Terpenes play a special role in broad-spectrum cannabis therapy.
Cannabinoids are colorless and odorless compounds, yet cannabis has so much soul, many colors, many flavors and a wide variety of effects from strain to strain.
Terpenes are the lightweight volatile essential oils that give cannabis this wide variety of smell, color, effect and flavor.
They are the same essential oils found in many other healing plants, like lavender, citrus peel, black pepper and pine needles.
By using long-held principles of herbal medicine, we can better help people to heal themselves and have the experience they desire from their cannabis use.
We know linalool is calming. Many products geared toward relaxation use lavender as a source of this soothing essential oil. It’s also found in cannabis, and those strains tend to be on the sedative side. These linalool-rich strains also act as a powerful anticonvulsant and are my go-to for those suffering from seizure disorders.
Pinene is a powerful expectorant. You can imagine how clean the air smells and tastes in a pine forest. Cannabis strains rich in pinene help people move fluid from their lungs and breathe better.
This magical plant gives us a variety to choose from. The joy of learning which terpenes or terpene ratios one favors is part of the joy and freedom of choice. With modern testing using gas chromatography, we can measure and quantify terpene content in our cannabis.
I would contend that if terpene content is higher concentration, then the product is of higher quality and will be more enjoyable and more effective than lesser strains.
When cannabis is grown organic with natural inputs and lots of love, natural terpene content is higher and more varied than when commercial growing techniques using synthetic salts are employed. By giving the plant an abundance of the things it likes to eat and a healthy pest-free environment, it can express itself fully.
One might ask why plants and cannabis specifically expend the energy and take the time to produce these oils?
These compounds are a plant’s natural defense against pests and pathogens. After all, when you are a plant you can’t just get up and move to another location if you are under attack.
So, plants have evolved to have other natural methods of defense, chemical defenses, spines to keep pests away and methods of asexual propagation that prolong a species life.
Clever humans, through trial and error, have learned to use these chemical defenses effectively to take care of our bodies and minds.
Perhaps, to some degree, our bodies and minds evolved and adapted to use these special compounds. After all, the plants were around long before we were.
This model of healing is very Eastern and seeks to treat the underlying imbalance rather than the associated symptoms. This type of treatment along with exercise, healthy diet, adequate sleep and a positive mental state create true healing and well-being. What could be better for one’s mental state than to relax with a bit of high-quality cannabis at the end of a long day?
We are all unique individuals, so the guidelines presented by herbal medicine principles are just a starting point.
Optimizing your own treatments may take some trial and error. Ideally, you can do some research into what is likely to work best, based on your specific condition and treatment goals.
Once you have identified a few possible options that fit in with this framework, you should smell the terpenes that occur naturally and let your subconscious be your guide.
The strain that smells most appealing will also provide the most benefit. Over time, you will identify your preferences. You can use that information to repeat this process with less trial and error where responsibly retailed quality assurance-tested cannabis is sold. Happy exploring.
