they smell, lets you sniff out strains you’ll truly enjoy.

     Training your nose for specific notes and smells in your bud develops a very interesting stoner skill. The more you can pick out distinct scents and terpenes, the easier it is to guess how a particular strain may make you feel by scent alone.

It’s an artform I call ‘Terp-Tasting’.

One whiff of a tangy and bright strain, scented with a hint of lemons, can easily tell you that it probably isn’t a nighttime sativa. If you can smell a trace of something fruity and sweet, you’ll know you’ve landed on something euphoric.

Terpenes - and the amazing way they color our world - takes weed to the next level. Next time a baggie blasts you in the fast with a skunky smell, you can smile knowing the terpenes are gonna take you exactly where you want to be.

If you want to get the most out of your terpenes, and train your nose to know a lot more about cannabis - click below to check out our article on Terpene Tasting.