You may be tempted to take terpenes lightly, because these fragrant compounds are among the favorite chemicals of marijuana mega-fans and aromatherapy advocates. But their turn in the scientific and medical spotlight may have arrived. After decades of strong, but inconclusive, evidence of the role of terpenes in the therapeutic effects of medical cannabis, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has been funding research on the medical value of terpenes for the last three years.
And with cannabis dispensaries — where legal — jockeying for a competitive edge, cannabis types with unique terpene profiles are providing a deeper, more nuanced experience for users of cannabis products.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences certainly took terpenes seriously 111 years ago. It awarded the 1910 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Otto Wallach for his work with terpenes.
