# Terpene profile

> A terpene profile is the measured mix of terpenes in a sample, reported as each compound's % w/w and the total, used to describe and compare cultivar aroma chemistry.

- Canonical: https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/terpene-profile.html
- Also written: terpene profiles, aroma profile, terpene fingerprint, terpene breakdown
- Glossary category: Cannabinoids and terpenes · Evidence: Established
- Status: Draft: awaiting expert review · Updated: 2026-10-31
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), attribute "GenetixBay cannabis glossary"

A terpene profile is the list of [terpenes](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/terpene.md) measured in a sample, with the amount of each and usually a total. It is typically produced by [gas chromatography](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/gas-chromatography.md) and reported in % w/w or mg/g. Profiles are often summarised by their top two or three compounds, such as "myrcene-dominant" or "caryophyllene-limonene".

## In practice

A [COA](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/coa.md) might read: [myrcene](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/myrcene.md) 0.62%, beta-caryophyllene 0.41%, [limonene](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/limonene.md) 0.28%, total terpenes 1.9% w/w. Breeders use profiles to tell keepers apart and to check that a cut is what it claims to be. Hazekamp and Fischedick argued that chemical profiles, not names, are the proper way to classify cannabis. Smith et al. (2022) found that US commercial flower clusters into only a few terpene groups, evidence that commercial lines are converging.

The profile changes with [harvest timing](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/harvest-window.md), drying, curing and storage, so compare samples handled the same way. It also misses trace compounds like [VSCs](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/volatile-sulfur-compounds.md), which can dominate aroma.

## Don't confuse with

- **Chemotype**: usually refers to the [cannabinoid ratio](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/chemotype-ratio.md), not terpenes.
- **Strain name**: a label that frequently fails to predict the profile.

## Myth check

House position: "everything tastes the same now" is backed by the clustering data; GenetixBay's answer is preservation and documentation. See [why everything tastes the same](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/genetics-history/why-everything-tastes-the-same.md).

## Related terms

[Terpene](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/terpene.md), [Terpene test](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/terpene-test.md), [Chemotype ratio](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/chemotype-ratio.md), [Myrcene](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/myrcene.md), [Volatile sulfur compounds](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/volatile-sulfur-compounds.md)

## Read more

- [Why everything tastes the same: the evidence that commercial cannabis is converging](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/genetics-history/why-everything-tastes-the-same.md)
- [Why strain names are unreliable: what genetic studies show](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/genetics-history/why-strain-names-are-unreliable.md)

## Sources

1. Smith CJ, Vergara D, Keegan B, Jikomes N. 2022. The phytochemical diversity of commercial Cannabis in the United States. PLOS ONE 17(5):e0267498. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0267498
2. Hazekamp A, Fischedick JT. 2012. Cannabis: from cultivar to chemovar. Drug Testing and Analysis 4(7-8):660-667. https://doi.org/10.1002/dta.407