Yo, what’s up? It’s your boy Dan and today we’re talking about weed. Now, we all know about THC and CBD, those are the two most famous cannabinoids in cannabis. But did you know that there are over 100 different cannabinoids and more than 200 terpenes in this magical plant? Yeah, we’re barely scratching the surface.
So, what are terpenes? They’re the compounds that give weed its amazing smell and taste. You know when you take a whiff of some dank bud and it smells like citrus or lavender? That’s terpenes doing their thing. And it’s not just about how good it smells, terpenes also have potential medical benefits.
Some strains of weed have higher levels of terpenes than others, and these terpenes can affect how high you get. It’s called the entourage effect – when cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids all work together to give you a better high.
Now, let’s talk about one specific terpene: phellandrene. It’s not as well-known as other terpenes like myrcene or pinene, but it’s still important. In fact, there are more than 20,000 terpenes out there and weed only has about 1% of them.
Phellandrene is often used in essential oils for its relaxing effects. It’s found in lavender, pine, cinnamon, dill, mint, black pepper, and ginger grass. But what can it do for you? Well, research is limited due to marijuana prohibition in the United States, but studies have shown that phellandrene can reduce pain sensitivity and increase energy levels.
However, researchers have also found that undiluted phellandrene can cause adverse skin reactions in some cases. So be careful with that stuff.
It’s important to note that most marijuana strains only contain around 20-30% cannabinoids and less than 2% terpenes. But with improved breeding techniques and technology, some strains can have up to 7% terpenes. And if a strain has a single terpene that makes up at least 2% of its total compounds, you’re in for a treat.
So, what’s the deal with maximizing terpene content post-harvest? Well, proponents of terpenes say that it’s more important than settling for a high THC or CBD level. In fact, some vaporizer companies are already selling e-liquids with 20% terpenes, 40% THC, and 40% CBD.
In conclusion, we need to do more research on all the different compounds in weed, including terpenes like phellandrene. It could have potential medical benefits, but we need to study it more. And who knows, maybe in the future we’ll see a shift towards terpenes instead of just focusing on THC or CBD. Only time will tell.
Until then, stay lifted and keep exploring all the amazing things weed has to offer. Peace out.