The Difference Between Cannabis vs. Botanical Derived Terpenes

Terpenes vary hugely from strain to strain and even between the flowers of the same strain. What’s most important to note however, is that these terpenes don’t just occur in cannabis alone but can be found in many different plants.

So for example, a strain with a lemon-dominant flavor profile may in fact share terpenes with certain plants from the citrus family.

The quest for the most accurate cannabis flavor and aroma profiles started with the plant itself; it would seem only natural that the purest and most flavorful terpenes would be derived directly from the plant.

Of course, this is possible, and it allowed a great deal to be learnt about the nuances of cannabis terpenes. Unfortunately however, several obstacles make cannabis-derived terpenes problematic, especially at production scale.

Firstly, cannabis terpenes are difficult to extract; the process requires undesirable chemicals or complex techniques which drive up costs. In addition, purity of extraction is difficult with many volatile elements being extracted in addition to the terpenes.

Secondly, consistency is not easy. Because cannabis is inherently so variable, production-scale consistency of source crops is virtually impossible to guarantee.

With the above complexities in mind, a new approach was necessary and forced a closer look into the intriguing world of shared terpenes. If certain cannabis plants share terpenes with other plants, surely there would be a way to recreate these aromas and flavors without cannabis?

Botanically derived terpenes are extracted as individual compounds from natural sources such as citrus, thyme and lavender to name but a few. The far simpler distillation extraction process allows for high purification and results in the incredibly pure building blocks for precise terpene formulations. Through deeper research, comparisons and testing it was found that combining botanical-derived terpenes in the right manner is able to replicate an almost infinite variety of cannabis strains. 

Fortunately, the use of botanically derived terpenes also removes the reliance on a highly variable source material, i.e., cannabis. With cannabis no longer required, reliable, replicable materials that are readily available in bulk supply help to diminish costs across the value chain. Interestingly, this approach has also opened the door to greater regulatory compliance in regions with more stringent cannabis-related laws. 

With terpenes becoming ever more central to how we understand cannabis, as well as how consumers enjoy cannabis-related products, it’s fascinating to see the impacts on the industry. As it develops, continued innovation such as that at Eybna will remain pivotal to ensuring growth, compliance and long-term success.