While there are over 100 cannabinoids, around 150 cannabis terpenes have been identified in various cannabis plants. Remember that hemp is cannabis; and it’s legal in the U.S. as long as it has less than 0.3 percent THC (delta-9).
We haven’t always known about terpenes, cannabinoids, and all the various contributing compounds in hemp. What’s more, like flavonoids, terpenes are not even unique to cannabis. They’ve had a role to play in nature all along. Terpenes are essential oils that are found in many different kinds of plants and their fruit, like pine trees, lemons, eucalyptus, lavender, etc. Terpenes give plants their distinctive aroma that is so familiar, just like they do in cannabis—there’s no other odor like it, is there?
Their purpose in their plant hosts is to defend against predators and environmental factors.
Which is also their main contribution to the cannabis plant. Aside from giving its unique aromatic character, that is.
These aren’t all the terpenes, but watch this page as we will continuously be adding additional terpene information to help with your understanding.
