So-called terpenes come up pretty often in the context of CBD products. Terpenes are natural, organic compounds and are important elements of large variety of plants, including eucalyptus, peppermint, lemongrass, lemon balm, thyme, as well as cannabis, and contributes to their taste, smell and colour.
Terpenes are chemical compounds, and are the main component of essential oils. They occur in fruits such as oranges and lemons, in pepper, and also in cannabis, meaning in the hemp plant. They also give a plant its characteristic scent.
The typical hemp scent you can smell can be traced back to the mixture it contains. Each terpene mixture is unique and creates the different scent notes of the plants. The so-called “Limonene” terpenes, for example, produce a lemony scent!
They can be found in oranges, peppermint or juniper and are said to have a mood-enhancing effect. In addition to the unique aroma, these substances support the positive effects of cannabinoids. The sheer variety of effects they have is amazing.
They are found in all plants, but the concentration is particularly high in the flower heads: this is how plants attract insects to pollinate them and at the same time protect themselves against pests. As you can see, terpenes are real multi-tasking talents!
If you’re like us, just thinking about aromatherapy will already make you sense the soothing notes of lavender or refreshing tingle of peppermint in your nose. Terpenes release their effect partly through scent, which makes them particularly effective when they are absorbed by the skin or swallowed.
To date, a total of around 20,000 terpenes have been identified and characterized. And hemp contains a particularly large number of terpenes: scientists have discovered around 200 different structures of the plant substance in the cannabis plant alone.
These substances support the positive properties of cannabinoids by mixing together several biological plant substances, which leads to a higher biological activity. Scientists refer to this process as the “entourage effect“. This also means that the natural terpenes and other plant substances are more effective if they can interact with one another.
So what does this mean for consumers? When buying hemp extracts, opt for natural products as often as possible. At Tom Hemp’s you will find a large selection such as our cannabis terpenes from Cali Terpenes, which give flower extracts, oils and e-liquids a unique aroma. They are produced naturally and are obtained from organically grown cannabis plants. The high quality standards of Tom Hemp’s also guarantee that our prodcuts are 100% pesticide-free.
