The Aromas of Cannabis
True cannabis lovers relish the moment of cracking open a fresh bag of buds and enjoying that first inhale. The aromas of cannabis speak directly to our brain chemistry and when specific arrangements of terpenes are a good fit for you, you’ll know it! It’s almost a compulsion to take a second or third sniff of a really great batch.
Cannabis aromas and flavors fit into several common classifications. As your knowledge and love of cannabis deepens, you can use these classifications to help you choose strains that will work best for you. Here are some of the most common aroma descriptors when it comes to describing cannabis.
Earthy: Earthy strains smell like fresh soil, a good kind of earth just overturned. These strains are often high in delta 3 carene and myrcene.
Woody: Woody strains may smell like oak, cedar or pine. They will sometimes have the aroma of sweet, freshly cut wood. Piney strains should smell fresh, like a pine forest or Christmas tree. Pine strains are high in alpha- and beta- pinene while other woody strains are rich terpenes like humulene, camphene, and borneol.
Gas: Gas aromas are common in strains like Sour Diesel and ChemDawg. The fragrance can range from smelling like fuel to more chemical-type smells, like cleanser or even decaying plant matter. It’s a sharp and pungent scent. Terpenes like camphene are responsible for this aroma.
Floral: Some cannabis can smell distinctly like flowers. Purple strains are often high in linalool, which is most commonly found in lavender. Other strains may smell of roses or geraniums. These strains contain terpenes like geraniol, terpineol and alpha-bisabolol.
Fruit: There are several types of fruit aromas associated with cannabis. Citrus is one of the most common. Citrus strains are high in limonene, a terpene that helps with digestion and mood. Some strains smell like rich, ripe berries while others like fresh tropical fruits. Myrcene, while often musky or earth, can also smell of red grapes or mangoes. Valencene is what gives Tangie its orange aroma.
Spice: Spicy strains can range from sharp spices like pepper and clove to herbaceous aromas like basil, mint or eucalyptus. You’ll find terpenes like sabinene, eucalyptol, caryophyllene, and terpineol in these strains.