More than simply the strain and the THC percentage matter in the dynamic cannabis industry.
The effects, flavour, and overall experience of cannabis are very susceptible to the processes of preparation and drying.
Let’s explore some recent scientific research on cannabis processing, which reveals how each stage can significantly alter the final product’s composition, from drying and curing to extraction and vaporisation.
We’ll go deep into the world of terpenes, the aromatic molecules responsible for cannabis’s signature aroma and flavour, and see how those components change during the cultivation and extraction processes.
What are Cannabis Terpenes?
Terpenes are the chemical compounds that give various cannabis strains their distinctive aromas and flavours. They’re also important in the ‘entourage effect,’ which holds that the synergy of cannabinoids and terpenes boosts cannabis’ medicinal efficacy.
However, terpenes are easily destroyed by high temperatures, thus the flavour and potential benefits of the finished product can be drastically altered during the drying, curing, and extraction procedures.
When Terpenes are vaped, what happens to them?
When cannabis is heated in a vaporizer, the terpenes and cannabinoids evaporate, creating a vapour that may be inhaled. But not all cannabinoids in the plant react equally to heat.
Monoterpenes are extremely vulnerable to high temperatures. They convert to vapour at lower temperatures than most other compounds, or their “boiling point.”
Since monoterpenes have a lower boiling point than cannabinoids like THC (the chemical responsible for cannabis’ psychoactive effect), they tend to evaporate first when vaping begins.
Curing and drying: the unseen effects
In order to transform newly obtained cannabis into a consumable product, drying and curing is required.
According to the research, however, the most volatile terpenes, monoterpenes, might be significantly lost during this procedure, altering the cannabis’s scent and flavour.
What implications does this have for vaping Cannabis?
Therefore, when vaping cannabis, you are more likely to take in terpenes in the outset than cannabinoids later on.
The effect of vaping cannabis may be diminished because of this. For instance, since terpenes contribute to cannabis’s scent and flavour, you may find that the flavour evolves as you vape.
More importantly, this may have an effect on the “entourage effect,” the hypothesis that different cannabinoid chemicals in cannabis collectively produce additive effects.
The total effect of cannabis may be altered if more terpenes are inhaled at the beginning and more cannabinoids are inhaled later.
The issues of Cannabis extraction
Terpene loss can also occur during the cannabis oil and concentrate extraction processes. Cannabinoids are more concentrated after extraction, although terpenes may be lost during the process if the temperature is too high.
Because of this, the product you get may have a lot of cannabinoids but not many terpenes, which could diminish the entourage effect.
Vaporisation causes terpene loss
Vaporising, or “vaping,” is a popular technique of consuming cannabis because to its supposed health benefits and ease of use in comparison to smoking.
However, the high temperatures in vaporizers might hasten the evaporation of terpenes.
This indicates that the proportion of cannabinoids inhaled during a vaping session is likely to increase over time, whereas terpenes are more likely to be inhaled at the outset.
Over the duration of your vaping session, this can alter the taste and effects of the cannabis.
Implications for cannabis consumers
Drying and curing, which occur at very modest temperatures, yet alter the chemical composition of cannabis.
This means that most commercially available forms of medicinal cannabis are not identical to the plant as it was when it was harvested. You shouldn’t expect them to be as effective as “whole plant” or “full-spectrum” alternatives.
When compared to newly grown cannabis, dried plant material lacks many of the aromatic and flavorful chemicals known as terpenes.
This is true of all terpenes, but it is especially true with monoterpenes.
The ratio of monoterpenes to other chemicals changes significantly throughout processing due to the low volatility of cannabinoids and sesquiterpenes.
The so-called “entourage effect,” in which various molecules complement one another to increase the potency of cannabis, may be compromised.
Evaporation rates of substances vary greatly with temperature, even over relatively narrow temperature ranges. For instance, at 120 degrees Celsius, the evaporation rate of the monoterpene -myrcene is about 2.1 times that at 100 degrees Celsius, whereas the evaporation rate of the cannabinoid THC is around 4.3 times that at 100 degrees Celsius.
Evenly drying of the cannabis is problematic in industrial settings due to the sheer volume of the product.
Because of this, and because evaporation rates can vary greatly with temperature, the final products can exhibit significant compositional variation, even within individual batches.
The boiling point of cannabis is higher than 400 degrees Celsius, not 160 degrees Celsius as is commonly stated. Unfortunately, cannabinoids are still susceptible to evaporation at the temperatures generated by vaporizers.
When using a vaporizer, though, you are more likely to inhale the terpenes than the cannabinoids.
These findings are vital for the entire medical cannabis ecosystem, from cultivators to carers to patients.
The accuracy, consistency, and optimisation of medical cannabis products for the entourage effect is an area with substantial space for development.
