Terpenes, or terps, have become one of the most important aspects of any cannabis product. No matter whether you try a Delta-8 vape cartridge or a CBD oil, you’ll probably hear all about terpenes.
That’s because terpenes are responsible for the incredible aroma and flavors from cannabis and hemp plants. Not only that, but terpenes are also vital because it’s thought that terpenes can support relaxation, pain, and anxiety.
However, did you know that not all terpenes are made equal? Terpenes in cannabis products can be derived from the cannabis plant itself or from botanical sources.
To find out what the difference is and which one is better, then continue reading below.
What Are Terpenes?
Terpenes are all around us—in fact, you’ve probably come into contact with terpenes at some point today. That’s because terpenes are found in all plants and even some animals.
Terpenes are natural molecules that give off taste and flavor. If you’ve ever enjoyed the scent of a pine forest or an orange peel, what you’re smelling is terpenes.
Even every toke of your favorite hemp strain is the taste of many different terpenes. We could go on and on, but it’s safe to say that terpenes are in just about everything.
Why Are Terpenes Important?
Although terpenes are all around us, they’ve become investigated because of cannabis. That’s because the aromas and tastes of cannabis are because of cannabis’ terpene profile.
Basically, the unique combination of terpenes any hemp or cannabis strain has gives it a unique flavor and taste. After all, over 100 different terpenes have been discovered in cannabis.
However, there’s only about a handful of common terpenes in any given strain. These are like the main cast of terpenes that show up in cannabis:
Myrcene
Limonene
Caryophyllene
Linalool
Pinene
Humulene
Terpinolene
The most exciting thing of all is that terpenes can have their own effect. For example, scientists think that limonene can reduce anxiety and oxidants.
Or, it’s thought that myrcene and caryophyllene may be able to reduce pain and inflammation. The number of potential benefits goes on, which is why terpenes have become intensely studied.
Terpenes are also important because of how enjoyable they are. Think of your favorite CBD or delta-8 THC vape—you probably enjoy them so much because of terpenes.
What Are Cannabis-Derived Terpenes?
Cannabis-derived terpenes come from—you guessed it—cannabis plants. Now you might be wondering, why do we need to distinguish where terpenes come from?
After all, the terpenes come from the cannabis plants that the product was made from, right? Not exactly, because in many cannabis products, terpenes are added in.
That’s especially true of certain products, such as vape carts or any other product that has high purity. For example, let’s think of a CBD or delta-8 THC vape cartridge.
First, the CBD or delta-8 THC must be extracted and then refined into its purest form. Now, manufacturers can add natural terpenes from cannabis for flavoring.
They do this by first distilling the terpenes from cannabis and then adding them into the vape cartridges or other products. This gives the cannabis product a true-to-life taste because the terpenes that were distilled come from an actual cannabis plant.
What Are Hemp-Derived Terpenes?
Hemp-derived terpenes are exactly like cannabis-derived terpenes. That’s because hemp and cannabis are the same plant.
The only difference is that hemp is a special breed of cannabis that has a low amount of THC. However, it still has terpenes like any other cannabis plant.
The only difference is that the terpene profile of hemp plants may not be the same as popular strains of high-THC cannabis plants.
What Are Botanical-Terpenes?
Earlier, we mentioned that terpenes could be found in almost all plants, not just cannabis. That means that other plants can be a source of terpenes.
In fact, botanical terpenes refer to terpenes that come from plants other than cannabis. For example, citrus fruits have a lot of limonene.
Producers can use the same distillation technique and get limonene from citrus fruits rather than the cannabis plant. Then, manufacturers can take these botanical terpenes and add them to various cannabis products.
Is There a Difference In Effects?
One thing to keep in mind is that botanical and cannabis terpenes are the same. Myrcene from cannabis and myrcene from thyme are the same thing.
After all, they’re technically just chemical compounds. That means that technically, botanical and cannabis-derived terps should have the same effects.
That means that linalool should be able to support relaxation and anxiety no matter if it comes from lavender or cannabis.
Is There a Difference In Taste?
One thing that’s up for debate is if botanical and cannabis-derived terps smell and taste the same. Some people think that cannabis-derived terps smell and taste more authentic.
That makes sense since cannabis-derived terpenes come from the actual cannabis or hemp plant. That means that the terpene profile should closely match that of the real deal.
With botanical terps, producers need to try and match a terpene profile, which can be imperfect. Another thing to consider is the concentration of terpenes.
Usually, there are not a lot of terpenes in cannabis, and they make up about 2% of the compounds in cannabis. However, with botanical terpenes, manufacturers can add a large percentage of terpenes.
That makes the concentration of terpenes much higher than what’s possible with cannabis-derived terpenes. However, that can also alter the taste in different ways.
That means that botanical terpenes can be incredibly delicious even though they aren’t precisely mimicking the flavor of natural cannabis. Basically, it comes down to preference.
Some purists want their vape product to taste just like cannabis, while others don’t mind the enhanced flavor of botanical terpenes.
Stick To High-Quality Cannabis- And Botanical-Derived Terpenes
No matter what you prefer, you’ll want to make sure that the cannabis products you purchase have high-quality terpenes. You can do that by buying only the highest quality cannabis products from Simply Crafted.
Every product from Simply Crafted is created with quality and care. Also, every product is lab tested, so you know what you’re consuming is safe and effective.
Simply Crafted also has cannabis products with both cannabis-derived and botanical-derived terpenes.
Head over to Simply Crafted today and try cannabis products with botanical and cannabis-derived terpenes to see which is your favorite.
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