Why Terpenes Matter, with Flower Power

Written By Michael Hadley

Newbies & old-heads alike can agree on one thing: Good weed is LOUD.

Skunky, fruity, gassy, peppery, bright, earthy… sometimes straight up mouthwatering.

Yet, somehow, people are still buying ultra cheap, bone-dry flower & overly-flavor-injected distillate that barely smells like anything. No aroma. No depth. No real terpene presence… & like with distillate vapes or gummies, also missing key cannabinoids.

But is searching for “terpy” weed just a bougie preference? Or is it actually super important?

My name is Michael, aka Baba, and I’ve got a decade of personal cannabis education and a hell of a lot of research behind me to help explain what terpenes are, how they work, & why they matter.

This time, featuring Flower Power!

What is a Terpene?

Terpenes are natural aromatic compounds produced by plants that are responsible for how things smell & taste. 

In cannabis, terpenes are made & stored in trichomes, those tiny crystal-like glands covering the flower – the same place where cannabinoids like THC & CBD are produced – used to defend against various fungi, bacteria, & viruses. 

There are 200,000+ terpenes found in nature, & cannabis happens to produce around 200.

Through years of breeding & cultivation, we’ve pushed those expressions in different directions.

That’s why two plants with the same strain name can smell completely different. What you’re actually seeing & smelling is a specific phenotype, a unique expression of that plant’s genetics shaped by how it was grown, harvested, & handled.

This is also where strain names come from. Growers run multiple versions of the same plant & select the standouts, which is how you end up with names like “Gorilla Glue #4” or other variations tied to a specific phenotype.

The name gives you a general idea of lineage or expected profile, but it’s not a guarantee.

The real fingerprint of a product is its terpene profile.

Why Terpenes Matter

Here’s the simplest way to think about it: Terpene profiles are, in many professional opinions, the best shortcut we have for predicting how a product might feel.

Oh, you thought it was Sativa & Indica? NOPE!

Those labels started as a way to describe how the plant grows, not how it feels. Sativa & indica refer to different cannabis species with distinct origins, but modern breeding has blended them so heavily that most products today are hybrids with overlapping traits.

If you want to know how something will feel, you have to look at the terpenes. 

Currently, at least in the Michigan adult use market, sometimes that can be a challenge. We’re in a price-driven market, where cheap pre-pack ounces & cheaper distillate vapes reign supreme.

While admittedly, THC does obviously get you high & serve tons of medicinal purposes on its own, it’s odorless & basically impossible to measure without a lab. It’s the terpenes that are doing most of the work we notice. 

Here’s the catch. While the terpenes don’t necessarily get you high, they DO appear to direct the THC & other cannabinoids to specific parts of the brain & body, creating specific feelings based on specific terpenes. 

So why do some products not have terpenes?

Terpenes are very fragile & break down easily (which is one of the reasons rosin is kept cold). Harvesting, drying, curing, storage, & even time on a shelf all change terpene content. The smaller, more volatile terpenes are often the first to go.

So if your weed doesn’t smell like much, that’s nothing. That’s critical.

Terpene Cheat Codes: What Does What?

If you’re new to terpenes, don’t feel like you have to memorize a thousand names & hyper-specific effects. As most products tend to cluster around a few dominant terpenes, start with the three you’ll find almost everywhere these days: Limonene, Caryophyllene, & Myrcene.

Limonene – Going Up!

Smells Like: Citrus, lemon peel, bright fruit

Feels Like: Euphoric head high, more elevated, often described as mood-lifting

Best Uses: Research has shown limonene can reduce THC-related anxiety

Commonly Found In: Gelonade, MAC, Kush Mints, Peanut Butter Breath, Do-Si-Dos, & more

Caryophyllene – Down the Middle

Smells Like: Black pepper, spice, warm earth

Feels Like: Grounded, balanced, sedative, but only at super high doses

Best Uses: Interacts with CB2 receptors in the body, like CBD, & is often associated with inflammation support & a more steady, functional feel

Commonly Found In: Lemon Cherry Gelato, Wedding Cake, GG#4, GSC, Sour Diesel, & more.

Myrcene – Night, Night!

Smells Like: Challenging to pick out, earthy, sweet

Feels Like: Relaxing, heavier, more body-focused, end-of-day energy

Best Uses: Found to be effective as an analgesic, sedative, antidiabetic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, & more.

