Cannabis Doesn’t Smell like Skittles: A Public Service Announcement About Terpenes vs. Flavors

Despite popular belief, cannabis doesn’t actually smell like Skittles, Fruity Pebbles, or mangos. While it produces many of the same terpenes found in these fun flavors and can have very slight reminiscent notes, the plant itself doesn’t produce an exact match to these strain-namesake aromas.

But with terpene and flavor-infused products everywhere, you’re not alone if you’ve started to conflate these candy-like flavors with the natural terpenes in cannabis. The market now demands that Blueberry OG product smells and tastes like blueberries — not the complex mix of natural terpenes the strain naturally produces. 

Driven by increasing demand for bigger, more candy-like experiences, the wholesale terpene market is also now conflating flavor for terpenes, and everyone has gotten very confused.

The terpenes vs. flavor conflation is not an accidental circumstance but the by-product of some of the most popular terpene suppliers intentionally hiding flavors in their so-called cannabis strain profiles. With a new younger generation falling in love with cannabis, many are starting to believe the plant actually smells like Skittles and watermelon.

Why Does it Even Matter? Compliance is Just the Tip of the Iceberg

Spoiler alert: Terpenes and flavors are two distinct ingredients, and states including Michigan, New York, Nevada, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Missouri, and California are cracking down. With bans on compounds not naturally derived and chemically identical to those found in cannabis, those fruity, candy-like products are fast becoming a compliance nightmare. Most terpene suppliers who don’t sell 100% natural products are prohibited from selling in these states.

So, what’s inside that bottle of terpenes matters now more than ever. 

This is the first article in a series exploring the wild world of the wholesale terpene market. Here, the focus is on the fundamentals, defining terpenes vs. flavors and touching on a few of the issues caused by the current state of confusion. But as the series evolves, it will go into greater detail on why you need to pay much closer attention to the terpene side of your product formulations.

What Are Terpenes?

It may seem unnecessary to define terpenes for a cannabis-industry audience. But, as explained in the intro, manufacturers often mash up terpenes with flavors. 

Misleading product names and marketing mumbo-jumbo only exaggerate the issues. So, to lay the groundwork on this topic, it’s best to start with the very basics and a clear definition of terpenes:

Terpenes are a large and diverse class of organic compounds produced by a variety of plants, particularly conifers, citrus trees, and of course, cannabis. In fact, there are more than 150 known terpenes produced by Cannabis sativa L., giving each cultivar (strain) its unique aromatic and experiential fingerprint.

Terpenes are technically hydrocarbons composed of isoprene units with the general molecular formula (C5H8)n. Each is classified by the number of linked isoprene units (“n”). For example, monoterpenes have two units (C10), and sesquiterpenes have three units (C15). 

Despite the molecular makeup’s relative simplicity, the structure of terpenes can actually be quite diverse, with linear chains, cyclic structures, and combinations of both. This structural diversity is responsible for the wide range of properties and functions observed in these compounds.

Highly aromatic and volatile to varying degrees, terpenes are also colorless in their purist form (although impure samples may appear yellow).

A few examples of common terpenes you’ll find in cannabis include myrcene, limonene, pinene, limonene, linalool, and bisabolol.

What Are Flavors?

Again, terpenes and flavors are distinct despite how they are frequently used interchangeably. 

Flavors are complex sensory experiences that combine taste, smell, and other sensations. This isn’t to say terpenes don’t contribute to flavors, especially in terms of aroma, but flavors encompass a much broader range of compounds and sensations. Little known fact: Pure terpenes actually taste terrible (and are generally not safe for direct consumption).

So, while flavors contain terpenes, terpenes are not flavors. Instead, flavors are made up of a wide range of compounds, including terpenes, esters, aldehydes, ketones, and lactones, among others. These blend into a multi-sensory experience of flavor, taste, aroma, mouth feel, and even chemesthesis (physical sensation).

A few examples of flavors commonly used in the food and beverage industry include vanillin, ethyl butyrate, and citral.

