If you want edibles that give your customers more than just great flavor, consider adding terpenes! Keep reading and learn about the surprising effects terpenes can have on your edibles.

People eat edibles for the overall experience. At first, it might be all about flavor. Maybe they’re looking for that perfect chocolate mint, citrusy lemon, or even the bitter kick of coffee. Good edibles go beyond that, however, by creating truly unique experiences. And edibles that use terpenes definitely have a leg up in that department.

Terpenes are the organic hydrocarbons responsible for the aroma and flavor of most plants. They’re particularly good at infusing scent and flavor into products, but even more amazingly, they can also influence the overall experience. Depending on which terpenes you use, your products may temporarily elevate mood, boost focus, or even promote a sense of tranquility.

Basically, if you want an edible with unique flavors and effects that customers will love, you need to add terpenes!

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Use Terpenes in Edibles for Unique Flavors and Effects

We get it, you’re busy! If that’s the case, here are the key takeaways from our discussion today.

• Terpenes are functional flavors that allow you to create consistent flavors in your products without having to rely on synthetic flavoring options.
• Terpenes won’t add calories or sugar, water-soluble terpenes mean you can use terpenes in beverages, and they allow you to get creative with scent and flavor!
• Cannabis edibles benefit from terpenes in several ways: they ensure flavor accuracy, enhance effects, and help your products take advantage of the entourage effect.
• Myrcene and linalool heavy blends like Master Kush will help infuse edibles with temporary anxiolytic effects.
• A good balance of Myrcene and Limonene can create temporary uplifting effects. Blends like Fire OG, which have hefty levels of both, are known for their cerebral, euphoric effects.
• To give your customers a temporary boost of focus, try adding blends with alpha-pinene and limonene. 

Why Should You Use Terpenes To Flavor Edibles?

Terpenes, or functional flavors, allow you to move past traditional flavor options (which can be synthetic) and utilize the flavors and aromas already present in nature. In fact, most of the terpenes you’ll come across are present in plants you’re already familiar with. You’ll find terpenes in a variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers, and even spices. 

Plus, new technology allows us to distill incredibly pure terpene isolates from plant matter. Companies that use molecular distillation to isolate their terpenes are able to ensure your products are getting a consistent flavor. This is important for several reasons, but mainly because terpenes are incredibly sensitive. 

In the past, people tried to simply use the original plant matter to infuse their products with flavor. This is tricky, first, because terpene levels of the same plant can vary due to weather, farming practices, or even soil quality. So, using the same plants over and over doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get the same flavor every time. Second, even the gentlest manufacturing processes can destroy the natural terpenes in a plant. That’s how sensitive they are.

That’s why being able to add terpenes towards the end of the manufacturing process is so important! It lets you cut out the guesswork and control the flavor of your products. If that wasn’t enough, here are a few other reasons why you should consider using terpenes in your edibles:

• They add zero calories.
• They enhance flavor without adding sugar.
• Water-soluble terpenes allow you to use functional flavors in beverages.
• You can mimic precise flavors and aromas from nature.
• You can get creative and create your own terpene blends for unique flavors.

Plus, while terpenes can be used in any type of edible, they have a few specific perks for cannabis edibles.

Why Terpenes Are Important For Edibles With Cannabis

Before we jump in too deep, we want to remind everyone that our terpenes are cannabis free and 100% legal. However, we do work very hard to isolate the specific terpene profiles of popular strains so both cannabis consumers and non-cannabis consumers can enjoy and benefit from them. So, even if you don’t want to manufacture edibles with cannabis in them, you can still utilize the flavors of specific strains. To help you understand, let’s back up and cover some cannabis science really quick...

The relationship between terpenes and cannabis is pretty epic. Honestly, if it wasn’t for cannabis, we wouldn’t know nearly as much about terpene science as we do. That’s because cannabis is an insanely terpene-dense plant, and the interaction between cannabinoids and terpenes is very unique. 

Your endocannabinoid system has receptors throughout your body, and the cannabinoid compounds from cannabis are similar enough to our own naturally occurring endocannabinoids that they’re able to bind to those receptors. This is what allows THC to have psychoactive effects, while CBD has more influence on your immune system.

The different flavors (terpene profiles) of each cannabis strain, are what differentiate the overall cannabis experience though. That’s why some strains get you hyped up and ready to tackle your to-do list, while others might put you to sleep. In addition to that, strategically utilizing terpenes with cannabis allows you to take advantage of the entourage effect.

The entourage effect is a phenomenon where cannabinoids and terpenes work together synergistically to have more powerful effects than they would on their own. That’s why so many people advocate using the whole-plant as opposed to isolating particular compounds. However, you’d run into the same problems from before where many of those compounds are lost during the manufacturing process. While it may seem like a few extra steps, adding in the isolates separately (from cannabis isolates to terpene isolates) actually gives you more control and still lets you take advantage of the entourage effect. 

Obviously, another important part of using terpenes in cannabis products is accuracy. If you have a candy that promises the flavor and effects of a strain like Blue Dream, using terpenes allows you to do that with high accuracy. Speaking of effects…

Use Terpenes to Increase Calming & Relaxing Effects in Edibles

Regardless of whether you’re creating edibles with cannabis in them, if your products promise particular effects then that’s what your customers will expect. One of the best ways to ensure they get the experience they’re expecting is to use specific terpenes. 

Master Kush

Certain terpenes like Myrcene and Linalool, are known for their ability to temporarily promote a sense of comfort and relaxation. So, if you want to create a tea that has temporary relaxing or sedative properties, using a terpene blend high in Myrcene would be particularly helpful. A blend like Master Kush would infuse flavor and calming effects because of its high myrcene levels.

Use Terpenes to Increase Uplifting Effects in Edibles

If you’re looking for a way to boost the euphoric, uplifting effects of your edibles, you’ll want to check out any blend with balanced levels of D-Limonene and Myrcene. The calming qualities of myrcene mixed with the energizing effects of d-limonene help infuse products with temporary euphoric effects. Basically, if your product promises a bit of a mood pick-me-up, you’ll want to take advantage of more uplifting blends.

Fire OG

In this instance, something like Berry Gelato would infuse your products with a phenomenally sweet, fruity flavor while also promoting temporary uplifting feelings of happiness and euphoria. For a more herbal flavor, Fire OG is a great terpene blend for cannabis products that promise a more cerebral experience. 

Use Terpenes to Increase Focus Effects in Edibles

For products that promise to keep consumers tuned-in and focused, an isolate like Alpha-Pinene should be your first pick. Alpha-pinene is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, meaning it can reduce acetylcholinesterase activity in the brain to boost memory. It’s one of the many reasons why people tend to say that walks in the woods help to clear their minds. Alpha-pinene is prevalent in conifer trees, so simply taking a walk in the woods can sometimes give you a decent dose of this terpene.

Gelatti

A terpene blend like Gelatti has good levels of both alpha-pinene and other energizing terpenes. The strain this terpene blend comes from is a cross between Gelato and OG Biscotti, making it hard to get ahold of. Once your customers get a taste for the creative, focus-inducing experience that is Gelatti, however, they’ll keep coming back for more.

Use Terpenes To Elevate Your Edibles

When it comes to your edibles, do your customers a favor and start using terpenes today! Feel free to contact us if you have questions or if you’re interested in custom formulations. Plus, don’t forget to follow us for all the latest updates.