Guide to Preserving Terpenes

Terpenes are beneficial to our health, but they are also extremely volatile. This volatility means extra care needs to be taken in cannabis and essential oil supply chains. Terpenes make up a huge part of the essential oil extract and harvesting, drying, storage and extraction process can all play a role in the quality of your extract. As the essential oil market and the cannabis market continue to grow we will see more and more focus on preserving terpene content in order to optimize plant therapies.

Studies have shown that fresh plant material provides the largest terpene yields for terpenes. The lightest terpenes that are classified as monoterpenes (myrcene and limonene are common monoterpenes and they are made up of 2 isoprene units) are the first ones to evaporate. The heavy terpenes are called sesquiterpenes (made up of 3 isoprene units) and make up the majority of the finished oil. Beta-caryophyllene is often more prevalent in conventionally dried plant matter, while smaller monoterpenes evaporate during the curing process.

In order to create extracts with high levels of terpenes, fresh plant material is suggested and freeze drying plant material can prolong the shelf life and improve potency. Subcritical (low temperatures and low pressure) terpene extractions are best for preserving the volatile lighter terpenes.

What is a full-spectrum plant extract?

A full-spectrum plant extract takes the same ratios as the original plant and concentrates it into a more potent form. - Full spectrum extracts provide the best ‘entourage effect’ and together these molecules unlock the true pharmacological properties of the plant extract. It is believed that terpenes that do not directly bind to our endocannabinoid system can help prepare the body to optimize the use of therapeutic cannabinoids.

Scientist have traditionally tried to isolate natural chemicals or create synthetic versions, but this disregards the entourage effect and these isolates do not contain the same medicinal properties as the whole plant extract. Isolation of cannabinoids or certain certain plant extracts may have their place in marketing departments, but science tells us whole plant extracts provide the best natural medicine with lower risk of side-effects.

One benefit of plant cannabinoid isolates is that these compounds do not contain the fragrant smell of cannabis and can thus be smoked discreetly.

High Terps

When compared to traditional extraction processes, CO2 extracts provide a higher quality whole plant extract by preserving precious terpenes. On average CO2 extracts have double the amount of terpenes when compared to butane extracts. The lack of a complete plant profile in butane extracts is due to the high heat that is needed during the butane purge (same thing with ethanol purges - Winterization removes many terpenes along with the fats and waxes).

Medicinal Terpenes

Many publications use the terms terpenes & terpenoids interchangeably, but terpenes are actually the typical hydrocarbon element while terpenoids have additional compounds. The terpenoid family of plant chemicals is believed to be the largest known antibacterial sub section of plant chemicals known to science. Many of the plant’s that contain high levels of these chemicals are considered some of the healthiest foods in the world.

Terpenes have been used for their antibacterial properties since the middle ages and the Australian military even gave their soldiers terpene rich tea tree oil in before being deployed to fight World War II.

Terpenes don't get much love when it comes to medical cannabis, but these little compounds make cannabis medicines more effective and can actually provide medicinal benefits themselves. Many healthcare experts are even claiming terpenes will play a pivotal role in fighting the emerging multidrug resistant bacteria and infections.

Natural extracts allow customers to take back control of the healthcare routines and refocus their lives around preventative healthcare, not reactionary.

  • Antimicrobial

  • Antiseptic

  • Anti-carcinogen (anti-cancer)

  • Improve depression symptoms

  • Reduce Anxiety

  • Prevent & Manage Mitochondrial Dysfunction –

  • Apoptosis - Cause cancer cells to die (preclinical studies)

  • Alternative or complementary medicine to antibiotics to fight multidrug resistant strains of bacteria.

Word of Concern: To much of a good thing can be a bad thing. A 2017 study on the toxicity of dabbing terpene reach cannabis extracts at high temperatures found that this process exposes consumers to inhalation toxicology. The brands that can safely balance the terpene profile in a safe and effective delivery method have much to gain. The study also suggest the addition of terpenes from outside sources could increase concentration levels to toxic levels in e-cigarettes and flavored vape products. Essential oils that are created from non cannabis plants have also been found to be toxic to many of our body functions in high doses.

From a molecular level terpenes are terpenes, but that doesn’t mean adding in non-cannabis terpenes to your cannabis oil creates the same quality of medicine.

The identification of cannabis oil strains will largely come down to the terpene profile as opposed to classifying your cannabis as an indica or sativa. The genetics of your raw material will play a huge roll in the potential terpene profile in your cannabis.

Health Benefits of Terpenes

  • Antibacterial

  • Increase blood flow (ED)

  • Improve brain activity

  • Improves mental health

  • Epilepsy

  • Cancer prevention

Terpene Deficiency Theory: Effects mood & stress levels

Over the time span that humans and plants have shared the planet we have developed an amazing relationship with these brilliant organisms. The value plants provide for pharmaceutical research is well known, but very few people recognize the aromatherapy benefits that plant oils provide.

Terpenes are the secondary aromatic compounds that plants produce for their own protection. During the night plants go to work producing terpenes and during the day as the temperature rise these compounds are released into the air.  

Future of Terpene Usage

Since terpenes are hydrocarbons they have similar properties to hydrocarbons that are created from crude oil and terpenes could eventually be utilized to replace a wide variety of unsustainable product lines. We hope to see terpenes can become platform chemicals for chemical intensive industries.

  • Cosmetic

  • Pharmaceutical

  • Pesticides and herbacides

  • Functional Foods

  • Biotechnology

Terpenes are currently being studied by sustainability researchers across the world.

  • Antibacterial plastics

  • Food and topical preservatives

  • Natural Deodorants

  • Natural Cleaners

Bacteria are being looked at as potential solutions to producing large quantities of terpenes. Terpene producing bacterial facilities may become the future of terpene rich industrial products.