Flavors vs. Terpenes

Do You Really Know What’s in Your Terpenes?

But does a definition of flavor and terpene really warrant a public service announcement? The intention here isn’t to make sweeping assumptions about the safety of the wholesale terpene sector. Because there are, of course, some brands that are upfront and straightforward about their products and formulations. Instead, this is more of a call for brands using terpenes in their formulations to pay closer attention to what they are purchasing.

With more states rolling out legislation against non-cannabis and unnatural synthetic ingredients, it’s easy for misleading language to hide non-natural additives that are foreign or not accurately testable in cannabis. And it’s these additives that cannabis consumer packaged goods manufacturers need to avoid. 

Just look at the current popular language used across the industry. From “Live Resin Terpenes” and “Flavor-Burst Profiles” to “Full-Spectrum Terpenes” and every other word salad of marketable terms you can throw together, it’s a confusing space out there.

And this isn’t just an issue with the lesser-known, fly-by-night terpene wholesalers operating on the fringes of the sector. Many of the biggest brands have terpene products containing flavor-boosting esters and acetates, among other additives of concern. 

To be clear, these additives may enhance the aroma and flavor but are neither hemp nor botanically derived. In some cases, these are additives linked to severe health concerns. Considering the PTSD the cannabis sector still holds from the vitamin E vape crisis, what are these compounds doing in products designed specifically for vapes and other inhalable products?

Terpenes vs. Flavors: Why Does it Matter?

At face value, there is nothing wrong with flavors. There is a long list of FDA-approved flavors that are safe for use in food, beverages, perfumes, and pharmaceuticals. 

However, in almost all cases, these ingredients have never been tested as inhalables, and if they have, it’s not after exposure to the high heat you’d get in a vape or a pre-roll. An additional note of consideration is that synthetic chemicals tend to be less stable than those found in nature, making synthetic suppliers’ products more prone to denaturing or degradation when exposed to heat.   

This may be why so many states are starting to crack down on synthetic and non-cannabis-centric additives. At the time of writing, California, Michigan, New York, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, and Connecticut (states that collectively make up more than $12.8 billion of America’s adult-use markets) have enacted strict regulations governing what can and cannot be included in inhalable cannabis products. 

Although the details vary, depending on the state, in broad strokes, this looks like banning non-botanically derived compounds as well as those that aren’t identical to those that naturally exist in Cannabis sativa L.

For example, Michigan’s regulations (R 420.206, under Rule 6) state:

All non-marihuana inactive ingredients must be clearly listed on the product label. Inactive ingredients, other than botanically derived flavonoids, terpenoids, and terpenes that are chemically identical to the terpenes derived from the plant Cannabis sativa L., must be approved by the FDA for the intended use, and the concentration must be less than the maximum concentration listed in the FDA Inactive Ingredient database for the intended use

Regulations look similar elsewhere, but the underlying elements are the same. States want cannabis products to contain ingredients identical to those naturally produced by the cannabis plant, regardless of botanical origin. Presumably, if consumers knew what was actually hidden in some of the terpene-infused products they are buying, many would want the same.

So, as a brand working with terpenes and flavor enhancers as part of the manufacturing process, you are putting your name and investors at risk when you don’t know the origins and additives in that bottle of terpenes sitting in your production room. Yes, there may only be a few states regulating these details now, but it’s easy to imagine what this will look like elsewhere in just a few years’ time — especially should the federal government get involved.

Protect Your Brand. Know Your Terpenes

If you take only one fact from this piece, let it be this: Flavors contain terpenes, but terpenes are not flavors. And while there is nothing wrong with flavors, even as an element in a manufactured cannabis product, new state-mandated rules increasingly mean you need to know your terpenes, including their origin and contents, to protect your brand and investors.

The easy solution to all of this is to work with terpene companies that exclusively use 100% natural ingredients. When the entire catalog is sourced from compliant origins, you never have to worry about what’s hidden behind all the confusing product lines.