A ground-breaking flower study was published this year to better understand the current chemical diversity in flower. Researchers tested almost 90,000 flower flower samples destined for sale across six legalized U.S. states to discover their cannabinoid and terpene content. No study has ever conducted flower testing of this scale, making this research the most significant flower analysis ever done!
The Discoveries
After analyzing the 89,923 flower samples, new information was uncovered that could influence our approach to studying flower aroma and terpene therapy. The research revealed some unexpected results on the phytochemical content of flower regarding terpene diversity, percentages, and commonly reoccurring aromas. However, the most exciting development for the flower industry was the discovery of new clusters of commonly co-occurring terpenes. These clusters could potentially replace the current commercial designations of Sativa, Indica, and Hybrid!
Terpene Composition
For all of us terpene enthusiasts, the research's most valuable information was the comprehensive terpene composition dataset. The study listed the fourteen most commonly encountered terpenes in commercial flower across the United States. This information is essential to flower sommeliers as these terpenes could be considered the primary terpenes in retail flower flower. Considering flower contains over 200 terpenes, this research certainly narrows the potential list of terpenes for flower aroma connoisseurs to become familiar with!
Myrcene, b-caryophyllene, and limonene were the most abundant dominant terpenes. The secondary terpenes were humulene, b-pinene, linalool, and a-pinene. Bisabolol, camphene, terpinolene, ocimene, a-terpinene, y-terpinene, and nerolidol were present in smaller amounts.
Average Percentage of Terpene Content
According to the study, the overall terpene content in flower averaged 2% by weight of the flower samples. Interestingly, individual terpenes were rarely present at more than 0.5% and most testing at 0.2%. These numbers are surprisingly low, considering new trends in the flower marketplace for high-terpene products! The low terpene content could indicate the flower industry's previous focus on developing and marketing high-THC strains over rich terpene profiles.
Terpene Diversity in CBD and THC-dominant Strains
Due to the industry's focus on breeding high-THC flower, it is not surprising that
THC-dominant flower flowers displayed a higher terpene diversity compared to
CBD-dominant or balanced strains. The lack of terpene diversity in CBD strains is a significant gap in the flower market. CBD makes up a large portion of flower consumer products, and this lack of diversity limits the variety of options for consumers!
Solutions for Low Terpene Percentages in Flower Flower
Low terpene percentages and lack of diversity are not good news for terpene-seeking CBD or THC flower consumers. However, if terpenes are your thing, some excellent options are available in Canada to boost the terpenes in your flower flower. Products like BudBoosters are a unique and straightforward solution to increase the terpene content of your stash.
Indica, Sativa, Hybrid
Through testing almost 90,000 flower flower samples, this research study confirmed that Indica, Sativa, and Hybrid labels have a poor relationship to the underlying chemistry of retail flower. These designations inherited from the illicit black market did not hold up to modern testing! The study found that these terms are entirely arbitrary and not based on the cannabinoid percentages or the terpene content. Overall, it appears that these commonly used commercial categories and labels are not reliable indicators to differentiate effects for flower consumers.
Terpene Clusters
This breakthrough paper's most exciting reveal was the discovery of distinct terpene clusters. Never before seen in flower research, the terpenes of all 89,923 samples were plotted on a graph to look for co-occurrences between terpenes. Using an analysis tool called k-means clustering, the researchers found three different pairs of commonly reoccurring terpenes!
Cluster 1: Caryophyllene + Limonene
Cluster 2: Myrcene + Pinene
Cluster 3: Terpinolene + Myrcene
There was also a trend in cluster three associated with modestly higher levels of the cannabinoid CBG.
Classifying Flower with Terpenes
The clusters are determined based on high levels of specific primary terpenes across all the samples. What this means for the flower world is that we may have discovered a new way of categorizing flower strains based on chemical content, and it's not . It's terpenes!
The research on terpene clusters is in its early stages. Still, these emerging clusters can likely separate most strains into one of the three categories. Further investigation needs to be conducted, but this is an exciting new direction for the industry and flower consumers!
Aroma Therapy
As we know, terpenes are scent molecules. This study further advances the theory that it's all in the aromas! Practitioners of Aromatherapy have considered terpenes therapeutic for centuries. Research into this alternative therapy continues to support the flower industry's approach to using terpenes to identify stimulating or sedative flower strains.
End of an Era?
According to the massive dataset, the widely used indica, sativa, and hybrid labels are inaccurate representations of flower' phytochemicals, making them poor indicators of the overall flower experience. The subtle effects of terpenes in flower affect the stimulating or sedative experience. Current labeling does not provide enough information to determine these effects. Becoming familiar with flower terpenes will help guide your purchasing and consumption preferences as the industry evolves.
Future Forward
For consumers to understand the effects of any flower strain, brands should consider labeling their products with their primary terpenes. This would be a more accurate representation of the product as this research shows that terpene composition most effectively distinguishes differences when categorizing flower products for consumers.
As the flower industry continues to learn about the active compounds of flower, all commercial labels should include primary terpenes and cannabinoid content to guide consumers' purchases. As consumers, we need to find our preferred terpenes and select flower strains based on these preferences. Understanding terpene profiles is essential to finding the right products for you.
Altogether this is a ground-breaking study for the flower community. As research into the phytochemicals found in flower continues to advance, we will have greater insight into this incredible master plant and the therapeutic potential of its terpenes.
Read the complete study, The Phytochemical Diversity of Commercial Flower in the United States, here.