All About Terpenes & Flavonoids

When it comes to cannabis, most of us are familiar with its two most famous chemical compounds, THC and CBD. It’s no mystery why they’re the stars of the show, and they definitely deserve it—but no show would feel complete without the whole cast.

Enter terpenes and flavonoids. We all know that different cannabis strains smell different. Some are sweet or fruity, some are sour and lemony, others have a room-filling skunkiness that can only be contained by a seriously good stash bag. Essentially, terpenes and flavonoids are what give cannabis strains those distinct tastes and smells. If you’ve ever stuck your nose in a jar of weed for a big inhale, just because it smells that good, you can thank these compounds.

What are terpenes and flavonoids?

Organic compounds found in many other plants such as fruits, vegetables, and flowers, terpenes and flavonoids contribute to a plant’s unique aroma and appearance. Terpenes are aromatic molecules that give us the scents that we’re most used to smelling in cannabis, like lemon, pine, lavender, spice, and sweetness. New combinations of terpenes in different amounts create new aromas. When a strain is high in terps, or “terpy,” that means it’s high in flavour and smell.

Flavonoids are similar to terpenes, and contribute to a plant’s aroma and colour— like GDP’s signature deep purple, or the dark green of Black Sugar Rose.

When concentrates like live resin (and live resin vape carts) say that they’re true-toflower, they mean that they’ve preserved a plant’s terpenes and other compounds in the extraction process, so you smell and taste the strain’s natural flavours and aroma. This is the opposite of distillates, which remove these terpenes and so have little to no cannabis taste. Many distillate vapes use botanical terpenes, which are extracted from fruit, spices, and other natural sources, and blend them with THC or CBD to create unique flavours that are different from cannabis, like -ness’s Pumpkin Spice or Key Lime.

Concentrates are known for big flavour: while flower’s terpene concentration hovers around 1-3%, concentrates regularly push over 10%!

What do they do?

Both terpenes and flavonoids work in tandem with cannabinoids like THC and CBD to influence your overall experience with each strain. Together, they make your weed unique. This is what gives us the “entourage effect” theory, where all of cannabis’s compounds, not just THC, work together.

Terpenes give every strain their signature aroma and effects, similar to other plants—think about how the scent of lavender makes you feel, or the zing of citrus in the morning, or the freshness of pine outdoors.

What are the different terpenes?

While there are hundreds of terpenes found in cannabis, you’ll notice a few main ones popping up in your favourite strains. Keep in mind that if you’re looking to try a specific terpene, that all strains don’t have just one—we can recommend strains high in a certain terpene, but it’s the combination of many terpenes that gives each strain its unique signature.

Myrcene

Earthy and herbal, myrcene is found in hops, mango, and many cooking herbs like basil. It’s not hard to find strains high in myrcene—it’s the most common terpene in modern cannabis.

Strains high in myrcene: Girl Scout Cookies, Pineapple Express, Granddaddy Purple

Limonene

As its name suggests, limonene is common in citrus fruits like lemons and oranges. It’s also found in peppermint. Together with myrcene, limonene helps make up the skunky aroma of the immortal Skunk #1 strain.

Strains high in limonene: MAC-1, Gelato, Jack Herer, OG Kush, Skunk #1

Pinene

Another terpene with a simple name, pinene smells like pine needles and deep forest, like those found in the Rocky Mountains.

Strains high in pinene: Blue Dream, Jack Herer, OG Kush

Linalool

Sweet and floral, linalool is found in lavender and mint. Many classic indica strains are high in linalool.

Strains high in linalool: Amnesia Haze, Runtz, Grandaddy Purple

Caryophyllene

This terpene is known for smelling woody and like warm spices such as black pepper, cinnamon, and clove, and is common in sativa strains.

Strains high in caryophyllene: Bubba Kush, White Widow, Sour Diesel.

Explore terpenes & flavonoids

Look at your favourite strains and check out which terpenes make up its flavours to help you find more just like it. Use our list as a starting point: if you like Good Supply’s Grandaddy Purple, try another myrcene-dominant strain from Good Supply like Pineapple Express. For the Redecan Animal Rntz crowd, take a look at Broken Coast’s Amnesia Haze, a strain famous for its high concentration of linalool.

Because there are hundreds of terpenes found in cannabis, your budtender becomes even more important. The next time you stop by your local Canna Cabana, ask your budtender to help you explore different terpenes, and let them guide you to your next go-to strain!