Terpenes
CBD Terpenes
CBD terpenes are the aromatic compounds that give a hemp product its smell, whether that's earthy, citrusy, or something closer to pine. They belong to the same family of compounds found in fruit peels, herbs, and conifers, and hemp plants produce dozens of them alongside cannabinoids like CBD.
Full spectrum and broad spectrum CBD oils generally keep these terpenes intact, since both preserve more of the plant's original chemistry. If you're asking what are cbd terpenes in your oil, isolate products strip them out along with everything besides pure CBD, which is why an isolate tincture has almost no scent or taste compared to a full spectrum one. A certificate of analysis from the batch usually breaks down terpene percentages alongside cannabinoid content, so lab reports aren't limited to CBD and THC numbers.
What Are Terpenes
Terpenes are compounds plants produce mainly to attract pollinators and ward off pests. Cannabis terpenes and weed terpenes are the same thing under different names, and the same compounds turn up across hemp, CBD products, and dozens of unrelated plants. Pine trees, citrus peels, lavender, and hops all owe their smell to specific terpenes, and cannabis is no exception. Myrcene shows up in mangoes and hops as much as it does in cannabis; limonene is the same compound behind the smell of orange peel.
More than 150 terpenes have been identified in cannabis plants, though only a handful appear in meaningful amounts in any given strain. Myrcene gets described as heavy and sedating, while limonene and pinene lean brighter and more energizing, though those associations come mostly from anecdotal reports rather than controlled studies.
Cannabis Derived Terpenes
Cannabis derived terpenes come directly from cannabis or hemp biomass, usually pulled out through steam distillation during extraction. Botanically derived terpenes are chemically identical but sourced from other plants, then blended back in to recreate a strain's original profile after processing strips the natural ones out.
Both types show up on ingredient labels, though a product only lists cannabis derived terpenes when the profile comes straight from the plant instead of being reconstructed afterward. Neither type changes how much CBD ends up in the bottle. What they're believed to affect is the entourage effect, the idea that cannabinoids and terpenes work better together than CBD does alone, though the research behind it is still developing.
