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At a recent state legislative hearing about the state of New Jersey’s legal weed market, a lawmaker raised questions about flavored cannabis.
State Sen. Fred Madden Jr. cited studies about the addictive qualities of menthol used with tobacco cigarettes, asking state regulators whether New Jersey allows smokable cannabis products like pre-rolls or vaporizers to contain the compound — and do they keep track of the number of “flavors” weed comes in?
Rest easy, methanol and addictive additives are not mixed into New Jersey’s legal weed offerings. But we thought we’d use the senator’s line of questioning to help clarify what makes the smells and flavors the cannabis plant naturally produces.
We spoke with cannabis expert and educator, Stockton University adjunct professor Rob Mejia, for some insight.
“While I am glad that we are making strides to ban menthol cigarettes, it is important for the public to know that they are not getting the same chemicals, such as nicotine, the big addictive component in cigarettes,” he said. “If there is any flavoring in smokable products, it comes from different terpenes. Flavors that have a mint quality similar to peppermint or wintergreen are connected to terpenes.”
Mejia said a human cannot go 24 hours without encountering terpenes in all kinds of herbs, fruits and vegetables. In fact, most people don’t know cannabis is directly related to mint — and most of the ingredients in your kitchen cabinets.
We use our noses to select our preferred wine, coffee and candle flavors. Choosing weed should work the same way.
If you drink tea, use spices when you’re cooking or harness the power of essential oils, you already on your way to understanding weed notes and flavors. And just like other herbs that have pleasurable and medicinal effects on your brain and body, so does weed.
It’s all in the terpenes
The notes that give each type of weed (they’re called strains) unique smell and flavor are the same notes you find in wood, beer and cigars.
Terpenes are active compounds found in all plants that give them their unique characteristics. They are called phytochemicals. These provide important protection during the life of plants, giving them the medicinal properties after harvesting.
For example, caryophyllene is a spicy, musky terpene with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties used to relieve pain and stress, treat seizures and even reduce cholesterol.
We consume this terpene frequently in peppercorns, cloves, hops and basil, but it is at its highest concentrations in cannabis and cinnamon.
Why terpenes matter for weed consumers
Cannabis is also rich in many other potent terpenes like pinene, limonene and myrcene. They each have their own scent and chemical makeup.
By understanding the properties of these terpenes and their effects, consumers can become savvy about which strains of weed really agree with their lifestyle, including alleviating certain ailments.
When you visit a weed dispensary, you should be able to ask a trained and knowledgable budtender about the terpene profile of each strain or product featured on their menu. Some menus even list the top three terpenes with the highest concentration.
Recently published research even suggests that measuring concentrations of these terpenes provides a better way of classifying and understanding each cannabis plant than the traditional groupings of sativa, indica or hybrid.
Terpenes help demystify stigma
Not everyone is always looking to get high.
Just eating a bowl of basil pesto with pine nuts wouldn’t get you the high dosage of caryophyllene or pinene that may bring immediate relief to symptoms. For people with chronic and severe pain episodes or seizures, method matters.
If you drink beer or wine, if you believe in the health benefits of a well-stocked salad bar or daily vitamin regimens, then you can comfortably believe in utilizing weed for just the high concentrations of terpenes.
Consider that the next time you smell a little ganja burning in your neighborhood.
Have a question about consuming weed? Ask me anything.
RELATED STORIES ABOUT LEGAL WEED IN N.J.:
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4 things to know before visiting one of N.J.’s legal weed stores
The cost of legal weed in N.J.: How is it different from street market prices?
5 books to learn more about cannabis, its culture, history.
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Gabby Warren is NJ.com’s Cannabis Life reporter. She’ll be covering all things weed retail, commerce and culture. Send your weed consumer questions to gwarren@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @divix3nation.