How Cannabis Creates Its Flavor: The Science of Terpenes

Terpenes are the aromatic compounds that give each cannabis strain its unique smell and taste. They're produced inside trichomes, the tiny crystal-like glands that cover the surface of cannabis flowers. These are the same glands that produce cannabinoids like THC and CBD. The plant builds all of its terpenes from a single small building block called isoprene. By combining two isoprene units, the plant creates lighter terpenes like myrcene, limonene, and pinene. By combining three, it creates heavier ones like caryophyllene and humulene. Cannabis produces over 120 different terpenes, and each strain has its own unique mix.

What makes one strain smell like citrus and another like pine or pepper comes down to the specific ratio of terpenes in the flower. That ratio is influenced by the strain's genetics, but also by how it was grown, when it was harvested, and how it was cured. Two plants of the same strain grown under different conditions can smell noticeably different. This is why the same strain can vary slightly from batch to batch, and why there's more to choosing a strain than just the THC percentage on the label. Explore our full strain lineup in the <a href="/strains">Strain Wiki</a>.