Terpenes: Tur-Peens
Terpenes are aromatic compounds produced by plants. They are responsible for distict scents, flavors and effects. Terpenes influence the mood, experience and potential therapeutic benefits of cannabis consumption and a hot area of research.
Triumph of Terpenes?
The benefits of terpenes have been known for a long time, however as research into cannabis increased it was discovered that terpenes can significantly change and enhance their effects in the presence of cannabinoids that doesn't happen when cannabinoids are absent.
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We should remember that figuring this stuff out is very complex and laborious work that takes a lot of time to complete. So as anxious as we are for more information, we must wait for research to be completed and released in order to get that information.
If you're science-minded, you can follow some of the research yourself at NIH sites like PubChem. You don't need to be a chemist in order to understand the gist of what the research is doing, so we encourage you to give it a try.
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Can you customize your experience with concentrated terpenes?​
We understand that each terpene brings with it a set of benefits, and thanks to Dr. Russo we know that unique combinations of terpenes bring benefits that are greater than the sum of the parts. Dr. Russo named this 'the entourage effect'. This means that when combined, the group of terpenes create a result or effect that is more significant, impactful, or valuable than what would be expected from on each element individually.
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It is indeed possible to change your cannabis experience by adding terpenes while consuming cannabis. Take note and caution that there are few, if any, comprehensive studies regarding proper dosing of terpenes. While they are not known to be toxic, terpenes can bring about unwanted effects in extremely high doses, such as respiratory irritation, allergic reactions, discomfort, nausea, are among a few.
If you are going to experiment with adding terpenes to your consumption, you may want to consider starting out with minimal amounts until you better understand those effects and what a proper dose for you might be. You may also want to invest in a more accurate method of dispensing the concentrated terpenes. You may find a typical eye dropper as not nearly accurate enough and might want to consider more accurate methods of dispensing the terpenes.
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Concentrated terpenes are very powerful and a tiny amount goes a very long way. You really don't want to over-do it. They are also expensive so that by itself should motivate you to adopt precise dosing methods.
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