As the cannabis industry develops, consumer expectations about authentic taste and authenticity are on the rise. The consumers aren’t content with products that just “work.” They are looking for experiences that are real to the smells of the plants that make them feel recognized and taste that reflect real cannabis, not merely imitations. The increasing demand for cannabis has put Cannabis derived terpenes in the forefront of serious product development conversations.
Image credit: massterpenes.com
The Terpenes that Define Cannabis Identity
Terpenes are aromatic compounds responsible for the distinct smell and taste of cannabis strains. They influence the perception of a product from cannabis before any effects take place. When preserved properly terpenes are able to communicate freshness and also quality and strain lineage. When handled poorly even a product with a high potency may feel stale or fake.
Real Cannabis terpenes are sourced directly from cannabis flower, capturing the plant’s natural aromatic fingerprint. This is fundamentally different from botanical terpene blends that attempt to replicate cannabis’s characteristics using compounds derived from non-cannabis plants. While botanical blends might be cheaper, they do not have the same depth that cannabis experts consider to be part of it.
The extraction process determines the result
How terpenes are extracted is a significant factor in their final character. Hydrocarbon extraction is typically used to capture vivid, resin-like scents. These techniques safeguard fragile compounds that can easily disappear in high-heat or drying processes.
CO2 Terpenes can also be an option. Carbon dioxide extracting allows for exact control and creates clean and stable Terpenes that are stable and clean. The resultant aroma could be more restrained compared to extracting live hydrocarbons, however CO2 derived profiles are valued for consistency and purity especially when it comes to formulations that require balance more than intensity.
It’s not possible to pick between these two. Each serves a purpose that is different and the producers must decide based on the outcome they want to achieve, not market trends.
The difference between the old and new materials can be measured
The quality of the cannabis-derived terpenes begin when they are harvested. Terpenes by nature, are unstable, meaning they will degrade rapidly when exposed to oxygen, heat or even time. The original aroma is best preserved with fresh frozen flowers or other materials that have been properly preserved.
Once degradation has taken place and extraction techniques have failed, no method will be able to recover all of the lost. Terpene producers with experience focus on handling and sourcing in a constant manner. The clarity and intensity of the aroma differ immediately between the fresh and the compromised material.
What to Look for When buying Cannabis Terpenes
It’s easy to ignore the glitzy claims and descriptions when evaluating Cannabis Terpenes. The most important thing is transparency. Buyers must understand how terpenes are extracted and where they originate from and how they will be processed.
Consistency is a key factor. Truly cannabis-derived product must smell exactly the same from batch-to batch, even when it is specific to a particular strain. The existence of huge variations is a sign that the brand cares about quality.
Terpene Craft: A Focused Method
Some producers try to do all things to all people. Others opt for specialization. Mass Terpenes, which focuses solely on terpenes rather than dealing with different product categories, falls under the second group. This focus on terpene extraction allows for more control over the aromas as well as the process and final product.
Mass Terpenes prioritizes small-batch manufacturing and post-processing that lets the scent speak for itself. Instead of relying on marketing quality, it should be experienced through scents and tastes that are distinctively cannabis-based.
Aroma is the Ultimate Quality Check
It’s impossible to replace the instant a container has been opened. High-quality cannabis-derived terpenes announce themselves immediately, with the complexity and familiarity that even artificial blends struggle to compete with. Aroma is still the most authentic measurement of success.
As the industry is evolving authenticity is now the real differentiator. This same principle applies regardless of whether producers opt for live-extracted profiles or CO2 refined Terpenes. If terpenes are handled with intention and respect and care, they not only enhance products they carry the cannabis cultivation forward in the most well-known shape.