Commonly Found In: Blue Dream, Permanent Marker, Grand Daddy Purp, White Widow, OG Kush, & more.

But wait, there’s more!

There are a ton of other important terpenes to look out for, depending on what you’re trying to fix, feel, or forget.

Eventually, we’re going to cover each of them & their uses, but for now, it’s best to at least know there are a bunch & they all do 

Why Being Picky Matters

with Flower Power 

If you’re seriously still not convinced & you’re looking at buying “whatever’s cheapest…” don’t worry, I brought in the big guns: Flower Power.

Yeah, THAT Flower Power.

The Detroit-based cultivator is well known across Michigan for focusing on high-quality, terpene-rich flower, pre-rolls, & donut collabs, for now... They agreed to contribute directly to this blog (& my video) because we see eye-to-eye on what actually defines a great experience!

Look, Flower Power put it plainly to me:

“Terpenes determine the flavor & the scent of the strain that you are smoking… [and] also determine exactly how you’ll feel after consuming said strain.”

Period.

That’s the best decision-making tool, whether you realize it or not. Not the insane bogo deal at your dispo. Not the neat packaging, even Flower Power’s. 

Your experience, whatever you want, all comes down to the terps.

When you zoom out, this isn’t a small detail. For Flower Power & the others doing things right, preserving the terpenes in the flower is, “one of the most important aspects, if not the most important aspect of smoking.”

“Everybody wants to feel good after smoking cannabis, & terpenes play a huge role in that. The higher the terp %, the more complex the strain… [&] the potential benefits increase dramatically.”

That complexity shows up everywhere. “Not only are we getting all of the benefits, we’re also getting all the delicious taste that comes along with it.” Their cherry on top.

Honestly, that should be the standard. Not the THC percent, or simply if it’s Sativa or Indica.

Like they said, “it’s time to start asking more important questions.”

How to Find Your Ideal Terpene Profile

As you can probably tell, the part of the industry I mess with is already pushing for terpenes to become a much more important part of the user’s decision. So how do you make it part of yours the next time you shop?

1. Start a Weed Journal Using What You have at home already

If you want to really understand how terpenes affect you before your next fill-up, start a weed journal with what you’ve got at home. You can even include your go-to strains you know well.

Write down:

  • Product or strain name

  • THC / CBD levels & anything else about the cannabinoids

  • Terpenes, if listed (try Leafly, if they’re not on the packaging)

  • Dose, consumption method, & notes about enjoyment

  • Note how it makes you feel immediately, as it kicks in, & as it fades

Take that information and… 

2. Look Up Products Before You Shop

Using tools like Leafly, where you can search for strains by their terpenes, & WeedMaps to find dispensaries, browse menus, & research products. Even if you get a general idea versus an exact lab report, it’s a lot better than walking in blind & choosing based on a flavor or THC%.

Still can’t find the info you need? Reach out here, or you can DM me on Instagram!

3. Trust Your Senses

Unlike the rest of what I write, this isn’t backed by a ton of scientific studies. Instead, this knowledge comes from years & years of trial & error. 

Whether you’re prepared or not, fresh flower, resin, & rosin – anything you can smell before consuming – should set off positive biological signs.

When you smell the product, it will make your mouth water, your body sorta shiver, or some kind of other good, physical feeling. Always ask about labs & terpene content when possible, but if something smells loud, complex, & yummy to you, that’s pretty much always a good sign! 

Get it! 

If it smells flat, muted, or artificial, that’s important, too. Skip that one. 

Wrapping Things Up

Heading into 4/20, we Budtenders are still going to hear the same questions from our patients: What’s on sale? Can you just grab me any indica? It’s all the same, right?

More education = better choices, better experiences, & way more consistency. Every time.

Like Flower Power says, “It’s time to start asking more important questions.”

Want to learn more?

This is just the start of a larger cannabis education series covering terpenes, dosing, labels, & how to shop smarter. 

Follow me on Instagram for regular video content!

Full List of Resources

Peer-Reviewed Research & Government Publications

Educational & Industry Resources

Terpene-Specific Educational Sources

Strain & Terpene Databases

Internal Reference

Michael Hadley
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‘Sativa’ & ‘Indica’ are Actually Lies!*