The smell of cannabis is often attributed to its unique terpenes — the aromatic compounds produced by the plant — but they’re not the whole story behind cannabis aromas. This becomes apparent when you smell two separate strains. For example, compare GMO to a cross of Grape Pie x Do-Si-Do: both have similar terpene profiles, but the actual aroma is completely different.
Abstrax Tech’s research on what gives weed its aroma
Researchers from Abstrax Tech looked at 31 varieties of ice water hash, a solventless extraction that separates trichomes from the rest of the cannabis plant and ranked them from sweetest to most savory smelling. The samples, many produced by 710 Labs, were divided into three categories: sweet exotic, prototypical (average-smelling cannabis), and savory exotic.
The most extreme smelling strains were examined further to find what compounds were being produced that could be responsible for the more pungent aroma. The results showed that the distinct aromas were due to various unique compounds like alcohols, esters, aldehydes, and more that produce aromatic profiles from fruity to sweet, tropical, or chemical.
Courtesy of Abstrax Tech
The sweet exotic cannabis strains that smelled the most citrusy often contained a new class of tropical volatile sulfur compounds, or “tropicannasulfurs” for short. These are strains like Papaya, Guava, or Tangie where that deep citrusy smell is apparent.
Strains that are considered more savory, like GMO and Chemdawg, contain a compound called “skatole.” Skatole is found naturally in feces — specifically mammalian and bird feces — and is partially responsible for that fecal odor. However, at the low levels found in cannabis, it takes on a completely different savory, funky, and gassy aroma.
In both cases of sweet and savory, it’s not just one molecule giving the unique aroma of the bud, but rather a complex interplay of dozens, if not hundreds, of aromatic compounds producing a unique scent.
Newly discovered aromatic compounds in cannabis
Beyond sweet and savory, there are other cannabis aromas like floral, fruity, creamy, and chemical that have unique compounds responsible for their odor. These other compounds that contribute to the aroma beyond terpenes and terpenoids are referred to as “flavorants,” not to be mistaken for “flavonoids,” which give purple cannabis its color.
Flavorants include esters as a main driver of the fruity smell, with some strains like Banana Scream having over 15 unique esters contributing to the aroma. Abstrax Tech’s research is the first time these small molecules have been directly attributed to the smell of cannabis, along with creamy-sweet strain varieties.
The terpene profile of flower is often used to represent the predicted smell and indicate a particular strain’s effects. However, from this recent research, it’s clear that many other compounds beyond terpenes add to the complex aroma of cannabis. Although these other aromatics are not usually tested for in laboratories, your nose may be the best tool to detect these scents since the nose contains over 400 smell receptors capable of detecting an estimated one trillion scents.
Similar to terpenes, it’s hypothesized that these flavorants may also produce some biological activity that may contribute to the unique effects of different strains. For example, the study’s authors identified indole and skatole as responsible for some of the savory and chemical smells of cannabis. These compounds are very similar to both compounds our body makes and other compounds in nature known for anti-cancer properties and activity on the cannabinoid-2 receptor.
Future research will begin to test for potential therapeutic benefits of these newly identified compounds in the plant.
5 takeaways from Abstrax Tech’s recent research
There’s much more to cannabis’s aroma and effects than its terpene content. Here are five key takeaways from Abstrax Tech’s research:
The smelly compounds that give cannabis its unique odor are called flavorants.
We typically attribute terpenes to providing different cannabis varieties with their unique smell. Terpenes are just part of the story, with additional flavorant compounds like aldehydes, esters, and alcohols also contributing to the diverse and unique aromas.
Terpenes do not show a direct correlation to the smell of exotic cannabis varieties but may be useful in characterizing sub-classes of cannabis combined with flavorants.
Terpenes are still important and likely represent unique subclasses of aromas. For example, limonene-dominant varieties with unique flavorants may have a similar aroma to each other but vary greatly from caryophyllene-rich varieties with similar flavorants.
A new class of compounds called ‘tropicannasulfurs’ are responsible for the sweet/citrusy varieties of cannabis, and skatole (the poopy molecule) in low concentrations gives savory varieties their unique funky smell.
Volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) are essential drivers of smell and contribute to the skunky smell of many strains. A new class of VSCs called tropical volatile sulfur compounds, or “tropicannasulfurs” contribute to the citrusy and sweet smell of many exotic cannabis varieties. Skatole is responsible for the unique scent of feces, but in the very low concentrations found in cannabis, it can provide funky, earthy, and chem smells.
Limonene is one of the worst terpenes to predict the taste and smell of a strain.
Limonene may be one of the worst compounds to put on a label if you’re trying to predict how a strain will taste or smell. Strains with rich, savory aromas or light and citrusy aromas are often dominant in limonene. This terpene is not a reliable indicator to predict a strain’s effect, so trust your nose for the best results.
Terpinolene-rich strains are some of the only ones that can be reliably identified due to their terpenes alone.
Terpinolene-rich strains are known as quintessential “sativas,” like Trainwreck, Jack, and many Hazes. These terpene profiles are some of the only ones that were differentiable based on terpenes alone. While other strains with dominant terpenes, such as myrcene, caryophyllene, and limonene, can produce wildly different aromas, terpinolene varieties tend to be similar and more easily recognizable.
