Why it matters
Terpenes are 5-carbon isoprene units assembled into structures that include the cannabis aroma profile (myrcene, limonene, pinene, linalool, caryophyllene, humulene). They are pharmacologically active in their own right — at receptor targets independent of the cannabinoid system — and are widely hypothesised to modulate the cannabinoid experience.
In practice
On a cannabis COA, the terpene panel is increasingly reported alongside cannabinoids. Vendors using “live resin” or “full-spectrum” formats are deliberately preserving terpenes; distillates strip most of them out and re-add them downstream.
Common confusion
“Indica vs sativa” effect predictions correlate more reliably with terpene profile than with the indica/sativa label itself.
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